The new report which is based on online interviews with broadband users in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK, also notes that there is a significant difference between casual users and heavy users. “Heavy users show a much stronger preference for buying digital music from iTunes or directly from a record label, while casual users demonstrate a relatively higher preference for buying digital music from big Internet brands, such as Amazon, or directly from their broadband service provider," says analyst Jia Wu.
As much as its great news for iTunes, Amazon should also be pleased with the findings since its digital store just launched a few week ago in the UK and is not available in all EU markets.
Martin Olausson, Director of Digital Media Research at Strategy Analytics, added, “Our research clearly shows that iTunes is the undisputed heavyweight champion in the European digital music market. Other players in the market stand a good chance to succeed in their challenge to Apple however, if they choose to focus on the right consumer segments."
To purchase the report on “Companies or Brands From Whom You Would Prefer to Buy Your Music," click here.
