The proportion of Americans who say they have purchased CDs in the previous six months has dropped 15 percent since 2002 according to recent research from Ipsos's TEMPO: Keeping Pace with Digital Music Behavior study, writes MarketingCharts.

Though the decrease is largely attributed to shifting consumer perspectives about digital music acquisition, a majority of American downloaders continue to purchase CDs by favorite artists. Downloading is preferred for sampling new and unfamiliar music, according to the Ipsos study.

Key findings from the most recent TEMPO research include:

• Half (51 percent) of U.S. consumers 12 and older have purchased a CD in the previous six months - a decline of roughly 15 percent since 2002, when approximately 60 percent of consumers reported doing so.
  • Overall CD purchases have declined in recent years, but the proportion of Americans purchasing CDs through the internet has increased
  • The average number of CDs purchased in the previous six months is nearly three (2.8), and the average total number of CDs owned is 78.
  • Teens own the fewest CDs (32 on average); consumers aged 18-54 own 100 or more on average.

• For new releases from a favorite artist, CDs remain the primary method of acquisition among US music downloaders 12 and older.
  • 62% purchased a CD of their favorite artist's latest release, versus just 28% who paid to download one or more individual tracks.
  • Among those who acquired music from this release through more than one acquisition channel (8 percent), downloads of singles were most likely purchased first by 45 percent, while only 27 percent purchased the entire CD first.
  • When examining purchases of new music by unfamiliar artists, 23 percent said they purchased one or more digital tracks from unknown artists, but only 17 percent purchased the full-length CD.

"Given the persistence of physical CDs as a means of music acquisition among current music downloaders, one might ask how music sales can be down over 20 percent since 2000," said Matt Kleinschmit, vice-president of Ipsos Insight and author of the TEMPO program.

"Data suggests that the answer lies in what could be referred to as the 'impulse gap.' […] Where in the past someone may have purchased a CD from a new or unfamiliar artist on a whim, they are increasingly more likely to digitally sample the music before deciding to make a full physical CD purchase."

MarketingCharts has more findings from the study.