Mobile music opportunities
Portable MP3 players are for many synonymous with "mobile music." and the future of mobile music is on mobile devices. In 2005, Apple sold 32 million iPods, while in the same period, Nokia sold more than 46.5 million music-capable phones. Nokia estimates that in 2006 it will ship 80 million music-capable phones.
Research also shows that mobile devices will outperform portable music devices. For example, a recent TNS Media Intelligence study (published in TNS Global Tech Insight 2005) of 6,800 adults aged 16 to 49, conducted in 15 countries worldwide, found that:
- One in five of all mobile phone users listen to music on their phones.
- One-third of music listeners globally choose mobile music as one of five applications they would like to start using, or will use more in the future.
- In some European countries and in Asia, mobile music is developing faster than online music services, boosted by higher penetration of phones compared to portable players or broadband access, and by ease of payment.
- Nineteen percent of Internet users have downloaded a ring tone -- three times the number that have bought a music track online.
In addition, the GP Bullhound Ltd. sector report on mobile music (The Search for Mobile Data Revenue II - a Sector Overview of Mobile Music, November 2005) states that wireless mobile music downloads will become one of the largest components of wireless data revenues. The report anticipates the U.S. wireless full-track music market will grow from zero in 2004 to .2 billion (939 million euros) in revenue, with more than 50 million full-track customers and subscribers, by 2009.
