PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, October 18, 2006 –Portable digital music players (PDMP) are seen and heard everywhere, but who is using them, where are they being used, and how? The Portable Digital Music Player Report, from leading consumer and retail information provider The NPD Group, examines attitudinal and behavioral patterns of kid, teen, and adult PDMP users.
All Consumers
Sixty percent of teenagers surveyed (13-17 years old) use a PDMP. The number drops considerably for kids (6-12 years old) and adults (18+ years old) with only 30 percent and 24 percent usage respectively.
Teens, being the largest user base, spend the most time listening to their PDMPs, an average of eight hours per week. Adults spend about seven hours per week connected to their PDMPs and kids average about five hours per week.
According to the survey most consumers use their PDMPs to listen to music. Seventy-three percent of kids and teens and 60 percent of adults only have music on their PDMPs. Digital photos were the second most popular content; 10 percent of kids and teens and 16 percent of adults use a PDMP to store their pictures.
Adults
With only about a quarter of consumers 18 and older using a PDMP, there is plenty of room for growth. More than 50 percent of the adults surveyed have had their PDMP for less than one year and only one-in-four are using more than one PDMP, opening doors for upgrades to their current devices and opportunities to purchase new ones for alternative usage.
According to the survey, 56 percent of adults use their PDMPs at home, 50 percent while traveling, and 48 percent while exercising. Many of these listening experiences could be enhanced by leveraging a number of add-on options. Eighty percent of adults report some type of accessory use to expand their PMDP capabilities, such as headphones, TV connectors, docking speakers, car adaptors, arm bands, or mounting kits, however a closer look at individual accessories reveals major growth potential for many of them.
“Portable digital music players have become a key battle for companies seeking to provide digital lifestyle solutions; the diverse accessories that they have spawned have torn down walls that traditionally separated categories,” said Ross Rubin, director, industry analysis, The NPD Group. “Winning the race to critical mass provides additional licensing revenue streams for player manufacturers as well as lucrative opportunities for third parties and retailers.”
Kids and Teens
Online music stores and subscription services have some ground to cover among 6-17 year-olds. Only 38 percent of kids and teens surveyed are getting content from an online store for use on their PDMPs. Most are copying and ripping music from their own CDs or their friends’ CDs. Limited access to credit cards and online security concerns were two of the key reasons cited for not using online or subscription services.
An overwhelming majority of kids and teens surveyed are happy with their PDMPs, only five percent were dissatisfied. According to the survey, kids and teens would like an “all-in-one” device with a digital camera, cell phone, and Internet access.
Future Purchases
Only about 23 percent of teens surveyed plan on getting a new PDMP in the next 12 months, with 54 percent of them most likely having their parents purchase the new device. Thirty eight percent of teens who aren’t getting a new PDMP report they don’t need one and 33 percent report they don’t have the money for one.
Twenty percent of current adult PDMP users and 12 percent of non-users plan on purchasing a new device in the next 12 months, but feature importance differs between the two groups. Current PDMP users are relatively more interested in upgrading and enhancing with video capabilities and design, whereas first-time buyers care more about the basics such as memory, sound quality, and battery life.
“Competitors now offer a variety of sleek, stylish products that provide high capacity and long battery life for newcomers,” said Rubin. “However, there’s also now strong growth in players that can accommodate multiple media types, an important factor in driving higher capacities.”
Methodology
Approximately 6,405 members of NPD’s online consumer panel participated in Portable Digital Music Player Report from August 11 through August 18, 2006. Parents of children ages 6 to 14 and some teens ages 13 to 17 were asked to sit with their children while they answered the survey. The final survey data was weighted to represent the total population.
About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,600 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, visit www.npd.com.