NEW YORK (July 2, 2008)—Weighed down by plummeting CD sales, the global recording industry is struggling to find its footing in a rapidly changing marketplace. Physical music spending is down as online and mobile formats gain momentum. eMarketer estimates that online and mobile will grab about 40% of the total music spend in 2009.

Current developments such as Vodafone’s deal with MySpace to launch “Vodafone Music Reporter” help substantiate the notion that the music landscape is changing rapidly. The “Vodafone Music Reporter,” an interactive profile to promote its music services hosted on MySpace, builds on the successful collaboration of both companies, which began in 2007 with the launch of MySpace on Vodafone mobile. The new venture will create communities for all music fans in the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy.

Music fans are longing for communities that offer a unique music experience and a mobile music platform that gives fans of its music events the opportunity to be involved online, says the eMarketer report, “Recorded Music: Digital Falls Short.”

Marketers should be looking to enhance the customer experience by bringing together online, mobile and user-generated platforms such as blogs where fellow users can interact.

For more information, see Media Contacts below.

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