Google is launching a digital music service, and is finding a interest at record companies that want to loosen Apple control on the music market via iTunes. Google plans to offer a variety of services through the Android operating system as well as through browsers.

With Google, the idea is to lessen their dependence on Apple. “Google has smart people, and they recognize record companies need to be more than just suppliers. The attitude that you bring to the table is clearly the first step

Source: LA Times

Source: TechCrunch

For the first time in the UAE, mobile customers will get the facility of instantly copying the caller tune while listening to the caller tune of the called person by simply pressing ‘*’.

Another feature never offered before in the UAE is to gift the caller tune by using IVR facility.

A choice of more than 10,000 new and old mega hits provides the widest range in the UAE sourced from du’s exclusive arrangements with renowned content providers.

Source: Du Press Release

It also states that though there’s a decline in revenues from traditional music services like polyphonic ringtones and realtones, there’s an increase in usage of more sophisticated offerings.  However, music services depending on an ad-funded model might see a decline in revenue due to a reduction in advertising budgets. It further mentions that ringback tone revenues will be higher than those of ringtones by 2010 and content aggregators will have to look beyond ringtones to remain competitive. Juniper Research also forecasts that Far East & China region will account for the largest share of mobile music revenues throughout the 2009-2013 forecast period, followed by Western Europe.

Source: FierceMobileContent

Source:Times Online

According to the report, mobile–which accounted for $1.7 billion of 2007′s $29.2 billion worldwide music spending–will increase to $3.0 billion in 2008, $4.8 billion in 2009 and $6.2 billion in 2010, even as physical formats and total music spending continues to drop year-over-year. eMarketer anticipates that online and mobile will together combine for $14.8 billion in 2011, overtaking physical music media to account for 56.5 percent of all music spending.

Source: EMarketer

The ubiquitous mobile phone is metamorphosing into a jukebox and mobile music sales – ringtones, caller ring back tones (CRBTs) and full song downloads – have crossed sales of physical formats in the country.

According to data from industry associations, mobile music sales stood at about Rs 1,200 crore in 2006, as compared to Rs 756 crore recorded by music shipped over the conventional mode. “Mobile operators are betting big on music as it is emerges as the biggest money-spinner under value added services (VAS), next only to SMSes.The increase in subscriber base and the availability of music compatible handsets are major reasons for the increase in digital music sales.”

The increased focus is confirmed by the fact that over 40 percent of a telecom operator’s advertisement budget is being used for promotion of music and handsets that can support them.

At present, a mobile operator’s major revenues are from voice services. However, average revenue per user (ARPU) – an indicator of the financial health of mobile companies – is declining rapidly. Industry ARPUs fell to Rs 330 per month in the first quarter of this financial year, from Rs 370 in the previous quarter.

There is a rising market for mobile music, especially due to the affinity of Indians to Bollywood. Music would be another revenue earner for mobile companies.

The mobile music sales is expected to surge to over Rs 3,750 crore by 2009, and with the industry adding around 7 million users per month, operators are seeing a huge opportunity.

VAS accounts for around 10 percent of a company’s revenues, of which music contributes about 4 percent.

The convenience of purchasing single songs, unlike buying a CD, and the ease to carry it around on a mobile phone has also made it a favourite. And operators have exploited this by rolling out music-enabled handsets, encouraging music downloads and offering FM and Internet radio services.

On the penetration front, CRBTs have made a 15-25 percent dent, followed by ringtones with around 15-20 percent, and the remaining can be attributed to full song downloads.

Music is the second largest VAS service for Airtel after SMS. Bharti Airtel’s music portfolio is over 50,000 strong, including complete tracks, ring tones, ring-back tones and corporate jingles. Given the fact that music is neither handset- nor language-dependent, the market for music is growing.

Source: Business Standard

Link: The mobile content revolution: How gaming, music and TV will
transform the mobile market by 2011 (.PDF)Source: Screen Digest

Source:

Try Mundu applications at http://messenger.mundu.com/ and http://radio.mundu.com/

Source : Mundu

The service offers more than 100,000 channels of music for streaming directly to any Windows Mobile 5 or 6 phone, and has added more than 7,000 podcast channels.

Microsoft will offer M as a free six-month subscription to all Windows Mobile users. The application can be downloaded from the Windows Mobile site directly to phones.

Supported Devices

Source:Mercora