A new report from research firm IDC says that the consumption of music via mobiles will outstrip the use of PC based music services by the end of the decade. They reckon that by 2010 over 50 million users will regularly access music via their mobile phones, with 60% of mobile owners owning music player phones. Between them they will generate over $1 billion a year in revenues in the US alone, becoming a more important sales platform for the music industry than even the bigger PC based download platforms.
The report reckons that the cost of downloading music via a mobile, currently three times that of downloading via a PC, will come down in the next four years, although it will still be a more expensive option. However, the convenience will mean consumers, especially in the 25 - 44 year old demographic, will pay the premium.
A separate report from research firm Informa Telecoms & Media, meanwhile, has predicted that by 2010 the global mobile music market, including ringtones, will be worth $13 billion.