Record labels are predicting that this month's launch of three new mobile phone music services will usher a return of rising sales after years of decline.
Apple's music-playing iPhone grabbed the headlines with its arrival in Britain last week. But music executives are just as excited about the new unlimited downloads service launched on Vodafone. At the same time Nokia, the world's largest maker of mobile phones, has opened a digital music store here.
The world's biggest music company, Universal, is backing the MusicStation, the Vodafone service. Rob Wells, head of digital at Universal's international division, predicts the £1.99-a-week subscription service will have mass market appeal. "We are at a turning point in the UK," he says, predicting digital music sales here could offset falling CD sales within a year.
Global sales have been falling since 2000, down another 5% to $19.6bn (£9.4bn) last year, according to industry group IFPI. Although digital sales are rising fast, at a tenth of the total market, they have yet to make up for tumbling CD sales.
One place where the gap has been closed is Japan. Total music sales there edged up 1% last year. Japan's success in offsetting falling CD sales - something the IFPI calls reaching the "holy grail" - is largely attributed to the prevalence of mobile downloads.
IFPI director of technology Richard Gooch sees lessons for other music markets. He says: "There are cultural differences, and there are network differences at play so it's not simply the fact of having a mobile music service but in those countries where they have moved towards the holy grail it's generally been on the back of mobile.
"Mobile is obviously extremely important because you have the market reach and secondly, the type of demographics that are very important to the music industry will almost certainly have music-enabled mobile phones." There are already indications that mobile music sales are picking up in the UK. The Orange UK network says its music sales jumped 70% over the past six months and it expects them to double by the end of 2007.
Comprehension Questions.
1) Which mobile network has opened a digital music store in England?
2) By how much did music sales increase in Japan last year?
3) In what period of time did Orange UK's music sales jump 70%?
8 comments:
1. Nokia has opened a digital music store in England.
2. Japan's music sales increased last year by 1%.
3. Orange UK's sales jumped by 70% of a 6 month period and is expected to double by 2007
1) Nokia has opened its own digital music store in England.
2) Japans music sales increased by 1% last year.
3)Orange UK sales jumped 70% during the last six months.
1. Nokia opened a digital music store here... (even though it isnt an actual provider lol)
2. Japans music sales went up by 1%
3. in the last 6 montsh orange's music sales went up
x sylvia
1. NOKIA opened their digital music store in England
2. In Japan, last year, sales increased by 1%
3. Sales jumped by 70% over the past six months and is expected to double by the end of 2007
1. Nokia have opened the English digital music store.
2. The Japanese music sales increased by 1%.
3. Orange's UK sales exploded by 70% in a 6 month period.
1) Which mobile network has opened a digital music store in England?
Nokia
2) By how much did music sales increase in Japan last year?
1 %
3) In what period of time did Orange UK's music sales jump 70%?
In the past 6 months
1) Nokia has opened its own digital music store in England.
2) Japans music sales increased by 1% last year.
3)Orange UK sales jumped 70% during the last six months.
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