Nielsen//NetRatings has announced that iTunes has had some big gains in 2005m and offers tidbits of user demographic info, brand- and media-preferences.

• iTunes Web site and use of iTunes up 241% in 2005 over 2004, reaching nearly 14% of the "active Internet population" or 20.7M unique visitors.
• 12 - 17 year-olds are nearly twice as likely to interact with iTunes than average internet users.
• iTunes users are 54% male and 46% female
• iTunes users favour Volkswagen cars, which they are 2.2 times more likely to own than the average Internet user.
• iTunes users favour hard cider as their drink of choice.
• iTunes users are 3.3 times more likely than average to read Wired magazine
• iTunes users watch the Cartoon Network at 1.4 times the average rate

I'm most impressed by the sheer number of iTunes users. When the store was first launched, I had doubts it would take off, but boy, did it ever. Music today, video tomorrow... it almost doesn't matter what's next--the iTunes store is firmly entrenched as an all-you-can-buy media buffet.