Owners of digital music players such as Apple’s iPod have a greater appetite for accessing music on their mobile phones, according to new research.

M:Metrics’ February Benchmark Survey finds that while iPod owners account for just 14.4 per cent of the mobile phone market, they represent almost 30 per cent of people who listen to music on their mobiles, as well as 30 per cent of those who watch video.

iPod owners are more likely to choose to watch live or streaming video or download a short video clip, the survey found.

They are also over twice as likely as other mobile subscribers to use these features on their mobile phone and three times more likely to transfer music from computer to mobile.

iPod users also appear to be happier to pay the price of downloads, while enthusiasm for content is generally greater in the iPod population than among owners of alternative music players.

Mark Donovan, vice president and senior analyst, said: “This data indicates that digital media consumers want to access their media from their phones, across a multitude of platforms.

“There is clearly demand for converged mobile devices among those who lead a digital lifestyle to enhance, not necessarily replace, their existing digital media devices.”

© 2006 Adfero Ltd