Why the iPod isn't as popular as you think

The iPod isn't as big a hit in Europe as it is in the rest of the world

The world's favourite digital music player, the Apple iPod, isn't a hit with everyone.

In the US, the Apple iPod holds 77 per cent of the digital music player market and here in the UK, more than half of MP3 player buyers (58 per cent) opt for Apple iPods.

But on the continent, things are looking different. In Germany and France, Apple only accounts for 28 per cent of the digital music player market, Apple's marketing executive for the Apple iPhone and Apple iPod, Greg Joswiak, told Fortune magazine.

Increase in numbers

These numbers are up from a few years ago, Joswiak said. "When we went into Europe a couple of years ago with advertisements, when France was in single-digit market share and Germany was in single-digit market share, we again had to establish the 'thousand songs in your pocket'.

"We ran advertisements that were more foundational than the silhouette ads that we've done. And we saw market share rise pretty significantly - again, our latest French and German market share is about 28 per cent each. That's a pretty significant rise over a two-year period."

Joswiak said Apple will continue to hit European radio and TV stations with advertising explaining the benefits of the Apple iPod in the run-up to Christmas.

TOPICS
Latest in Portable Media Players
FiiO JM21 portable music player on a white surface
I tested the FiiO JM21 portable music player and it's hard to believe an entry-level digital audio device can sound so good for so little outlay
Shanling M8T Hi-Res Music Player laid out on wooden table, with black headphones nearby.
This portable Hi-Res Audio music player has a tube amp and Android, for a serious mix of the retro and modern
We Are Rewind cassette player at CES 2025 on the show floor
This modern cassette player with Bluetooth (and matching retro wireless headphones) might've been my favorite music experience at CES 2025
FiiO M23 on a wooden table
FiiO M23 portable music player review: delicate yet muscular, assertive yet subtle, lavishly detailed and vaultingly dynamic
Activo P1 on a mustard-colored blanket
Activo P1 music player review: Astell & Kern audio quality for considerably less cash
Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000T portable music player playing Chick Corea on a white surface
Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000T portable music player review: another huge step forward in energetic, open sound
Latest in News
iPad Air M3
Apple updates iPad Air with powerful M3 chip and pairs it with Pro-level Magic Keyboard
Nvidia RTX 5070 Founders Edition GPU shown against a green and black backdrop
Nvidia RTX 5070 early pricing hints at plenty of GPUs at the MSRP – but I’ll believe it when I see it
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he signs an executive order to create a US sovereign wealth fund, in the Oval Office of the White House on February 3, 2025, in Washington, DC.
US set to pause cyber-offensive operations against Russia - but CISA says it won't stop
Guitar Hero Mobile
Activision shares first look at Guitar Hero Mobile and, yeah, it looks like AI slop
Web DDoS attacks see major surge as AI allows more powerful attacks
Pulchra Fellini in Zenless Zone Zero.
Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.6 will finally let you play as a furry gunslinger