RIAA CONSUMER PROFILE PROVES SOMEONE IS OUT THERE

The Recording Industry Association of America released its 2001 U.S. consumer profile, which has concluded that pop music has moved up in the ranks as the second most preferred music genre, behind rock, which has held the #1 spot for four decades. Rap fell to third. Meanwhile, women are on top as the #1 purchasers.

The annual demographic survey, conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates via phone interviews, also found that consumer’s attitudes are changing about where they buy their music, finding that the difference in sales between record stores and mass merchandisers has decreased. The survey also revealed that consumers like the CD best, as 89% of music sales were in the CD format.

"It's exciting to see the retail market becoming more diverse. Music fans are finding more places to purchase their favorite music," said RIAA President/CEO Hilary Rosen. "The changes in genre popularity are also encouraging, proving, once again, that the diverse musical palate of the American consumer remains strong. The record companies remain committed to giving consumers what they want, especially in terms of genre and format."