Creating New Outlets For Mobile Music

Music labels and content providers are looking for new outlets to offer mobile content like ringtones, video clips, download full tracks etc'. Last week I read about two new business partnerships:

1. "Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group have partnered with a joint venture operating in China that develops technology for distributing music downloads and other content to mobile phones, the record companies said Tuesday. The [Chinese] company makes software through which mobile phone users can dial up digital content such as ringtones, listen to streams of audio like podcasts, or download full-length songs. [...] Those are the platforms we're hoping to launch with some of the operator partners," said Thomas Hesse, president of global digital business for Sony BMG. "The fact that you've got the music companies supporting this, we believe, is going to strengthen the chance of those platforms being successful."

   [via Cellular News]

2. Groove Mobile has announced a partnership with Universal Music UK to build and operate an "off-portal" mobile music store. Through this partnership, UK mobile phone users on any UK wireless carrier will have instant access to full track downloads from Universal Music UK's extensive catalogue via SMS short codes from their mobile phones. [...] Universal Music U.K. is leveraging the Groove Mobile platform which runs on a majority of the world's music phones in order to provide consumers with the robust downloads they have come to expect when using today's 3G networks," stated Adam Sexton, Chief Marketing Officer of Groove Mobile."

[via Cellular News]

Mobile operators should wake up and seize the opportunity as well! And this is how

Comments

[Ricky Cadden]

That's exciting news, but still leaves a ton of questions. The main one being are these downloads stuck on the device you buy them from, or can you transfer them and back them up on your computer?

System incompatibility is one major reason I have yet to "join" any particular music service. What if they disappear one day? All my songs will be gone potentially. It's not really a worthwhile investment at this point, IMO.

I think consumers are still better off buying CDs and ripping those tracks, but doing so responsibly. I'll gladly pay for the music, I just want to be able to do with it what I want, including listen on ANY device.

What if you get a new cellphone? Does that music collection travel with you, or is it stuck on that specific device?

[Xen]

Hey Ricky,
You raise a good point - users need better tools to manage their mobile content once they have downloaded it to their devices.

The point I was trying to make is that music labels and content providers are looking for new ways to increase mobile content consumption. If they would work together with the operators they could have a better offering for the consumer, a bigger pie and a bigger share of the pie. So everyone wins eventually.

[Ricky Cadden]

Agreed.