23% of the American population aged 12 and over have downloaded a music or MP3 file off of the Internet (Q4 - 2001)
Forty million Americans aged 12 and older have downloaded a music or MP3 file from a File-trading service (Q1 - 2002)
Nearly one-quarter of Americans aged 12 and older own a PC-based CD Recorder/ Burner (Q1 - 2002)
Nearly one-quarter of current U.S. Downloaders will pay for fee-based online music, and prefer a pay-per-download model over subscription-based offerings (Q2 - 2002)
Canadian, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Swedish, and South Korean youth Internet users are at least as active in downloading music as are American youth Internet users (Q1 - 2000)
The Context
The explosion of music downloading has fundamentally changed the
way consumers discover, listen to, and purchase music. In this rapidly
developing environment, strategic business decisions need to be
based on empirical evidence — actual numbers that measure and
track both consumer behaviors and market trends.
Where Primary Research Fits In
Retail sales information and analyst predictions, while
valuable as secondary data sources, simply do not provide a statistically
reliable foundation for making strategic decisions on consumer acquisition
preferences, online music distribution bundles, and pricing models.
To understand consumer opinions, you must first listen to them.
That's where Ipsos-Reid's science-based quantitative consumer research
is invaluable: it is primary data collected from actual consumers.
This powerful information allows clients to focus on the facts,
and effectively position their business model for the future.
TEMPO 2003: The Digital Music Tracker offers the most current and comprehensive quantitative research findings on the effects of digital music in America today, including:
The evolving role of the PC in music exploration, listening, and purchase behaviors;
General population prevalence of digital music behaviors, including downloading, Internet radio, streaming, file-sharing, ripping, CD-R burning, I.M., downloading ringtones, satellite radio, home networking, etc;
Digital peripheral ownership, usage and future purchase intent, including Mobile Phones, Portable MP3 Players, CD R's, Portable CD/ MP3 Players, Minidiscs, Home Theater, Headphones, DVD Recorders, etc.
Preferred music acquisition methods, and acceptable price-points for online music distribution, including subscription, per download and hybrid methods, as well as the impact of file-sharing on future purchase intent;
Motivations behind digital music behaviors, and the importance of website features, selection and price on the likelihood to visit and download;
Consumer attitudes toward traditional music and entertainment consumption, as well as past and future anticipated share of wallet;
To find out more about the methodology and subscription levels of TEMPO 2003, click here.
Past primary research examining the digital music landscape
At Ipsos-Reid, the scientific measure of digital music behavior is not a new idea. Our research specialists have been studying this sector for years. The links below highlight several bits of data from TEMPO and other research that we've done in this sector.
