Port Washington, N.Y. – Music
is still the No. 1 reason that consumers go to the iTunes store, but interest
in purchasing apps is growing, The
said
in reporting the results of a consumer survey.
The
survey found that 56
percent of iTunes buyers purchase music exclusively and that a majority of iTunes users’ search time tends to focus on
music searches.
“Sales growth in digital music
has been slowing, and some of that decline might be related to the distraction
from apps,” said Russ
Crupnick, NPD’s VP and
senior entertainment analyst. “However,
iTunes shoppers are still completely engaged with music, whether it’s about
listening, discovering or buying.” Although apps
and video compete for consumer dollars, “they
can also be used to promote music and re-energize digital music and video
download sales,” he
noted.
The
survey found that 56
percent of iTunes buyers purchase music exclusively and that a majority of iTunes users’ search time tends to focus on
music searches.
Nine out of 10 iPhone and iPod
Touch users, however,
have downloaded a free app, pointing to “a major up-selling opportunity
to paid versions of the same app,”
Crupnick said. A total of 69
percent of iPhone and iPod Touch owners who haven’t yet paid for an app
said they are interested
in possibly doing so in the future.
A total of 82 percent of iPhone and Touch
users have purchased music on the iTunes store, the report also found.
The
findings are based on 3,862 responses to an online survey fielded in May of iTunes
users ages 13 and older. Each
respondent reported using iTunes at least once in the past three months.
