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M:Metrics: UK Leads in Mobile Music Consumption, While Americans Top the Charts in Ringtones

Three percent of UK subscribers report listening to mobile music and 10.4 percent of Americans downloaded a ringtone

 

SEATTLE—September 12, 2006—M:Metrics, the mobile market authority today released its findings on the audience for mobile music in the U.S. and Western Europe. The measurement firm found that the UK boasts the highest percentage of mobile subscribers who used their mobile device as a music player in the month of July. At three percent, the volume of British mobile music consumers is higher than the Spanish (2.8 percent), U.S. (0.7 percent), French (0.6 percent) and German (1.4 percent) audiences.

 

 

Mobile Music Consumption: Percentage of Subscriber Base: July 2006

 

Germany

France

Spain

UK

US

Used Phone as Music Player

1.4%

0.6%

2.8%

3.0%

0.7%

Listened to Side-Loaded Music

1.1%

0.4%

1.5%

1.3%

0.4%

Listened to Downloaded Music

0.4%

0.2%

1.7%

2.0%

0.3%

Downloaded Music

0.3%

0.2%

1.3%

1.5%

0.2%

Source: M:Metrics. Copyright © 2006. Survey of French, German, Spanish, UK and U.S. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 July, 2006, n= 12,462, French, n=15,070, German, n= 11,429 Spanish, n= 14,842 UK, n= 34,006 U.S. mobile subscribers.

 

 

“A significant barrier to mobile music consumption is the dearth of devices that support the activity,” said Seamus McAteer, senior analyst, M:Metrics. “We are, however, seeing an influx of music-friendly devices on the market, with removable storage and better interfaces for accessing songs, as well as consumer education by the operators, all of which will foster growth in the sector.”

 

 

Top 3 Mobile Music Devices: July 2006

Germany

France

Spain

UK

US

Nokia 6630

Nokia 6680

Nokia 6230

Nokia N70

LG VX8100

Nokia N70

Sony Ericsson V600i

Nokia 6630

Nokia 6280

Samsung MM A900

Nokia 6680

Samsung D500

Samsung Z140

Nokia 6230i

Samsung SCH-A950

Source: M:Metrics. Copyright © 2006. Survey of French, German, Spanish, UK and U.S. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 July, 2006, n= 12,462, French, n=15,070, German, n= 11,429 Spanish, n= 14,842 UK, n= 34,006 U.S. mobile subscribers.

 

M:Metrics also reported its ringtone consumption data, which reveals that the U.S. has the healthiest market for ringtones, at 10.4 percent penetration, followed by Spain, at 8.9 percent. Germany and France with 6.6 and 6.2 percent, respectively, of subscribers reporting they downloaded a ringtone, surpass the UK’s 5.4 percent.  Ringbacks are also gaining popularity. Again, Spaniards have adopted this form of personalization above all others—at 9.7 percent, Spain has a sizable margin over the U.S., at 3.7 percent, as depicted in the table below.

 

Ringtone Consumption: Percentage of Subscriber Base: July 2006

 

Germany

France

Spain

UK

US

Purchased Ringtone

6.6%

6.2%

8.9%

5.4%

10.4%

Downloaded Polyphonic Ringtone

3.1%

3.0%

4.5%

2.2%

4.8%

Downloaded Mastertone

3.1%

2.8%

3.7%

2.9%

5.1%

Ordered via Mobile Browser

3.7%

3.8%

4.6%

3.7%

9.3%

Ordered via Short Code

1.8%

2.3%

5.1%

1.3%

1.1%

Ordered on PC

2.0%

1.2%

1.6%

1.3%

2.7%

Subscribed to Ringback Service

1.3%

2.3%

9.7%

0.7%

3.7%

Source: M:Metrics. Copyright © 2006. Survey of French, German, Spanish, UK and U.S. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 July, 2006, n= 12,462, French, n=15,070, German, n= 11,429 Spanish, n= 14,842 UK, n= 34,006 U.S. mobile subscribers.

 

M:Metrics data negates the presumption that the popularity of MP3 players or a rumoured “iPhone” would threaten the market for mobile music. MP3 owners—particularly Apple iPod owners—are as much as two times more likely to consume music related content than are other mobile subscribers.

 

“The ringtone market is experiencing a significant shift,” said Paul Goode, senior analyst, Europe, for M:Metrics. “As mastertones supersede polyphonic tones, and short codes gain steam as a merchandising vehicle, the economics of the business will have to change. The availability of tools to make user-created ringtones more accessible to the masses poses an even greater threat to companies who can offer no additional value to a consumer who buys a ringtone in lieu of making one themselves.”

