M3NF
08-Jun-2005, 07:38 PM
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Apple's iTunes online service has overtaken many "peer-to-peer" websites offering free music-swapping among US Internet users, but millions are still downloading unauthorized songs, a survey showed.
The NPD Group said iTunes's pay-per-download store was tied with the file-swapping site LimeWire as the second most popular digital music service in March, each used by 1.7 million households.
The most popular digital music service that month was the P2P site WinMX, used by 2.1 million households to download music.
Paid music services from Napster (http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Napster) and RealNetworks also placed in the top 10 alongside P2P services like iMesh and Kazaa.
"One of the music industry's questions has been, when will paid download stores compete head-to-head with free P2P download services," said Russ Crupnick, president of the NPD Group's music and movies division.
"That question has now been answered. iTunes is more popular than nearly any P2P service, and two other paid digital music offerings have also gained a level of critical mass. These digital download stores appear to have created a compelling and economically viable alternative to illegal file sharing."
NPD found four percent of Internet-enabled households in the United States used a paid music download store in March 2005.
NPD's research shows that older consumers are more likely to be deterred by the recording industry's anti-piracy litigation efforts, but that younger users, including college students remain committed to free services.
NPD found the top 10 music sites, in order of popularity, were WinMX, iTunes and LimeWire, Kazaa, BearShare, Ares Galaxy, Napster, Morpheus, Real Player Store and iMesh.
Taken from Yahoo News.
Go Itunes :) WOOHOOO
The NPD Group said iTunes's pay-per-download store was tied with the file-swapping site LimeWire as the second most popular digital music service in March, each used by 1.7 million households.
The most popular digital music service that month was the P2P site WinMX, used by 2.1 million households to download music.
Paid music services from Napster (http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Napster) and RealNetworks also placed in the top 10 alongside P2P services like iMesh and Kazaa.
"One of the music industry's questions has been, when will paid download stores compete head-to-head with free P2P download services," said Russ Crupnick, president of the NPD Group's music and movies division.
"That question has now been answered. iTunes is more popular than nearly any P2P service, and two other paid digital music offerings have also gained a level of critical mass. These digital download stores appear to have created a compelling and economically viable alternative to illegal file sharing."
NPD found four percent of Internet-enabled households in the United States used a paid music download store in March 2005.
NPD's research shows that older consumers are more likely to be deterred by the recording industry's anti-piracy litigation efforts, but that younger users, including college students remain committed to free services.
NPD found the top 10 music sites, in order of popularity, were WinMX, iTunes and LimeWire, Kazaa, BearShare, Ares Galaxy, Napster, Morpheus, Real Player Store and iMesh.
Taken from Yahoo News.
Go Itunes :) WOOHOOO