iPod growth from international markets?

While Apple's iPod has basically cornered the digitial player market in the US with nearly 75 percent marketshare in 2005, the company's ability to expand into international markets, such as China or India, may allow it continue its phenomenal growth curve. TheStreet.com reports that the international market (270%) is expected outpace the domestic market (170%) and that Apple could continue its exponential sales growth if it were able to garner a larger share of the emerging markets, which success has been limited. Apple had roughly 16.5 percent of the digital music player market in terms of unit sales last year, according to a combined data estimate from market researchers iSuppli and NPD. In the US, Apple has relied on tying content to its iPod--especially sales from iTunes; however, the columnist notes that outside the US, most users rely on free content, thus allowing users to buy much lower priced (commodity) music players--potentially keeping Apple from dominating the international markets.

Filed under: iPod