Global Music Market Set to Grow Again

A new study of the digital music download market from Portio Research predicts a healthy future for the music business spurred on by the success of existing wireline and nascent over-the-air services provided by mobile network operators.

The report highlights the many opportunities that music offers for some of the world's largest and most successful brands, from device and handset vendors like Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Apple, software companies such as Microsoft, mobile network operators, advertisers and of course the digital rights owners themselves coming together in a veritable 'Clash of the Titans'.

This battle will take place in the wealthiest and biggest world markets, Japan and South Korea, Western Europe, North America, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and more with some of the biggest youth-sector brands such as McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nike, Reebok and Adidas possibly involved in sponsoring and advertising deals.

While there are huge opportunities, the report highlights the threats from the sort of unexpected change experienced by the photographic industry which less than 10 years ago was still based on film. The report highlights a number of specific industry issues that need to be addressed and in particular an exhortation for the record labels not to be greedy, which has resulted in falling revenues and been a major spur to piracy in the past."

Posted to the site on 9th January 2007