A survey covering a cross section of the music industry conducted by
Ping Corporation has revealed a high level of interest in publishing
music onto mobile phones, with 90% of respondents saying that they were
offering, or intending to offer, mobile downloads of music tracks.
The company carried out the survey in order to understand why only some
sections of the music industry were selling or distributing to mobile.
Ping Corporation has developed a mobile content and billing platform
called  Immedia24. 
So far, mobile music sales have been primarily through operator
portals, in conjunction with major record labels. But with a large
number of artists and independent labels completing the survey, the
company says, it is clear they are looking for a route to sell direct
to their fans mobile phones.
Companies like Ping allow artists and labels to deliver content direct
to the mobile user, without the need to go through operator portals or
the major music download sites. Although this gives the artist more
control and greater revenue, over 30% of respondents did not realise
that it was possible to do this. While over 70% of respondents saw it
as a means to distribute tracks and videos, an equal number saw it as
an important medium in which to build an artists profile.
Important factors for a mobile delivery system were the quality of
service, ease of use and technical support, along with the quality of
the end user experience. Issues of concern were the download speeds
available on mobile, along with the returns offered. One respondent
said that mobile still seems a bit clunky, while another felt that
they didnt want to alienate fans with spam.
Although almost 78% of respondents said they would use MySpace as a
sales route, over half were not aware of other mobile channels such as
Numo, Kodime or the Immedia24 platform. Significantly, over 16% said
that they did not want to use MySpace as a means to sell to mobile.
Its clear that many people in the music industry see mobile music as
an important element in their sales and distribution, says Ping
Corporation CEO, Mark Brill. The independent labels and artists are
looking to do that without having to tie into operators or major
labels. It is also interesting to see importance that they also place
on mobile as a means of promoting artists.
The online survey was conducted between May and August 2007.