Portable MP3 Hardware Sales Up

prostoalex writes "In December of 2002 only 12% of US music downloaders owned a digital music player, while for this year the number has increased to 17%. Jupiter Research expects the sales of the digital music players to double this year, while another research agency notes a remarkable shift towards paying for music. Even the music industry tends to agree that online music stores are a boon and expects the Web sales to really take off in 2004." (And the sales of Ogg-capable hardware are up, too, since there finally is some.)

Comments

perhaps more surprising

[real_smiff]

is that >4/5 of music downloaders still only listen to that music on their computers - ? When MP3 playing portable cd players (whew, that's long), for example, hardly cost more than one's that don't..

Re:perhaps more surprising

[GizmoToy]

I don't think its all that surprising, really. I'd have to believe the biggest reason most only listen to their music on their computer is because the entire library is available at any given time. You don't need to swap CDs. To most, that's a very attractive option.

But of course

[cspenn]

Funny how the music industry changes its tune as soon as the money starts rolling in.

"Oh yeah, the Internet, it's the latest thing!" ...while the RIAA locks and loads the lawsuit cannon for yet another salvo.

I wonder if customers will be as easily confused?

Statistics

[trystanu]

So let me get this straight:

In 2002 only 12% of people downloading music owned MP3 players

In 2003 17% of people downloading music owned MP3 players.

So we're talking percents of percents here. 12% of however many people were downloading music (on that'd be less if we're talking people who've paid for their downloaded music). Has this number increased, decreased?

Thankfully in the new 2003 Jupiter Research consumer survey, 6 percent of online adults said they would be buying a portable music device in the next 12 months. What's an online adult, am I an online adult?

Uhuh? Anyone else confused? They seem like numbers just for the sake of numbers to me...

The Fight over Format

[mr_lithic]

Is this the Music Industry finally admitting that they no longer can inhibit digital music distribution and that need to grab their share of the pie?

The music industry corporations made a bundle by changing the format of the media that they supply. There were millions made when the CD replaced the LP and millions of older releases were sold to people who already had the album.

The shift to a portable digital format has been made outside of their control and now they are struggling to catch up.

The lack of willingness by the younger population (12-17) in this study to purchase music points to the fact that they may have already missed the boat.

Changing Tunes For $$$

[tds67]

Funny how the music industry changes its tune as soon as the money starts rolling in.

Where have you been? Then money's been rolling in.

There was that 12 year-old girl they sued and got some money out of, that 70-something year old man they sued, the college kids they sued, the housewife they're suing, etc., etc.

+5 yrs -- "Music industry has record year again!"

[Isca]

How much do you want to bet that 5 years from now, the record industry will all love the internet because this year they finally figure out how to make money by selling music at a reasonable price?

There's not one new music selling place that hasn't at least broke even at $0.99 a track? ow long before we see that special "mini Album" by (insert pop star here) for 4.99 for *6* songs?

Of course, Jack Valenti will still be moaning, but the rest of the industry will be looking at him the same way they look at him when he talks about VCR's and rentals... I.e. "what were we thinking?" after having made more money per song by not having to pay hardly anything to distribute it.

-Chris