Traffic to Apple’s iTunes website and the use of the iTunes application has skyrocketed 241pc in the past year from 6.1 million unique visitors in December 2004 to 20.7 million in December 2005.
According to Nielsen NetRatings, iTunes now reaches nearly 14pc of the active internet population.
The Nielsen NetRatings report reveals that teenagers are disproportionately represented among iTunes users with 12 to 17 year olds twice as likely to visit the iTunes website and use the application as the average internet user. iTunes users are also more likely to be male. The site’s traffic is 54pc male and 46pc female.
“The rapid growth of iTunes is an important phenomenon in the online media marketplace,” said Jon Gibs, director of media analytics, Nielsen NetRatings. “Consumers have clearly indicated that they are eager to control their own music libraries, one song at a time,” he continued.
Nielsen NetRatings also revealed today that iTunes users form a distinct target audience with identifiable brand preferences. Their favorite car make is Volkswagen, which they are 2.2 times more likely to own than the average internet user. Other popular car makers among the group include Audi and Subaru.
Among magazines, they are 3.3 times more likely than average to read Wired, 2.6 times more likely to read Rolling Stone and 2.5 times more likely to read FHM.
By John Kennedy
