Streaming music via smartphones may be increasing, but according to THE NPD GROUP, Americans still listen to music on the radio more than any other choice, reports THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. According to a new survey from The NPD Group, "the traditional formats of radio listening and using CDs in the car remain the dominant methods consumers use to interact with music," notes THE CHRONICLE.

"Nearly two out of three Americans say that the majority of their music listening takes place in the car. Even so, adaptive-streaming and on-demand-streaming radio is now gaining more traction in the market, complementing the pay-per-download format popularized by services like iTUNES and AMAZONMP3."

"A tipping point is approaching when vehicles and portable devices move from a tethered connection to a more integrated one," said NPD VP/Entertainment Analyst RUSS CRUPNICK. "Smart devices streaming music could end up being the largest threat to CDs and broadcast radio since the dawn of digital music." Highlights from the NPD "Entertainment Trends in America" report:
* 80% of music listeners listened to music on the radio in the prior three months, a decline of 2% since last year.
* 53% listened to music in their cars on CDs, which is down 4% over the prior year.
* 29% listened to music using a smart device -- including the iPOD TOUCH, iPHONE or ANDROID smartphone -- an increase of 9% since last year. The 3.5 hours per week consumers spent listening to music on smartphones also rose 9% compared to a year-ago; whereas listening to music on CDs and dedicated portable music players declined by a similar amount.