Portable music subscription service fees must drop below $10 a mo...
Portable music subscription service fees must drop below $10 a month to draw a substantial number of MP3 player owners, a forthcoming Parks Assoc. report indicates. The study found 41% of MP3 player owners in the U.S. would balk…
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at spending more than $10 monthly for a music service, the firm said Thurs. Asked about that sum in local currencies, 62% in the U.K. agree, as do 49% in France, 52% in Germany and 56% in China. On average, 1/3 of MP3 player owners in the 5 nations think music services should be free. U.S. subscriptions to Napster and Rhapsody run about $15 per month; emergence of budget services like Yahoo Music could alter the marketplace, analysts said. Yahoo can keep its price low since its other revenues subsidize the music service, said analyst Harry Wang. “Pure-play” services may not be able to cut prices but can ally with telecom carriers and other ISPs to offer music in bundled packages. For example, Napster recently said it is partnering with BellSouth (WID Aug 16 p7). Music providers also must be cautious when expanding internationally because consumers’ price expectations vary by country, the report said. For instance, MP3 player owners in the U.K. and Germany are tighter than owners in France and the U.S.