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Profiles of Savvy Digital Music Player Owners

comScore Networks released a study which provides insight into the demographic characteristics, interests and media usage habits of online consumers who own digital music players (DMPs), including devices such as MP3 players, iPods -- and Microsoft's new Zune music player.

Based on findings from comScore's new Plan Metrix media planning tool, the study revealed that these tech-savvy consumers, who typically have an above average income, represent an attractive target for consumer electronics advertisers.

Twenty-seven percent of all Internet users currently own one or more DMPs. Online DMP owners are slightly more likely to be male (53 percent) and more than one-third (37 percent) are between the ages of 18-34. Moreover, they are nearly twice as likely as the typical Internet user to be enrolled as full-time college students.

Thirty-six percent of online DMP owners have an annual household income above $75,000, and they are 66 percent more likely than the average Internet user to have an annual household income above $150,000. They show a high affinity for online shopping; with 49 percent agreeing that the Internet is the easiest way to shop, and 94 percent reporting they shopped (i.e. researched and/or purchased) online in the past six months.

"With the launch of Zune, Microsoft is targeting a highly desirable audience segment," said Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore Media Metrix. "As Zune gains in popularity, it will be interesting to observe how this segment of DMP owners differs from those who own iPods and other DMPs already in the marketplace."

Technology is an important part of online DMP owner's lives and they have a higher than average propensity to own many types of consumer electronics products, including entertainment related devices.

They are more than twice as likely as the norm to own Web-enabled video game consoles, 80 percent more likely to own a satellite radio system and 57 percent more likely than the norm to own a plasma flat screen TV.

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