One in five Australians over the age of 12 now own a portable digital music device, and one in 20 of those quizzed said they possessed more than one. The global poll, carried out by market research company Ipsos, showed ownership of the gadget had nearly doubled since 2003.

It also revealed that younger consumers are driving the recent growth, with 54% of US teens now owning an MP3 player.

The devices were more popular amongst men: 24% of male respondents said they owned a player, compared to just 16% of females.

Other uses

Matt Kleinschmit, a vice president of Ipsos, said: "Over the past year, the portable MP3 market has really matured, and we are now seeing not just new buyers entering this market, but also growing levels of multiple device ownership."

The survey also revealed that younger owners are utilising their devices to watch videos and listen to the radio, in addition to using it for music storage.

"While this phenomenon may have initially centred on music, younger MP3 player owners are clearly interested in a wide variety of broader content options for their device," said Mr Kleinschmit.

Ipsos surveyed over 1,000 citizens about their gadget habits.

Recent figures from the Consumer Electronics Association revealed that these devices accounted for 85% of all portable audio sales in the US in 2005, with sales figures hitting $4.2bn.