Sales of MP3 and MP4 musical players in China saw sharp decline in the first quarter, Beijing-based CCIDC Consulting company said in its report.

The country's companies sold 1.66 million units of MP3 and MP4 musical players in the first three months, representing a joint decrease of 30.02 percent over the same period last year.

Sales volume stood at 1.1 billion yuan ($157 million), down 31.13 percent year on year.

Consultants from CCIDC attributed the sales shrink of MP3 to a lack of innovation in the products and weakened demand and purchasing power from both individual and governmental buyers. The first quarter is traditional a low season, said consultants.

Booming substitutes products such as musical cell phone and other intelligence products that attracted some customers also led to a recession in the MP3 market, according to the consultants.

Sales volume of MP4, a more advanced player, which provide multimedia, including music, digital video and audio, and other data information, posted a decline of 26.58 percent year on year to 417 million yuan in the first quarter.

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2008)