Traditional Radio’s Digital Competition Increases in Q4

New forms of music consumption continue to cut into traditional radio, according to a Bridge Ratings study of predictive media behavior for the fourth quarter of 2007, which found that users of MP3 players and satellite radio, in particular, plan to spend more time with those technologies, writes sister site MarketingCharts.

The study was conducted in August with a panel of 2,533 persons age 13+ via national random telephone interviewing; 20 percent of the sample was cellphone-based.

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Shortcuts to the charts referenced in this article:

1. Predicted increased listening, by medium, Q4
2. Predicted MP3 player listening in Q4
3. Predicted traditional radio listening in Q4
4. Predicted satellite radio listening in Q4
5. Predicted internet radio listening in Q4

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Some 31 percent of satellite radio subscribers expect to be listening more over “the next three months,” as do 22 percent of MP3-player owners, 17 percent of internet radio listeners, and 10 percent of traditional radio listeners (see chart: Predicted increased listening, by medium, Q4).Among the findings of the study:Portable Music Players

Bridge Ratings estimates that 22 percent of MP3 player users will increase their MP3 time-spent-listening this fall (see chart: Predicted MP3 player listening in Q4).

Initial use of iPods and MP3 players by new consumers in particular is at least 25 percent higher in the first six months than by the 12th month of use, and a fourth-quarter influx will enhance overall use, Bridge Ratings said.

Traditional Radio

Those listeners to AM/FM radio who are listening more than 14+ hours per week indicate that they will be listening less, while those who typically consume fewer than 13 hours per week radio expect to spend slightly more time with the radio this fall (see chart: Predicted traditional radio listening in Q4).

Some 10 percent predict that they will be spending less time with an AM or FM station this fall.

Satellite Radio

Almost one- third of the satellite radio sample estimated that they would be listening more this fall (see chart: Predicted satellite radio listening in Q4).

Satellite radio listeners with the heaviest consumption project increased use this fall.

Internet Radio

Some 17 percent of internet radio listeners indicated that they would be listening to Internet Radio more “in the next three months.”

Internet radio’s heaviest users (14+ hours per week) say they’ll likely be spending slightly less time listening this fall; those traditionally spending between 4 and 13 hours a week say they’ll be listening more (see chart: Predicted internet radio listening in Q4).

Internet net radio use is nearing 27 percent of the U.S. population and should reach that number (82 million per month) by the beginning of 2008, according to Bridge Ratings.