A new online study conducted by
SBR Creative Media among more than 7,000 AAA format listeners nationwide has some eye-opening findings.
The full results of the study will be presented by SBR at next week’s AAA Summit in Boulder.
Here are just a couple of the things that jumped out to me:
Owners of portable mp3 players (e.g., iPods, etc.) are considerably less likely than the total sample to say they “listen to music the most” on FM radio . iPods and their like are being used as radio substitutes by many of these folks. Further evidence, 16% of the total sample says they listen to “more than 6 hours of radio per day” compared to only 10% of iPod/mp3 player owners. That’s a big difference, folks, and it hits radio at its heavy-TSL heart.
I have for some time talked about how mp3 players – and iPods in particular – are fundamentally different from any of the other portable music players in our history. Here, finally, is some evidence to suggest I’m right. These units, although inevitable, are a serious challenge to music stations long term.
Recall that it was in the Spring that the NAB that gave away iPods as door prizes at their convention. Ha!
It’s also interesting to note the 18-24 shift AWAY from traditional record stores and toward large retail stores as their preferred sources for CD’s.
Lots more stuff in the SBR research. Look for more details from SBR and in Radio & Records.
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