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Mobile Music Services: Market Development Strategies

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) worldwide music revenues in 2007 amounted to US $19.4bn (EUR 12.55bn). Of this, 15% was generated from digital music downloads (online and mobile) with mobile music accounting for half of the digital market. However mobile music is the fastest growing segment and if the patterns set in early adopter markets continue globally, mobile music could account for over 55% of the global music market within the next 5-7 years. In this regard mobile music will be assisted by the convenience of OTA access to a growing range of mobile specific services such as ringtones, ringback tones, mobile music videos, mobile audio and video streaming and broadcast music channels.

This paper examines the current state of play in the digital music environment, looking at the current behaviour of music users across online and mobile channels. We review the main online music players and examine the diverse array of mobile music services currently being promoted by mobile operators in France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the USA. The report highlights innovative practices in terms of service design and pricing. It also contains a series of conclusions and recommendations aimed at supporting MNO ambitions to attract and encourage customers to purchase mobile music services.

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Table of Contents


1
OVERVIEW
1
2
INTRODUCTION
2
2.1
Background
2
2.2
Definitions
3
2.3
Report Content
3
2.4
Exchange Rates
3
3
THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT
4
3.1
Digital Music Market
4
3.1.1
Online & Mobile Music Downloading
5
3.1.2
Popularity of Sideloading Music
7
3.1.3
Proliferation of Music Formats and Partnerships
7
3.1.4
Piracy and DRM
8
4
ONLINE PLAYERS
10
4.1
Online Players & Business models
10
4.1.1
Apple iTunes
10
4.1.2
Napster Music Service
13
4.1.2.1
Napster To Go
13
4.1.2.2
Napster Mobile
14
4.1.3
eMusic
15
4.1.4
Rhapsody
16
4.1.5
Amazon
16
4.1.6
Advertising Supported Music Services
17
4.1.6.1
SpiralFrog
17
4.1.6.2
Ruckus
18
4.1.7
Nokia Music Store
20
4.1.7.1
Nokia's Music Store Handsets & 'Comes With Music' Offering
22
5
MOBILE MUSIC PLAYERS
23
5.1
France
23
5.1.1
SFR Music Store
24
5.1.2
Radio DJ Streaming Service
25
5.2
Music Pass Subscription Service
25
5.2.1
Illimythics - Music Promotional Plans
26
5.2.2
SFR and MTV - a Partnership to Attract Young Subscribers
28
5.3
Germany
29
5.3.1
E-Plus  Music Brand - Vybemobile
30
5.4
Japan
31
5.4.1
NTT DoCoMo's Napster Music Services
33
5.4.1.1
Napster To Go - With OTA Downloading
33
5.4.1.2
Napster Mobile Only Services.
34
5.4.2
KDDI's Music Service Details
35
5.4.3
KDDI: Mobile Music Pioneer
36
5.4.4
Success Factors Behind KDDI's Music Offering
37
5.5
South Korea
38
5.6
Melon by SK Telecom
39
5.7
KTF
41
5.8
USA
44
5.9
AT&T's Mobile Music Service
45
5.9.1
Pricing & Promotion
45
5.9.2
Addressing the Practice of Sideloading with Online Music Offers
46
5.10
Verizon's V Cast Music Store
47
5.10.1
Pricing
48
5.11
Sprint
49
5.12
UK
50
5.12.1
Vodafone Music Store
51
5.12.2
Vodafone Radio DJ - Music Streaming Service
52
5.12.3
Vodafone's Music Subscription Service - MusicStation
53
5.12.4
Orange UK
54
5.12.4.1
Music Line Streaming Service
56
5.12.5
3 Music Store
57
6
CONCLUSIONS
59
6.1
The Growth of the Digital Music Market
59
6.2
The Mobile Music Market Opportunity
59
7
RECOMMENDATIONS
61