June 11, 2005
ITunes More Popular Than P2P
Though not specifically related to ringtones, this is big news for the music industry.
Research from The NPD Group is showing that Apple's iTunes music store is more popular than many peer-to-peer file-sharing services like Kazaa, and is drawing as many users as LimeWire, reports NewsFactor Network.
"The report highlights a shift in the online music service sector, the NPD Group noted, with paid download stores now competing head-to-head with free P2P download services.
Having iTunes become as popular as P2P services is not too surprising, said IDC analyst Roger Kay.
"Apple has put a lot of effort into promoting iTunes, and building that brand," he said. By comparison, LimeWire and Kazaa are known to tech-savvy Internet users, but certainly are not featured prominently in advertising the way that iTunes and the iPod are".
Also, with the spate of lawsuits surrounding piracy, many users have been drawn to music services that they perceive as being "legitimate."
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