One in Every Seven Minutes of Media Consumption Now Mobile
By Jason Ankeny
One of every seven minutes of media consumption now takes place via mobile devices, according to a study conducted by AOL and media agency Universal McCann. Ninety-five percent of respondents said they used mobile media to fill downtime, and 82 percent said they use it at work--81 percent turn to mobile while shopping, 80 percent at home, and 65 percent while commuting to their jobs. In addition, 77 percent of respondents said they use mobile and TV at the same time to enhance their multimedia experience.
While there are now 63 million mobile web users in the U.S., 19 million of them access the mobile Internet on a weekly basis, and 80 percent of smartphone users tell AOL and Universal McCann they are satisfied with the overall quality of the mobile web experience. Among specific activities, 73 percent of respondents reported accessing maps and directions and 55 percent participate in mobile social networking. Forty-four percent reported looking for national news and information. [FierceMobileContent]
Amazon Preloads Music Store App on First Android phone
By Jason Ankeny
Internet retail giant Amazon.com announced its Amazon MP3 digital music store will arrive pre-loaded on the T-Mobile G1 when the phone--the first-ever device powered by Google's Android mobile operating system--hits retail. According to Amazon, the store offers more than 6 million DRM-free MP3 songs from all four major labels and thousands of independent labels. The MP3s are compatible with virtually any music-enabled device and can be managed with any music software.
Amazon will optimize a new version of the Amazon MP3 application for the T-Mobile G1--users downloading music from the store will require a WiFi connection, but they may search, browse and listen to samples anywhere across T-Mobile's network footprint.
Amazon MP3 prices its 100 bestselling songs at 89 cents, with more than 1 million more songs available at the same price point; its 100 bestselling albums are $8.99 or less, with most albums priced from $5.99 to $9.99, and more than 80 percent of its album catalog priced at $8.99 or less. [FierceMobileContent]
The Japanese Mobile Music Difference
It's not just the phones.
Many mobile carriers and music labels are taking a closer look at Japan to find situations in which better marketing is leading to better mobile music outcomes.
In August 2007, the Japanese band GReeeeN became the first music group in the world to sell over 1 million full-track downloads of a song over mobile. Their single "Aiuta" ("Love Song" in Japanese) was released in May 2007 as a full-track download for mobile, eschewing a CD or even online digital first release. Using nontraditional marketing through the Internet, social networks and word-of-mouth, "Aiuta" sold more than 3 million ringtones, ringback tones and ring videos in addition to its platinum-selling full-track release.
GReeeeN is not an anomaly in Japan. In 2007, Utada Hikaru's song "Flavor of Life" sold 7.2 million digital units—mainly master ringtones, ringback tones and full-track downloads—while her CD only sold around 660,000 physical units.
EMI Group initially marketed "Flavor of Life" as a mastertone to tie in with the launch of a TV drama. "Flavor of Life" also hit numerous social media channels through the release of a blog tag, which enabled users to post the video into their personal blog pages. In one 30-day period, the video played over 600,000 times.
Music acts such as GReeeeN and Utada Hikaru have embraced the mobile phone as their leading distribution and monetization channel. According to the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), mobile music accounted for 92% of all digital music sales of ¥75.5 billion ($641 million) in 2007. Particularly noticeable was massive growth in full-track downloads, which accounted for 46% of overall digital music revenues, according to the RIAJ. Within the mobile music category itself, revenues from full-track downloads overtook revenues from ringtones in 2007.
Read more - eMarketer
Mobile Music Searches for Hit Formula
"I heard it through the grapevine…" or maybe on my mobile phone.
The music industry is learning a hard lesson: The mobile platform works better as a marketing and customer relationship tool than it does as a retail sales channel.
"Bands and artists are increasingly using mobile to form direct relationships with their fans that are then monetized through other means, such as tickets to live shows, merchandise and fan clubs," says John du Pre Gauntt, senior analyst at eMarketer and author of the new report, Mobile Music: Ads to the Rescue. "In addition, given consumers' reluctance to pay for music on their phones, marketers are finding new opportunities to partner directly with carriers, labels and even music artists themselves."
It's not that there won't be mobile music sales, they just won't be as large as many in the industry hoped for.
eMarketer forecasts worldwide mobile music retail revenues will grow from $2.4 billion in 2007 to over $13 billion by 2012.
Read more - eMarketer
Mobile Digital Media Extends Mobile Titles to iPhone
Premier provider of mobile solutions, Mobile Digital Media (MDM), today announced it plans to bring many of its most popular software titles from the traditional mobile device and smartphone markets over to Apple's hugely popular iPhone. Moreover, MDM will forego merely porting existing product code, but rather will rewrite applications from the ground up especially for the iPhone in order to take advantage of its advanced technologies and unique capabilities to ensure the ultimate user experience.
"We're thrilled to be bringing our most popular mobile software titles to the iPhone," said Katie Phillips, CEO of Mobile Digital Media. "With the iPhone, Apple has done a fantastic job of creating a robust platform that will let our software products shine like never before, and provide customers with an absolutely superior experience."
Mobile Digital Media's first product for the iPhone will be the extremely popular Advanced Brain Trainer Deluxe, followed by Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary with Franklin Thesaurus. MDM has also slated the hugely popular Atkins Carb Counter for release on iPhone during 2008, with other major titles to follow thereafter. Pricing information will be forthcoming, as will complete release date and title availability information. Stay tuned to the Mobile Digital Media website at http://www.gomdm.com for complete details as they develop. /PR/FierceWireless
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