Digital music services: consumer intention and adoption

In recent years, the popular channel to obtain record albums has shifted from purchasing compact discs to downloading MP3 files. In fact, digital music service (DMS), the industry that sells MP3 songs, has seen tremendous successes and is making hundreds of millions of dollars every year. However, few attempts have been made to understand the consumption behavior of this newly emerging market because it has its own characteristics that have made other behavioral models inapplicable. In this study, we surveyed college students, who are the most active in this market, concerning their DMS subscription behavior. A modified theory of planned behavior (TPB) model was used as the framework. This new model incorporates the technology acceptance model and a new construct, the perceived service quality, into the original TPB model. Based on the survey results, the present study depicts a model that explains subscription behavior and indicates that subjective norm has the most significant effect on the intention to subscribe. Also, features that potential subscribers found important are revealed. The results provide marketing implications for DMS providers and indicate possible direction for future studies.