Music

First quarter 2008 U.S. revenues from handset sales reached $2.7 billion -- down 7 percent from the previous year

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, May 20, 2008 – According to The NPD Group, the leader in market research for the wireless industry, mobile phone handset sales to consumers in the U.S. reached nearly 31 million units in the first quarter of 2008, which is a 22 percent decline since the same period a year ago.

NPD estimates total first quarter 2008 consumer sales of nearly $2.7 billion, down from $2.9 billion a year ago.

Motorola W220i: Photo by Muhammad Hamidi (CC)

“For the first time since NPD has tracked handset sales, we’ve noted a decline in sales during the first quarter after the holidays,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for NPD. “Cellular phone service has become a practical necessity in modern life; however, with looming economic concerns on the horizon, many consumers may be holding back on new handset purchases.”

First in Latin America

LOS ANGELES, CA, Feb 04, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Napster (NASDAQ: NAPS) and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) today announced the launch of the Napster Mobile music service with leading Chilean operator Entel PCS to provide the Napster Mobile music service in Latin America for the first time.

Napster Mobile is based on Ericsson's service delivery platform and will enable Entel PCS's subscribers to search, browse, preview and purchase content on their wireless handsets via i-shop, the Entel PCS Mobile Portal. The service features Napster's catalog of more than four million songs and mastertones, and offers a dual-delivery option for simultaneous downloads to subscribers' mobile phones and PCs. Hence, the service allows direct downloads to mobile phones, a unique feature, bypassing the PC-download stage to provide greater user convenience.

"We are excited to add Latin America to our global footprint, which also includes the North American, Japanese and European markets," said Brad Duea, President of Napster. "Through our partnership with Ericsson, we look forward to offering a superior mobile music experience to Entel PCS customers."

Cannes, France – 27th January – Sony Ericsson today unveiled the next stage in the evolution of PlayNow™ arena, its popular over-the-air (OTA) download service. At the MIDEM conference in Cannes, Sony Ericsson announced deals with 10 major record labels, adding over 5 million new tracks to its extensive catalogue. Sony Ericsson also unveiled the design and URL for PlayNow™ arena and launched PlayNow™ Uncut, (formerly M-Buzz™) a music promotional space for new, unsigned and developing artists.

Record label partnerships

Today Sony Ericsson announced partnerships with 10 of the largest international and regional music labels including: Sony BMG, Warner Music Group, EMI, The Orchard, IODA, The PocketGroup, Hungama, X5 Music, Bonnier Amigo and VidZone, adding over 5 million new tracks to PlayNow™ arena. Sony Ericsson is currently negotiating further deals with a host of regional labels to further broaden the variety of music available and bring a wealth of localised content direct to the consumer.