Teens (age 13 to 17) purchased 19 percent less music in 2008 than they did in 2007, according to a new report from the NPD Group.
CD purchasing feel 26 percent and paid digital downloads dropped 13 percent compared to the previous year. With paid digital downloads, 32 percent of teens purchasing less digital music said they were unhappy with the music that was available for purchase and 23 percent were satisfied were satisfied with the digital music they already owned.
The decrease in music purchases was matched by a downturn in the quantity of tracks downloaded from peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, which feel 6 percent in 2008. The number of teens borrowing music to rip to a computer or burn to a CD fell by 28 percent.
Russ Crupnick
“While we expected to see the continued decline in CD purchasing among teens in NPD’s music tracking surveys, it was surprising to see that fewer teens downloaded music from P2P sites or borrowed them from friends,” said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group.
“These declines could be happening due to a lack of excitement among teens about the music available, but it could also reflect a larger shift in the ways teens interact with music, given that so much music is now available whenever and wherever they want it.”
NPD’s music tracking surveys noted sharp jumps in teen’s usage of online listening sources and satellite radio in 2008. More than half of teens (52%) listened to online radio in 2008, compared to just 34 percent in 2007. Downloading or listening to music on social networks increased from 26 percent in 2007 to 46 percent in 2008.
“The music industry still hasn’t recovered from declining CD sales, and now they are being challenged anew by slowing digital sales among teens,” Crupnick continued.
“Perhaps the next wave for teens comes when just listening to music replaces purchasing actual files, which might end up creating new revenue streams, such as brand- and ad-supported music. It might also put a premium on selling downloads, merchandise, and show tickets directly to teen fans.”