 

 

French Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications

M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: July 2006

 

 

Activity

Subscribers (000s)

Percent

Percent Change

Sent Text Message

29,560

69.6%

0.6%

Used Photo Messaging

8,380

19.7%

4.1%

Browsed News and Information

3,758

8.8%

5.1%

Purchased Ringtone

2,615

6.2%

2.7%

Used Personal E-Mail

2,521

5.9%

-1.8%

Used Mobile Instant Messenger

1,262

3.0%

0.0%

Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver

1,115

2.6%

-6.5%

Used Work E-Mail

861

2.0%

-1.6%

Downloaded Mobile Game

491

1.2%

-3.0%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of French mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 July, 2006, n= 12,462

 

German Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications

M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: July 2006

 

 

Activity

Subscribers (000s)

Percent

Percent Change

Sent Text Message

35,489

79.8%

-0.2%

Used Photo Messaging

8,967

20.1%

3.8%

Purchased Ringtone

2,936

6.6%

2.2%

Used Personal E-Mail

2,559

5.8%

-7.4%

Browsed News and Information

1,705

3.8%

-4.2%

Used Mobile Instant Messenger

1,526

3.4%

-3.1%

Used Work E-Mail

1,280

2.9%

-10.9%

Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver

1,260

2.8%

2.0%

Downloaded Mobile Game

1,168

2.6%

4.9%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of German mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 July, 2006, n= 15,070

 

Spanish Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications

M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: July 2006

 

 

Activity

Subscribers (000s)

Percent

Percent Change

Sent Text Message

24,980

83.3%

0.1%

Used Photo Messaging

8,026

26.8%

1.8%

Purchased Ringtone

2,666

8.9%

10.8%

Used Personal E-Mail

2,656

8.9%

-7.5%

Used Mobile Instant Messenger

2,153

7.2%

-2.4%

Browsed News and Information

2,150

7.2%

7.5%

Used Work E-Mail

1,565

5.2%

-10.5%

Downloaded Mobile Game

1,374

4.6%

1.6%

Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver

1,158

3.9%

-6.7%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of Spanish mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 July, 2006, n= 11,429

 

 

 

U.K. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications

M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: July 2006

 

 

Activity

Subscribers (000s)

Percent

Percent Change

Sent Text Message

36,240

84.3%

-0.5%

Used Photo Messaging

12,877

29.9%

1.0%

Browsed News and Information

6,229

14.5%

-3.2%

Used Personal E-Mail

2,721

6.3%

-4.4%

Purchased Ringtone

2,343

5.4%

-4.2%

Downloaded Mobile Game

1,737

4.0%

-6.8%

Used Mobile Instant Messenger

1,585

3.7%

-9.0%

Used Work E-Mail

1,298

3.0%

-5.6%

Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver

945

2.2%

-2.1%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of U.K. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 July, 2006, n= 14,842

 

U.S. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications

M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: July 2006

 

 

Activity

Subscribers (000s)

Percent

Percent Change

Sent Text Message

70,864

37.3%

1.0%

Used Photo Messaging

26,070

13.7%

7.2%

Browsed News and Information

20,709

10.9%

6.1%

Purchased Ringtone

19,721

10.4%

3.3%

Used Personal E-Mail

15,344

8.1%

5.7%

Used Mobile Instant Messenger

13,031

6.9%

2.7%

Used Work E-Mail

8,917

4.7%

4.9%

Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver

6,607

3.5%

1.8%

Downloaded Mobile Game

5,670

3.0%

13.5%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of Spanish mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 July, 2006, n= 34,006

 

 

About M:Metrics

M:Metrics is the mobile market measurement authority. As the only research firm to measure the audience for mobile media, M:Metrics provides the most accurate metrics on actual mobile content consumption by applying trusted media measurement methodologies to the mobile market. M:Metrics’ monthly syndicated data service gives clients the critical insights and intelligence required to inform smart business strategies and the competitive benchmarks needed to evaluate the performance of competitors and partners. M:Metrics is a private, venture-funded corporation headquartered in Seattle, with offices in San Francisco and London.

 

About M:Metrics Data

Based on continually refreshed samples of nationally representative mobile phone consumers, M:Metrics reports summarise market size, device reach, and key demographic and mobile phone usage characteristics.

 

The data presented here is drawn from an extensive survey questionnaire that collects specific device model and carrier subscription information from each month’s sample of mobile phone subscribers, and also drills down into specific details related to current and past usage of various mobile phone applications and content. Data collected from each sample are statistically balanced and projected to the total national population of mobile phone subscribers.

 

Authorized Uses

 Members of the press may cite research data or a portion of text provided that each is sourced to M:Metrics, for example, "Source: M:Metrics, Inc." or “According to M:Metrics, . . .”. Copies of graphs, data tables or slides must include the following copyright notice affixed to all material: "Copyright © 2006, M:Metrics, Inc.”