Full Version: MP3 losing steam?
I don't think so. If the popularity of MP3 has the power to force Sony to adopt it, I can't see how it is running out of steam.
By the way, the link doesn't work
By the way, the link doesn't work
The link works for me.
The crux of the article is based on this quote (for those who can't access it):
Now that sounds scary. They can track the contents of our hard drives?
The crux of the article is based on this quote (for those who can't access it):
QUOTE
According to researchers at The NPD Group's MusicWatch Digital who track the contents of people's hard drives, the percentage of MP3-formatted songs in digital-music collections has slid steadily in recent months, down to about 72 percent of people's collections from about 82 percent a year ago.
Now that sounds scary. They can track the contents of our hard drives?
QUOTE(QuantumKnot @ Oct 16 2004, 06:04 AM)
They can track the contents of our hard drives?
"The project surveys the hard-drive contents of 40,000 different people to track Internet and software trends."
I would think that the 40,000 volunteers who allow a third party to inventory their hard drives for the study do not represent accurately the general PC user population.
QUOTE(Gramps @ Oct 16 2004, 09:29 AM)
I would think that the 40,000 volunteers who allow a third party to inventory their hard drives for the study do not represent accurately the general PC user population.
I didn't read too closely regarding that particular fact. Did they actually say "volunteers"? Hmm, maybe we are looking at the power of spyware here.
QUOTE
Many mainstream users, who are less tech-savvy than the early adopters of digital music, use whatever format is built in as the default option in their music software, instead of selecting MP3.
QUOTE
"Many consumers ripping (WMA or AAC) may actually think they're ripping into MP3," said Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg.
Sad, but this is the point... But now:QUOTE
Some big companies that have resisted this notion for years are finally adapting to the MP3 world.
QUOTE(Digisurfer @ Oct 16 2004, 12:45 PM)
I didn't read too closely regarding that particular fact. Did they actually say "volunteers"? Hmm, maybe we are looking at the power of spyware here.
A research institute that relied on spyware wouldn't be taken seriously. Specially because they are supposed to know very well the people feeding them with data, to be sure they are a representative sample of the group they are studying.
I believe it would work similar to how TV ratings are gathered. Volunteers let the research institutes install a little device at their TV set that transmits to the institute information about what channel is being viewed at that moment.
I wouldn't mind mp3 loosing steam, but the two codecs they mention being used more are not the best choice in my eyes. Some people will probably never choose their own preferred codec and will take anything that is put in front of them.
truely this is an unscientific servey. its not a random sample... completely untrust worthy. if they went on a network and had a computer randomly ask people to participate, then it might. obviously they aren't going to be able to take a snapshot of everyones hdd, so this is the only way i can see it being done accurately.
QUOTE(Madman2003 @ Oct 16 2004, 09:52 AM)
Some people will probably never choose their own preferred codec and will take anything that is put in front of them.
I think that is their own preferred codec.
As for the stats, surely with iTMS and the various WMA stores the percent of MP3s of total music files (even if quantity of MP3s is higher) has to be lower doesn't it?
bleh
QUOTE(Lev @ Oct 22 2004, 12:06 PM)
Apart from being unscientific, the at-a-glance pie chart and "loosing steam" do not go together in my head.
uhm... hows the research unscientific? Not that the research method is explained in detail, but at least the NPD seems reliable. They have over 2.5 million registered panel members... i would say that averages out things... you certainly could create a representible test group from that.
the header of the article was "MP3 losing steam?" (note the question mark)
from the article:
QUOTE
Researchers say the data does not show that MP3 is losing much of its popularity--files encoded in the format are just more disposable than rivals. People are still downloading boatloads of MP3 files--but they are discarding them at an even faster rate, the researchers said.
Sorry, I couldnt get the link to work, so I just misread the thread 
That is incredibly true.. In fact, I think probably pretty much everything floating around P2P networks falls into the same boat..
QUOTE
People are still downloading boatloads of MP3 files--but they are discarding them at an even faster rate, the researchers said.
That is incredibly true..
In fact, I think probably pretty much everything floating around P2P networks falls into the same boat..
ok... that settles that then
Regarding how the info is collected:
"NPD MusicWatch Digital collects information continuously from the PCs of 40,000 members of NPD's online consumer panel, balanced demographically to represent the online population."
http://www.npd.com/music.musicwatchdig.html
"NPD MusicWatch Digital collects information continuously from the PCs of 40,000 members of NPD's online consumer panel, balanced demographically to represent the online population."
http://www.npd.com/music.musicwatchdig.html
Funny how both formats which are "gaining" on MP3 have been shown several times in ABX tests to be "worse" at common bitrates than MP3 (particularly LAME).
The article is right though, there are some major n00bs out there that just rip stuff into whatever, thinking that it's MP3 the whole time. It's become a general term for music itself. A bit like how iPod is becoming a general term for DAP's
The article is right though, there are some major n00bs out there that just rip stuff into whatever, thinking that it's MP3 the whole time. It's become a general term for music itself. A bit like how iPod is becoming a general term for DAP's
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