The mobile music market in Germany has long focused on ringtones, but full-track downloads are selling in increasingly larger numbers.
According to new figures from BITKOM and GfK Panel Services, 5.2 million full-track songs were downloaded to mobile phones last year, an increase of 53% over 2006.
Revenues grew by one-third to hit €8 million ($11 million), while the average price of a song dropped to €1.42 ($1.95).
Greater memory capacity and the increased uptake of faster mobile services are helping fuel the growth.
Downloading of ringtones, meanwhile, is on the decline. German mobile users downloaded 23.2 million ringtones in 2007, a notable drop from 29.2 million in 2006.
Ringtone revenues fell 26% to €53 million ($73 million). That is still more than six times the revenue for full-track downloads, but if current trends continue, ringtones' dominant position may not hold.