While about 116 million Americans subscribe to music streaming platforms (Apple Music, Spotify), 11.1 million still purchase music from iTunes, according to MRI-Simmons data reported by The Washington Post.
The iTunes Store, which launched in 2003, along with its library, was the main way Apple device users bought and/or stored their music (e.g., from CDs) before the streaming era.
Most people who still buy from iTunes are older. Notably, 81% of adults who purchased music from iTunes in the past month were aged 35 and over.
81% of adults who purchased music from iTunes in the past month were aged 35 and over.
The reasons they continue to prefer it vary. Some stick with it out of habit, others because of the large music library they have already built, while some feel a deeper connection to music when it “belongs” to them.
At the same time, concerns have been raised that as users prefer streaming, and Apple itself prioritizes Apple Music, the app will gradually lose support. The company did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.
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