Will mobile music significantly increase operator mobile data ARPS? In the hopes of replicating the success of online music download services, the mobile industry sees Full Track Downloads (FTDs) as a promising strategy to grow revenues by increasing mobile data usage and reducing churn. Ultimately, the success of mobile music will rest heavily on the value it presents to all its stakeholders. Pyramid Research's new report "Get on Track With Mobile Music: Exploring Mobile Music Best Practices" analyzes two successful mobile music business models - SK Telecom's 'MelOn' and KDDI's 'Chaku-Uta Full' - and provides strategic advice for operators to maximize the opportunity. By analyzing KDDI's and SK Telecom's success, this report charts the evolutionary path of mobile music services through an examination of business models, enabling technologies, stakeholders, and global developments. Full Track Downloads will be popular and - if managed correctly - profitable for providers.
The global streaming industry has spent the better part of a decade chasing subscriber counts as the primary metric of success. That era is now formally over. New market data from Omdia confirms that the industry has crossed a decisive threshold; one that shifts the competitive playing field from growth-at-all-costs to monetization discipline. For senior executives navigating media, advertising, and technology strategy, the implications extend well beyond entertainment. A Historic Revenue Crossover Online video revenue increased 13.5 percent to $176 billion in 2025, while pay-TV revenue declined 4 percent to $170 billion; marking the first time in the industry's history that streaming has surpassed legacy pay-TV in revenue terms. This is not a rounding error or a statistical artifact; it represents the culmination of more than a decade of structural disruption to the traditional broadcast and cable TV model. Global subscriptions to online video services reached 2.24 billion by the ...