Mobile Music Sales Down in 2010, Says RIAA

dancingheadphones.jpgMoney collected from mobile music declined in 2010 according to RIAA.  Mobile music sales were down 28% to 221 units and $527 million in 2010, a decrease from 306 million units in 2009.

Mobile music includes ringtones, ringbacks, music videos, full-length downloads, and other items downloaded to mobile phones.Ringtones were down 41%, ringbacks were down 26%, and full-track mobile downloads dropped 23%.  In 2010, ringtones were 49% share of the category. ringbacks remained at 20% of the market, while full-length tracks and music videos grew to 31% in 2010, versus 19% last year.

The RIAA considers full-track mobile downloads to be full-track purchases made on mobile devices through online stores rather than mobile content stores.