American's add movies and music videos to downloading habit

April 21, 2004

In a recent study by marketing research firm Ipsos-Insight, they have discovered that movie downloading is on the rise. 21% of 12 year olds and older had downloaded a full length movie in late 2003. One out of ten had done so within 30 days of the survey.

"These data are evidence that American downloading behaviors are expanding beyond music and moving towards broader digital entertainment acquisition and consumption behaviors," said Matt Kleinschmit, a senior analyst with Ipsos-Insight's technology and communications practice, and author of TEMPO. "While the music industry continues to define and integrate the role of digital music in the existing music marketplace, the motion picture industry is presented with a unique foresight into next-generation consumer entertainment. Multimedia-enabled portable devices, digitally formatted television content, and downloadable back catalogue videos are just a few of the categories that may be mined in anticipation of near-future consumer demand."

Demographically, 18- to 24-year-olds, traditionally among the most avid digital music downloaders, are the most likely to have downloaded a full-length motion picture off of the Internet; nearly two-fifths (37%) have taken part. Further, 16% of this age group have downloaded a full-length movie off of the Internet within the past 30 days. By gender, males are more than twice as likely than females to have acquired a digital motion picture online (26% versus 12%, respectively).

"While Americans of all ages are increasingly experimenting with downloading music and movies off of the Internet, college-aged males were clearly the primary patrons of early file-sharing networks," said Kleinschmit. "It follows then that these same individuals would also represent the early and avid adopters of this digital entertainment expansion, given their exposure to this channel of acquisition."