Music Retail Via Smartphones To More Than Double In 5 Years

Sales Of Music To Smartphones Rise

A JUNIPER RESEARCH  report predicts that music consumed on mobile handsets will jump from $2.4 billion in 2010 to $5.5 billion annually in 2015, CELLULAR-NEWS.COM reports. However, the report warns that piracy still remains a significant threat - both online and on the mobile.

"Initially, PC downloading and sideloading to MP3 players was the only way to go; but the development of mobile devices has now reached the point where they match the technical specs of dedicated MP3 players," Mobile Music Opportunities report author DANIEL ASHDOWN noted. "Add in connectivity -- just one click to buy and download -- along with all the other smartphone features, and there is no competition between the two. This is why sales of APPLE's iPHONE are going to outstrip its iPOD in the not-too-distant future."

JUNIPER RESEARCH also found that P2P file sharing is slowly migrating to the mobile, illustrated by BITTORRENT apps for ANDROIDS. The problem could intensify with the influx of more 4G networks. The report recommends that "the graduate response - enacted by legislation in many countries - be strongly enforced and expanded to mobile networks."

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