I think we all remember how Internet access changed the music industry (especially high-speed Internet access like cable and DSL).
EarthLink Music Channel - Powered by Rhapsody
Napster. iTunes.
But what’s the state of music today? What are all the ways people are discovering and listening to music?
The answers are hot off the press.
Nielsen, a leader in TV and other media measurement, just released its Music 360 Report on Tuesday.
Nielsen’s in-depth study of U.S. consumers looked at all aspects of music consumption, including listening and purchasing, music discovery, social networking, mobile music apps, and more.
The big takeaways for many may be both how much some things about music haven’t changed – and how much others have.
On the one hand, radio is still the dominant way U.S. consumers discover music. Almost half (48%) discover music most via the radio, versus only 10% through friends and relatives and 7% through YouTube.
And a good old-fashioned, word-of-mouth recommendation from a friend is still more than twice as likely to lead to purchasing music than any other factor.
On the other hand, teenagers are listening to music via YouTube more than through any other source: 64% for YouTube, 56% for radio, 53% radio, 50% for CDs.
To get all the stats, check out this press release on the Nielsen website.
If you’re interested in a good source of online music, you should also check out the MyEarthLink Music channel, which is powered by Rhapsody.