Apple’s iTunes was responsible for just under a third of all music sold in the US in the three months to the end of June.
According to new NPD figures, iTunes claimed a 64% share of the digital music market and 29% share of all music sold at retail in Q2 - including both digital and physical formats.
In this overall music retail market, Apple was closely followed by Amazon/AmazonMP3 (19%), and Walmart (11%). When comparing digital downloads to CD albums, NPD equates single albums as equivalent to 10 digital-music tracks.
However, in the digital market, Amazon was a much more distant second, with just 16% share compared to Apple’s 64%. Google Play, eMusic, Zune Music Pass, and others each had a share of 5% or lower.
NPD expects the digital music market to grow by approximately 10% on a unit basis in 2012.
“Despite increased usage of streaming radio and on-demand services, the market for digital ownership is still growing as the market evolves from the desktop to the pocket, and Apple remains well positioned as the market leader," said Russ Crupnick, senior vice president of industry analysis for The NPD Group.
"Growing consumer awareness of Google Play was aided by the expanding footprint of the Android mobile platform and represents the first step toward customer adoption. With continued Apple strength and strong entries by other emerging players, Zune Music Pass, Rhapsody, and other legacy services have seen awareness fall."
The NPD information is based on data from NPD’s “MusicWatch” tracking service and “Music Acquisition Monitor,” based on surveys of NPD’s proprietary online consumer panel
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