Nielsen//NetRatings reports that traffic to Apple’s iTunes website and use of the iTunes application has “skyrocketed 241 percent over the past year, from 6.1 million unique visitors in December 2004 to 20.7 million in December 2005, reaching nearly 14 percent of the active Internet population.” The researcher also noted age and gender differences, and what brands iTunes users tend to prefer.
Nielsen said that teens are nearly twice as likely to visit the iTunes website and use the application as the average internet user. iTunes users are also more male—traffic is 54 percent male and 46 percent female. According to the study, iTunes users’ favorite car maker is Volkswagen, followed by Audi and Subaru. In terms of beverages, their alcohol of choice is hard cider, followed by imported and domestic beer. Favorite magazines include Wired, Rolling Stone and FHM, while they prefer Cartoon Network, HBO and BBC on TV.