11% of U.S. Owns an iPod or MP3 Player, New Study Finds

February 14th, 2005 at 2:00 PM - Reports by Brad Gibson

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. "Itis certainly an ever-growing part of the fabric of young Americans. It isnit 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: