Music for the Masses

This is probably the most complete overview I have ever read on the ringtone market and music on cell phones. It's a must read. Free registration is required to access the article from Telecoms.com which I discovered thanks to Rafat Ali's Moco News. It's worth the 2 minutes it takes to fill out the form. Hopefully the author will forgive me for quoting so extensively.

"In the mobile space, music services must support more than the ability to listen to songs on the move. Music must be part of the statement users make about themselves. "Music fans tend to move in tribes, and the viral nature of communication via mobiles is a very good fit when it comes to people's behavior and their love of music," says Thomas Dolby Robertson, a 1980s synth-pop artist and driving force in the mobile music industry.

More importantly, music is a consumer magnet. Users download ringtones to personalise their phones; they congregate in chatrooms to talk about favourite artists; they participate in music voting, entertainment and promotion campaigns; they send song snippets to friends and dedicate tunes to loved ones on special occasions. As Robertson aptly puts it: "Users reach to the mobile to create and communicate the music that is the soundtrack of their lives." And, analysts say, if companies in the mobile space regard this year as a ramp-up period, then they can cash in on a huge market opportunity."

[...] BWCS predicts the next 8-12 months will see a steady stream of new services around music. Interactive voice response services (IVR) such as song dedication and on-demand artist interviews to music recognition services that allow users to identify, tag and eventually purchase music via the mobile have already made the mainstream. Moreover, handset manufacturers such as Sony Ericsson and Motorola, anxious to encourage the replacement cycle, are also moving forward with ambitious schemes to offer users an "out-of-the box" music experience complete with embedded ringtones and logos.

PUMP UP THE VOLUME: Unleashing Revenue Potential with Mobile Music Services is a BWCS report by Peggy Anne Salz that focuses on the business models and strategies companies are pursuing to corner the mobile music market. The report examines operator offerings in the pipeline, includes case studies, and reveals how media companies plan to push the market forward.

emily | 1:04 PM | News, Buzz |
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