April 12th, 2008
Most popular music download services: iTunes, Napster
iTunes usage increased significantly, to 24% past-30-day-usage among total US downloaders, up from 18% in 2006, according to Ipsos. An emerging majority (50% of downloaders aware of more than one site) consider iTunes the best fee-based digital music service (up from 41% in 2006 and 33% in 2005). Second-place Napster is rated “best” by just 10% of the downloader market, a figure that did not change from 2006 levels and has yet to eclipse the previous high of 22% in 2005. iTunes’ 2007 ascendance as ‘best brand’ generally came at the expense of the other top brands, each of which experienced directional declines.
