The Entertainment Media Research performed a survey on users who use legal music download services with some interesting results. Of 1,400 who took part, 92% still prefer CDs over music downloads. 60% would be willing to use a legal download service to get tracks they could not find in the shops. 50% would use a legal download service to get several tracks off recent albums. Finally, 80% of respondents said they will continue to purchase as many or more CDs than before.
While many previous surveys showed that peer-to-peer help some consumers decide whether to purchase certain albums they are unsure about, the same holds true even with this survey with many respondents using legal download services to debate whether to purchase certain albums. However in this case, the consumer ends up paying twice for some songs - once for sampling and again when they purchase the CD.
CDs still have their advantages over legal download services. The main advantages being better sound quality since CD-Audio is not compressed and its contents can easily be converted to MP3 format, which nearly every portable digital audio player supports. CDs are easier to handle and the majority of Hi-Fi's, Car-Stereo's, DVD players and portable CD stereo's player all accept them. While most music download services allow transfer to CD, a large CD-Rack of Audio CD-R's does not look pretty and even if the user tries converting the music to a non-DRM format such as MP3, this results in further audio quality loss. GristyMcFisty submitted the following news via our news submit:
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It supports the theory that online downloads are complementing, rather than replacing traditional CD sales; with shoppers using the online stores to sample music before getting "the real thing". 80 per cent of "legal" downloaders surveyed said they will buy as many or more CDs buy as many or more CDs in the future. CDs have better sound quality than music downloads, and in most countries have no restrictions on how the user listens to the music. Although Napster and Apple claim downloads in the millions, it's a drop in the ocean compared to CD sales and peer to peer networks. And even the most optimistic growth forecasts see online stories making only modest inroads: at best around eight per cent of the market in five years' time. That's if the today's online stores survive. With the DRM stores only keeping four cents of the 99 cents you pay for a song, only businesses that view it as a loss leader for another product, such as Apple with its lucrative iPod business, are likely to survive. Little wonder that MP3.com founder Michael Robertson called it a "goldrush for lemmings". |
If around 92% of all music download store customers actually still prefer CDs, it looks like
music download services still got some work to do to and could easily sell a lot
more music if they meet the consumer's requirements. While some consumers say DRM is the problem, other features music download shops lack include printable Jewel-case Covers and printable CD labels. This would get rid of the plain looking rack of CD-R's. As broadband services are getting more widespread, a choice of higher bit-rates or even lossless compression would satisfy those looking for CD-Quality tracks. Most stores use 128kbps, while most audiophiles and customers with high quality equipment demand much higher bitrates.
However, with P2P networks being attacked by the music industry, it looks like many consumers are being forced into purchasing music twice going by the survey - 1st to see if they like the song and again when they end up getting the CD. However, many legal download services do offer the advantage of being able to sample 30 seconds of each track such as what iTunes offers.
Feel free to discuss and find out more about music download services on our Music Downloads, P2P & Legal Issues Forum.
Source: The Register - eCommerce
