Millions of Americans may be willing to pay to listen to their favorite audio channel on the Internet. According to a study by Arbitron and Edison Media Research, nearly a quarter of Internet audio “streamies” indicated they would be willing to pay a small fee to listen to the online audio channel they listen to the most, up from 14% six months earlier.
Among other findings:
– Compared with traditional media, one out of five Americans feel the Internet is the “most essential” medium to their lives.
– Weekly “streamies” – people who watched or listened to streaming media in the past week – bought more than one and a half times the number of compact discs in the past year than the average American.
– Weekly streamies go to movie theaters more often. Nearly two-thirds of video streamies have viewed movie trailers or previews online, making trailers and previews the top content for these consumers.
– Residential broadband adoption has doubled in 18 months, jumping from 13% of those with at-home Internet access in January 2001 to 28% in July 2002. Further, one in five dial-up home users intends to convert to broadband in the coming year.
– Record numbers of Americans continue to consume Internet audio and video. As of July, 83 million Americans have experienced it.
“These numbers are remarkably strong considering the turmoil in the streaming media sector,” said Larry Rosin, president of Edison Media Research. “While a number of radio stations and Webcasters have ceased streaming due to the newly imposed government digital rights fees, consumers are still seeking out compelling audio and video content in record numbers.”
More of Us Are Willing to Pay for Audio Streaming
More of Us Are Willing to Pay for Audio Streaming
