Ownership of MP3 players has reached an all time high, a survey has revealed. The survey carried out by the global market research firm, Ipsos Insight, has highlighted that one in five Americans over 12 owns a portable MP3 and one in twenty, or six percent, own more than one portable music device.
        The study also highlighted that MP3 players accounted for 85% of all portable audio sales in 2005, with sales figures hitting $4.2bn. There have been a number of interesting factors cited as motivation for the rise in sales, one of which being its multi-media content. Young buyers are leading the way in MP3 sales and they demand more television, video and full-length movies available for download.
        With half the teens in America owning an MP3 player and one-third of people age 18 to 34 owning them, the portable audio market is dominated by youth. And it is this youth that are demanding portable FM radio with 46% of teens calling for this technology. With this broad market it will be music to the ears of FM and Satelite radio companies.
        The survey also pointed out a number of interesting facts about the sales of MP3 players. Such as more men (25%) own MP3 players than women (16%). And the ownership rate of MP3 players has double since 2003. This shows that MP3 playrs really are the technology of the future.