Asia/Pacific mobile music Revenues Soaring

InStat:From almost nothing five years ago, the mobile music market in Asia/Pacific grew to US$3.3 billion in 2005, and will reach US$9.3 billion by 2010. The breakthrough years for mobile music in Asia/Pacific will be 2009 and 2009. Growth drivers include large markets like China and India reaching a critical mass of mobile subscribers and 3G services becoming prevalent regionwide. Ringtones have been the primary driver for mobile music growth in the past, but this will change as new mobile phones equipped with digital music file playback capability create a new market. As consumer preferences change, the future growth of the mobile music industry rests on ringback tones and full music tracks.

• The size of South Korea’s mobile music industry has already surpassed the country’s conventional music industry.

• China will soon assume prominence in the mobile music market, recording US$2.8 billion in mobile music revenues by 2010, trailing only market leader Japan, which will have US$3.4 billion in revenues in 2010.

• 60% of respondents to an In-Stat consumer survey indicated that they had a phone capable of some form of music playback.

In-Depth Analysis: mobile music in Asia/Pacific: From a Ring to a Roar Publ 20061016