Digital audio player demand to rise sharply-study
Global demand for portable digital music players is expected to nearly quadruple to 104 million units a year by 2009.
The increment is fueled by falling prices, better equipment and a greater
availability of legal music, according to a study released on Tuesday.
Led by consumer excitement for Apple Computer Inc. iPod music players, demand for both hard disk drive and Flash memory-based portable audio devices -- also called MP3 players -- is seen jumping from 27.8 million units in 2004, according to research firm In-Stat.
In-Stat said revenue for both hard disk and Flash-based MP3 players reached about $4.5 billion, an increase of almost 200 percent over 2003.
Apple holds a 30.2 percent share of the worldwide portable audio players market, In-Stat said. Other leading vendors include D&M Holdings Inc.'s Rio, South Korea's Reigncom Ltd's iRiver and Creative Technology Ltd.'s Creative Zen line.
Led by consumer excitement for Apple Computer Inc. iPod music players, demand for both hard disk drive and Flash memory-based portable audio devices -- also called MP3 players -- is seen jumping from 27.8 million units in 2004, according to research firm In-Stat.
In-Stat said revenue for both hard disk and Flash-based MP3 players reached about $4.5 billion, an increase of almost 200 percent over 2003.
Apple holds a 30.2 percent share of the worldwide portable audio players market, In-Stat said. Other leading vendors include D&M Holdings Inc.'s Rio, South Korea's Reigncom Ltd's iRiver and Creative Technology Ltd.'s Creative Zen line.
