Consumer Preferences Shift to Digital Content Reveals Limelight Networks’ New ‘State of Digital Downloads’ Report

Video games, books, music and magazines now purchased online more often than physical copies

TEMPE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Consumers worldwide increasingly depend on smartphones to access digital content and go online to purchase video games, movies and books, according to the latest “State of Digital Downloads” research report from Limelight Networks, (NASDAQ:LLNW, news, filings), a global leader in digital content delivery.

Highlighting consumers’ shifting demand for both streaming and downloaded content, the annual report found that only 14 percent of respondents still prefer to rent or purchase DVDs of movies and TV shows, and only 25 percent of respondents prefer hard copies of books or traditional print media. In comparison, two-thirds (66 percent) of respondents prefer to stream or download TV shows and movies, while 38 percent of respondents prefer to download books, newspapers, and magazines. When it comes to music, almost half (46 percent) of respondents noted they prefer to download music over streaming or purchasing a CD.

“Digital content is now the preferred format for media consumption by a growing mobile-first audience,” said Michael Milligan, Senior Director at Limelight Networks. “There’s no question that content needs to be easily accessible and optimized across all connected devices and global networks if it’s to reach the widest possible audience and provide the best experience. This is no longer a feature for providers, but a necessity for survival.”

Additional insights from the report include:

Consumers are turning to mobile applications to access information. New and updates to applications are the most common type of content downloaded and, in fact, are downloaded 22 percent more often than music, the second most downloaded type of content.
Consumers want free content. When it comes to accessing digital media, 74 percent of consumers will only download an application if it’s free and 51 percent of consumers will only download music if it’s free. However, when it comes to books and movies, consumers are more amenable to paying for content, with just 55 percent of consumers expecting to download TV and movies for free and 49 percent of consumers noting they will only download a book if it’s free.
Consumers expect fast downloads. Nearly one-third (30 percent) of overall respondents noted slow download times as their primary frustration with downloading content. Japan, in particular, has little patience for slow downloads with 41 percent of respondents citing this as their top frustration.
The Internet of Things (IoT) hasn’t gained widespread adoption. Two-thirds (66 percent) of consumers don’t yet have devices such as digital assistants, home automation hubs, or internet-connected thermostats and have no plans to purchase them in the next two years. However, consumers aren’t avoiding IoT due to security concerns. In fact, less than 30 percent of respondents noted a security concern with either digital assistants or smart home devices.

The “State of Digital Downloads” report is based on a survey of 3,500 consumers ranging in age, gender, and education in France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, the UK, and the U.S. The complete “State of Digital Downloads” report is available here.

About Limelight

Limelight Networks Inc., (NASDAQ: LLNW), a global leader in digital content delivery, empowers customers to better engage online audiences by enabling them to securely manage and globally deliver digital content, on any device. The company’s Limelight Orchestrate Platform includes a global infrastructure with a fully-integrated suite of capabilities and services to help you address all your content delivery needs. The Orchestrate Platform solves your most important content delivery challenges so you can deliver the next great digital experience anywhere. For more information, please visit www.limelight.com , read our blog, follow us on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn and be sure to visit Limelight Connect.