11% of U.S. Owns an iPod or MP3 Player, New Study Finds
TMO Reports - 11% of U.S. Owns an iPod or MP3 Player, New Study Finds
by , 3:10 PM EST, February 15th, 2005
WASHINGTON -- 11% of Americans over 18 own an Apple iPod or similar MP3 player and almost one in five of those under the age of 30 have bought a digital music device, a new study has found.
The study, carried out by the Washington-based nonprofit Pew Internet & American Life Project, showed 22 million adults in the U.S. own a MP3 player. While younger people had a better chance of owning an iPod or MP3 device, the number dropped to one in seven in the 30-to-39 and 40-to-48 age groups.
"iPods and MP3 players are heading into the mainstream," Lee Rainie, project director at the Pew Internet & American Life Project, told The Mac Observer. "It's certainly an ever-growing part of the fabric of young Americans. It isn't yet the norm with the older generation."
The higher the income bracket, the more people own an iPod or MP3 player, the survey showed. 24% of those who live in households earning more than US$75,000 have a digital music device. 10% of those living in households earning $30,000 to $75,000 have them and 6% of those living in households earning less than $30,000 have them as well.
Other details of the survey included:
Mr. Rainie said history shows once a product family catches on -- like cellular telephones, televisions and compact disc players -- growth takes off and grows into the high double digits.
"Once technology reaches 10% or 11% penetration it moves to a different realm," Mr. Rainie commented. "It wouldn't surprise me at all if now that we've hit that magic 10% 'tipping point' we see market penetration actually accelerate for a while."
In terms of similar trends in electronics, Mr. Rainie said iPods and MP3 players are following the historic track of DVD, compact disc players and digital cameras "MP3 players are breaking out fairly quickly," he said. "Much quicker than bigger inventions such as the telephone, televisions or radio. It took a much longer time for any of those to impact 10% of the U.S. population compared to iPods or MP3 players."
The nationwide phone survey was conducted between January 13 and February 9 and involved 2,201 people. The margin of error was plus or minus 2%. Mr. Rainie told TMO the survey did not ask those using MP3 players what brand they owned.
Observer Comments
Tue Feb 15, 2005 5:36 pm Subject: iPod Fad Headed Towards Collapse
Hey Brian, do you want to start up an iPod death knell?
QuoteRealityCheck wrote:
This rapid growth in music players confirms the music player fad. What percent of the population ever wants a personal portable music player with earbuds? For nerdy unsociable geeks they're great, but for the rest of us who prefer to interact with people, there's no demand. After the poor geeks who can only afford the iPod shuffle scoop up the supply by summer, this fad will die faster than disco music. I can see Apple stores stocked to the ceiling with unsalable iPods by this fall.
>For nerdy unsociable geeks they're great, but for the rest of us who prefer to interact with people, there's no demand.
Really? I get the impression you are always sitting in front of your computer waiting for the latest news about Apple 
>After the poor geeks who can only afford the iPod shuffle scoop up the supply by summer, this fad will die faster than disco music. I can see Apple stores stocked to the ceiling with unsalable iPods by this fall.
I'm sure TMO readers will be happy to mark this spot and see what happens. If you win, you should be able to get a good deal on an iPod at the Apple store nearest you!
RC said, "This rapid growth in music players confirms the music player fad. What percent of the population ever wants a personal portable music player with earbuds?"
I say, "RC's verbal diarrhea confirms that he's a flame-baiting little twit."
Ummm...I don't know. I suppose you've never owned a Sony Walkman? Remember those? Oh yeah...they've only been a staple in Sony's product lineup for the last 20 years. Some fad. They've been around longer than CD's...ya know, that other fad. Oh and that Intenet thing will never last either.
Tue Feb 15, 2005 6:00 pm Subject: Lots of people RC
Remember the Walkman that sold around 360 million? The Walkman had earplugs - remember?
As an old retailer I would LOVE to have iPods stocked to the ceiling going into the Christmas season. I'd have a large ad in the paper on Thanksgiving and add extra staff. Just shows that you know less about retailing than you do about Macs, iPods or Apple in general.
By the way, if the iPod is such a short term fad why are competitors busting their @ss to try to catch up?
QuoteRealityCheck wrote:
This rapid growth in music players confirms the music player fad.
Um, no. That's called gaining market share.
QuoteRealityCheck wrote:
What percent of the population ever wants a personal portable music player with earbuds.
It would seem the answer is 11%. Did you read the article?
QuoteRealityCheck wrote:
For nerdy unsociable geeks they're great, but for the rest of us who prefer to interact with people, there's no demand.
This has to be the funniest part of RC's post. Although it seems you are implying that you aren't one of these "unsociable geeks," it seems that you continually monitor TMO so you can be the first to post troll bait. And if you're such a sociable type, why continue to hide behind a pseudonym?
Tue Feb 15, 2005 6:25 pm Subject: What can you expect?
Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:13 pm Subject: Study also finds a new word
Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:10 pm Subject: Oh come on peeps...
Rapid Growth = bad. Earbuds = bad. Can't sell 'pods by Autumn. That nerds comment.
Implicit. Humorous. Intent.
OK...OK. It's fair to say that there are plenty of genuine Trolls out there, who's post's can contain the elements of comments like these, and earnestly mean every word of it. Hence a reasonable excuse for missing the ironic intent. But never so many doozies all together.
Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:41 pm Subject: well, I want one...
And it seems I'm getting one. My girlfriend ordered one for me for Valentines Day. A shuffle. I gave her the 20g for Christmas (she's in grad school so $ is an issue). And I'm overwhelmed with the Shuffle. So cool.
And obviously, it's not hurting Apple to have their stock more than double the price of Dell's and almost as high as IBMs.
RC=rectal cranial inversion.
Interestingly enough, there was a disco song on the radio this morning. So I guess it isn't dead.
PS: For those who don't remember the radio, it was the music fad before the walkman, which was the music fad before the iPod.
PPS: Nobody has ever made money on music fads. All music-fad related companies are out of business now, so Apple surely will be soon. Where *is* Sony these days?
PPPS: Sarcasm. I know some people around here have trouble with that.
iPods or mp3 players in general are great. Especially when connected to home hifi systems, or in the car. MP3 players have obsoleted my CD, LP, tape collection. I should sell them at a garage sale.
As for headphone listening, some people prefer the socializing aspect and leave the headphones at home.
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