Worldwide and U.S. Paid Online Music Service 2006-2010 Forecast and Analysis

This IDC study presents a forecast and analysis of the worldwide and U.S. paid online music service provider market. It includes user and revenue forecasts for IP-based pay-per-download services (such as Apple's iTunes Store) and IP-based subscription services (such as MTV Networks' Urge and RealNetworks' Rhapsody). It also identifies and discusses factors driving or inhibiting the adoption of these services.

The first major section of this study is the Situation Overview, which describes the current state of the worldwide and U.S. paid online music service market and the trends that have affected it during the past 18 months as well as the types of vendors that are entering the market. The next major section is the Future Outlook, which presents IDC's updated worldwide and U.S. paid online music service users/subscribers and revenue forecast for 2006?2010 and lists key forecast assumptions.

"Microsoft's introduction of Zune in 2006 and anticipated migration away from a Windows Media Technologies licensing strategy opens a new chapter in the saga of paid online music services, in which pay-per-download services are expected to dominate the market during the forecast period as Windows Media Technologies?based subscription services collectively languish." ? Susan Kevorkian, program manager, Consumer Markets: Audio