Study: Mobile music experience satisfies most users

More than three quarters of U.S. consumers said they are satisfied with their experience downloading and listening to songs on mobile phones, and almost a third are willing to accept mobile ads in exchange for free music downloads, according to a new study issued by audit, tax and advisory firm KPMG LLP and the Mobile Entertainment Forum. After surveying more than 4,000 respondents in 19 countries worldwide, KPMG reports that 21 percent of U.S. respondents and 30 percent of global respondents have purchased songs on their mobile phones at least once in the past 12 months--84 percent of U.S. subscribers and 66 percent of global purchasers expressed satisfaction with the mobile music user experience. By contrast, a similar study conducted by the MEF in 2007 reported that only 26 percent of U.S. subscribers found the experience satisfactory.

KPMG reports that privacy of personal information is the factor that most strongly influences mobile music purchases in the U.S., followed by clear pricing information, the cost of the service and download speed. From a worldwide perspective, clear pricing information is most vital, followed by the cost of the service, the ability to save music on the mobile handset and high-quality customer care. The KPMG study adds that 29 percent of U.S. subscribers would be willing to view ads in return for free songs--49 percent of consumers worldwide would accept ads for music.

Consumers also indicate satisfaction with downloading and viewing mobile video content. About 11 percent of U.S. respondents told KPMG that they have screened video clips on their mobile phone in the past year, while 38 percent of global users have watched video clips during the same timeframe. In both the U.S. and abroad, more than half of consumers who watched mobile video clips were pleased with the experience--two years ago, the 2007 MEF found that only 28 percent of U.S. respondents were happy with their mobile video experience.

For more on the KPMG/MEF study:
- read this release

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