Cellphones aid growth of digital music
updated 01:00 pm EST, Mon January 21, 2008
Cells boost digital music
Music-capable cellphones are helping to fuel the consumption of digital music as a whole, suggests a study from the research firm M:Metrics. The company now says that "sideloading" of music -- copying it from an existing device to a phone -- represents 83 percent of mobile music use in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Unfortunately for cellular companies and other digital music vendors however, most users are not downloading tracks from them, but instead tapping into shared music -- the market exceptions being Spain and the US.
No reasons for the demographics have been given, but for many people cellphones may be the most affordable means of listening to music, combining a luxury with what can be a necessary communications tool. Some more expensive phones, such as Apple's iPhone, also make a point of offering more elaborate music support, in the form of special controls and/or player software. [via RCR Wireless News]
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Joined: Jan 2008
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A great example of a phone that is aimed directly towards this market (market segment?) is the B&O Serenate. Okay, it's the high-end of that segment, but you'd be hard pressed to find something like that. The iPhone doesn't even come close.