http://www.billboard.com/biz/article...-decade-report

After nearly a decade since selling its first digital song, Apple Inc.'s iTunes continues to dominate with a 63% unit share of the U.S. market for digital music downloads in the fourth quarter, according to estimates released Tuesday by the NPD Group Inc.

Amazon.com's MP3 store remained No. 2 with 22% market share, NPD said. The estimates are based on units, rather than revenue. Because iTunes discounts far less often than rival retailers, its dollar share of the $2.9 billion U.S. download market is likely to be greater than its unit share, though NPD did not provide dollar share figures. In terms of customers, a commanding eight out of 10 digital music buyers downloaded their albums or tracks from iTunes in the fourth quarter.


"There's a belief that consumers don't need to buy music because of streaming options," said Russ Crupnick, NPD's senior vice president of industry analysis. "In fact, streamers are much more likely than the average consumer to buy music downloads."

that's less than what i thought. i was thinking iTunes had nearly an 80% share of the digital market.

Interesting. Maybe online streaming sites aren't as much of a detriment to the industry after all.

Now Def Jam should take note and put Stay up for steaming so it can get to #1.

It still is. Streaming isnt a purchase therefor the labels wouldnt be making the money they once were off the tracks.

legend iTunes

I use Amazon MP3 also though

Glad to see them holding their own.

Only 63%?

interesting. i wonder why it takes so long for itunes to release a streaming service. something like iStream, considering how much the streaming market is hot as fire. but good for them getting that 63% market share.

+1

Streaming is killing the industry as we know it no matter how you look at it

I would like to know who holds the third place.

I thought it was like 90% lol.
We need to start paying more attention to Amazon MP3.

Wow I had no idea amazon was that high though!

I think Itunes is going to be irrelevant in favor of streaming as the internet becomes faster and cheaper.

Not true. Youtube pays the label for every streaming point it gets.

I never agreed with people who sternly state people who stream are less likely buying music. That doesn't make any sense, whatever angle you're approaching the argument.

And this says for the fourth quarter. Does that mean it held 63% for the ending of 2012 or overall? 63% over the course of a few months is an idea number, imo. Amazon has been working hard to be more present, so it's not shocking their percentage.

In 2011 iTunes held 66% market share versus Amazon's 13%. 64% in 2012 (Amazong 16%). And it's not due to streaming but other digital retailer competition -- like Amazon continually dropping it's prices to take share. Hence it booming 9% over the last two years.

Also 63% of the digital market is nothing to gawk at...

If you factor in TEA, the percentage is even higher.

lol. It's the other way around.

RIAA 2012 #

Streaming: $1,032.8 million USD (up 59%)
Singles Download: $1,623.6 million USD (up 6.7%)
Album Download: $1,204.8 million USD (up 12.5%)
Physical CD Album: $2,532 million USD (down 18.3%)

In about 10 months, streaming could surpass singles download (at the current rate of growth).

Seriously false. It's actually helping the industry by giving it more revenue and grabbing more people in to buy music.