Radio beats CD and MP3s when it comes to music listening, survey finds

Nearly two-thirds of Americans said they listen to music nearly every day, according to the report.

By TIM HARLOW, Star Tribune

Last update: September 5, 2008 - 12:51 PM

The radio hasn't lost its luster with music listening fans despite the popularity of compact disc and MP3 players and other sources to tune into sound, a recent poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports has found.

A plurality of adults (42 percent) said they still prefer to turn on their radios to listen to music. That beat the 25 percent of respondents who said they most often use a CD player when listening to tunes and 14 percent who use an MP3 player. Just under 10 percent turned to satellite radio while only 5 percent listened over their computer and a scant 1 percent used a tape deck, according to results of the survey released Thursday.

Young adults (45 percent) were more likely to use an MP3 player than their elders (22 percent), the survey said.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans said they listen to music everyday or nearly everyday according to the independent firm specializing in public opinion polling information.

While more popular with younger listeners, 69 percent of respondents said they rarely or never download music while 18 percent said they do that occasionally. Of those who download, 71 percent said they do it legally while 3 percent admitted that they pirated tunes. Twenty-six percent were unsure if they downloaded music legally or illegally.

A vast majority - 90 percent - said they did not belong to a monthly music service. But those who said they download music daily or at least once a week were more likely to do it illegally than those who do it once a week or less frequently.

The survey conducted the last week of August polled 1,830 music listeners and has a 2 percent margin of error.

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