According to research released today by Nielsen Netratings, traffic on Apple's iTunes store continues to increase at a fast pace: The mount of visitors has surged 241% from 6.1 million users in December 2004 to 20.7 million in December 2005.

The company also released an unusual profiling of the average iTunes user. According to Nielsen, teens are disproportionately represented among iTunes users, with 12 to 17 year olds are nearly twice as likely to visit the iTunes Web site and use the application as the average Internet user. 54% of iTunes the users are male.

iTunes users also consume very specific products, which sets them apart from the common Internet audience. For example, the iTunes user's favorite car is a Volkswagen which they are 2.2 times more likely to own than the average Internet user. Other popular car makers among the group include Audi and Subaru. iTunes users also enjoy hard cider as they favorite alcoholic beverage, followed by domestic and imported beer.

In terms of media consumption, iTunes users are 3.3 times more likely than average to read Wired, 2.6 times more likely to read Rolling Stone and 2.5 times more likely to read FHM, if compared to all other users. When watching television, they flock to the Cartoon Network at 1.4 times the average rate, and to HBO and BBC America at 1.3 and 1.2 times the average rate, respectively.

Source : Tom's Hardware US