The Album Buying Niche: The Future of Recorded Music on Traditional Media

Abstract

This study hypothesizes that there are at least two distinct groups of music consumers, those that prefer traditional media and those that prefer to download music. The author conducted an online survey with 257 respondents and analyzed the data. Using niche theory and long tail economics, the research demonstrates the continued importance of traditional sound recording media such as the compact disc. Also included are a brief history of the recording industry and a discussion of traditional sound recording media's competition in the market place today.