M:Metrics: UK Leads in Mobile Music Consumption, While Americans Top
the Charts in Ringtones

Three Percent of UK Subscribers Report Listening to Mobile Music and
10.4 Percent of Americans Downloaded a Ringtone

SEATTLE, WA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 09/12/06 -- M:Metrics, the mobile
market authority, today released its findings on the audience for
mobile music in the U.S. and Western Europe. The measurement firm
found that the UK boasts the highest percentage of mobile subscribers
who used their mobile device as a music player in the month of July.
At three percent, the volume of British mobile music consumers is
higher than the Spanish (2.8 percent), U.S. (0.7 percent) and German
(1.4 percent) audiences.

Mobile Music Consumption: Percentage of Subscriber Base: July 2006

Germany France Spain UK US

Used Phone as Music Player 1.4% 0.6% 2.8% 3.0% 0.7%

Listened to Side-Loaded Music 1.1% 0.4% 1.5% 1.3% 0.4%

Listened to Downloaded Music 0.4% 0.2% 1.7% 2.0% 0.3%

Downloaded Music 0.3% 0.2% 1.3% 1.5% 0.2%

Source: M:Metrics. Copyright (c) 2006. Survey of French, German, Spanish,

UK and U.S. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average

for period ending 31 July, 2006, n= 12,462, French, n=15,070, German,

n= 11,429 Spanish, n= 14,842 UK, n= 34,006 U.S. mobile subscribers.

"A significant barrier to mobile music consumption is the dearth of
devices that support the activity," said Seamus McAteer, senior
analyst, M:Metrics. "We are, however, seeing an influx of
music-friendly devices on the market, with removable storage and
better interfaces for accessing songs, as well as consumer education
by the operators, all of which will foster growth in the sector."

Top 3 Mobile Music Devices: July 2006

Germany France Spain UK US

Nokia 6630 Nokia 6680 Nokia 6230 Nokia N70 LG VX8100

Sony Ericsson

Nokia N70 V600i Nokia 6630 Nokia 6280 Samsung MM A900

Nokia 6680 Samsung D500 Samsung Z140 Nokia 6230i Samsung SCH-A950

Source: M:Metrics. Copyright (c) 2006. Survey of French, German, Spanish,

UK and U.S. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average

for period ending 31 July, 2006, n= 12,462, French, n=15,070, German,

n= 11,429 Spanish, n= 14,842 UK, n= 34,006 U.S. mobile subscribers.

M:Metrics also reported its ringtone consumption data, which reveals
that the U.S. has the healthiest market for ringtones, at 10.4 percent
penetration, followed by Spain, at 8.9 percent. Germany and France
with 6.6 and 6.2 percent, respectively, of subscribers reporting they
downloaded a ringtone, surpass the UK's 5.4 percent. Ringbacks are
also gaining popularity. Again, Spaniards have adopted this form of
personalization above all others -- at 9.7 percent, Spain has a
sizable margin over the U.S., at 3.7 percent, as depicted in the table
below.

Ringtone Consumption: Percentage of Subscriber Base: July 2006

Germany France Spain UK US

Purchased Ringtone 6.6% 6.2% 8.9% 5.4% 10.4%

Downloaded Polyphonic Ringtone 3.1% 3.0% 4.5% 2.2% 4.8%

Downloaded Mastertone 3.1% 2.8% 3.7% 2.9% 5.1%

Ordered via Mobile Browser 3.7% 3.8% 4.6% 3.7% 9.3%

Ordered via Short Code 1.8% 2.3% 5.1% 1.3% 1.1%

Ordered on PC 2.0% 1.2% 1.6% 1.3% 2.7%

Subscribed to Ringback Service 1.3% 2.3% 9.7% 0.7% 3.7%

Source: M:Metrics. Copyright (c) 2006. Survey of French, German, Spanish,

UK and U.S. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average

for period ending 31 July, 2006, n= 12,462, French, n=15,070, German,

n= 11,429 Spanish, n= 14,842 UK, n= 34,006 U.S. mobile subscribers.

M:Metrics data negates the presumption that the popularity of MP3
players or a rumored "iPhone" would threaten the market for mobile
music. MP3 owners -- particularly Apple iPod owners -- are as much as
two times more likely to consume music-related content than are other
mobile subscribers.

"The ringtone market is experiencing a significant shift," said Paul
Goode, senior analyst, Europe, for M:Metrics. "As mastertones
supersede polyphonic tones, and short codes gain steam as a
merchandising vehicle, the economics of the business will have to
change. The availability of tools to make user-created ringtones more
accessible to the masses poses an even greater threat to companies who
can offer no additional value to a consumer who buys a ringtone in
lieu of making one herself."

French Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications

M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: July 2006

Subscribers

Activity (000s) Percent Percent Change

Sent Text Message 29,560 69.6% 0.6%

Used Photo Messaging 8,380 19.7% 4.1%

Browsed News and Information 3,758 8.8% 5.1%

Purchased Ringtone 2,615 6.2% 2.7%

Used Personal E-Mail 2,521 5.9% -1.8%

Used Mobile Instant Messenger 1,262 3.0% 0.0%

Purchased Wallpaper

or Screensaver 1,115 2.6% -6.5%

Used Work E-Mail 861 2.0% -1.6%

Downloaded Mobile Game 491 1.2% -3.0%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright (c) 2006. Survey of French mobile

subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending

31 July, 2006, n= 12,462

German Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications

M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: July 2006

Subscribers

Activity (000s) Percent Percent Change

Sent Text Message 35,489 79.8% -0.2%

Used Photo Messaging 8,967 20.1% 3.8%

Purchased Ringtone 2,936 6.6% 2.2%

Used Personal E-Mail 2,559 5.8% -7.4%

Browsed News and Information 1,705 3.8% -4.2%

Used Mobile Instant Messenger 1,526 3.4% -3.1%

Used Work E-Mail 1,280 2.9% -10.9%

Purchased Wallpaper

or Screensaver 1,260 2.8% 2.0%

Downloaded Mobile Game 1,168 2.6% 4.9%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright (c) 2006. Survey of German mobile

subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending

31 July, 2006, n= 15,070

Spanish Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications

M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: July 2006

Subscribers

Activity (000s) Percent Percent Change

Sent Text Message 24,980 83.3% 0.1%

Used Photo Messaging 8,026 26.8% 1.8%

Purchased Ringtone 2,666 8.9% 10.8%

Used Personal E-Mail 2,656 8.9% -7.5%

Used Mobile Instant Messenger 2,153 7.2% -2.4%

Browsed News and Information 2,150 7.2% 7.5%

Used Work E-Mail 1,565 5.2% -10.5%

Downloaded Mobile Game 1,374 4.6% 1.6%

Purchased Wallpaper

or Screensaver 1,158 3.9% -6.7%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright (c) 2006. Survey of Spanish mobile

subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending

31 July, 2006, n= 11,429

U.K. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications

M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: July 2006

Subscribers

Activity (000s) Percent Percent Change

Sent Text Message 36,240 84.3% -0.5%

Used Photo Messaging 12,877 29.9% 1.0%

Browsed News and Information 6,229 14.5% -3.2%

Used Personal E-Mail 2,721 6.3% -4.4%

Purchased Ringtone 2,343 5.4% -4.2%

Downloaded Mobile Game 1,737 4.0% -6.8%

Used Mobile Instant Messenger 1,585 3.7% -9.0%

Used Work E-Mail 1,298 3.0% -5.6%

Purchased Wallpaper

or Screensaver 945 2.2% -2.1%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright (c) 2006. Survey of U.K. mobile

subscribers.

Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 July, 2006,

n= 14,842

U.S. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications

M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: July 2006

Subscribers

Activity (000s) Percent Percent Change

Sent Text Message 70,864 37.3% 1.0%

Used Photo Messaging 26,070 13.7% 7.2%

Browsed News and Information 20,709 10.9% 6.1%

Purchased Ringtone 19,721 10.4% 3.3%

Used Personal E-Mail 15,344 8.1% 5.7%

Used Mobile Instant Messenger 13,031 6.9% 2.7%

Used Work E-Mail 8,917 4.7% 4.9%

Purchased Wallpaper

or Screensaver 6,607 3.5% 1.8%

Downloaded Mobile Game 5,670 3.0% 13.5%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright (c) 2006. Survey of Spanish mobile

subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending

31 July, 2006, n= 34,006

About M:Metrics

M:Metrics is the mobile market measurement authority. As the only
research firm to measure the audience for mobile media, M:Metrics
provides the most accurate metrics on actual mobile content
consumption by applying trusted media measurement methodologies to the
mobile market. M:Metrics' monthly syndicated data service gives
clients the critical insights and intelligence required to inform
smart business strategies and the competitive benchmarks needed to
evaluate the performance of competitors and partners. M:Metrics is a
private, venture-funded corporation headquartered in Seattle, with
offices in San Francisco and London.

About M:Metrics Data

Based on continually refreshed samples of nationally representative
mobile phone consumers, M:Metrics reports summarise market size,
device reach, and key demographic and mobile phone usage
characteristics.

The data presented here is drawn from an extensive survey
questionnaire that collects specific device model and carrier
subscription information from each month's sample of mobile phone
subscribers, and also drills down into specific details related to
current and past usage of various mobile phone applications and
content. Data collected from each sample are statistically balanced
and projected to the total national population of mobile phone
subscribers.

Authorized Uses

Members of the press may cite research data or a portion of text
provided that each is sourced to M:Metrics, for example, "Source:
M:Metrics, Inc." or "According to M:Metrics, . . ." Copies of graphs,
data tables or slides must include the following copyright notice
affixed to all material: "Copyright (c) 2006, M:Metrics, Inc."