Report: young prefer to rent, not buy, music

When it comes to listening to music on the go, young consumers will likely prefer to rent than buy, according to a new report.

Pyramid Research, a Cambridge firm that advises clients on technology issues, today issued a report that seeks to envision the future of mobile music in what it calls an "iTunes world."

"A cultural shift is forming in this generation's consumers, from owning to renting," the study's author, Pyramid senior analyst Nick Holland, said in a statement. "Consumers are becoming conditioned to accept that virtual digital content is the norm and, therefore, physical ownership is no longer seen as necessary."

The report argues that the devaluation of ownership means that models offering access to vast digital libraries on a rental basis are in many ways more compelling than just having access to content that is purchased, Pyramid Research said.

"As today's children inevitably come to own mobile handsets, the delivery of music and any other form of digital content will be over a broadband connection rather than via physical media," Holland said.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)