UK insurers urged to ‘change tune’ on downloads

A third of leading home insurers' standard policies do not offer any form of "digital information" cover, even though more than 100 million tracks are downloaded by UK music lovers each year.

Those that do offer cover generally limit it to around GBP1,000.

Four out of eight of the main download providers - HMV Digital, Play.com, 7digital and Tesco Entertainment - allow customers to re-download lost tracks so they do not have to rely on insurance.

But others, including iTunes, say in their terms and conditions that: "Products may be downloaded only once and cannot be replaced if lost for any reason".

Which? CEO Peter Vicary Smith said:"It's surprising that, at a time when the popularity of digital downloads is soaring, insurers aren't offering music lovers the protection they need. 

"People who buy a lot of digital music should double check their home insurance policy to make sure downloads are covered. 

"If they're not, we'd recommend switching to a provider that has entered the digital age."