More market projections: music worth $17.5bn

The mobile music market could be worth $17.5bn by 2012, says Juniper Research.

The research company suggests the growth will be driven by rental music services and full-track downloads, and projects a further decline in ringtones. It argues that competitive pricing allied to a steady migration to ad-funded and/or self-generated ringtones will lead to a gradual decline in global ringtone revenues.

Report author Windsor Holden said: "2007 marked the tipping point for music adoption. Far more subscribers began downloading and subscribing to music content in developed markets, and the publicity surrounding the iPhone launch undoubtedly contributed to consumer awareness of mobile music services."