50 Cent rings in changes to the power of mobile music. (Viewpoint).

Despite the gloom cloaking the UK record industry, the acceleration of the mobile music market offers a silver lining, revenue channel and strong cause for optimism for labels, artists and managers alike. Already, progressive labels are seeing evidence of this, as mobile consumers demand their music be delivered to their phones or mobile devices.

Already, mobile ringtone sales outpace singles sales in the UK and Europe, and are growing rapidly. It is a 1.4bn [euro] business, expected to double to 2.4bn [euro] in 2005. Ringtones will increasingly become downloads of original sound recordings and not simply monophonic or polyphonic productions. The first US gold ring tone certification was claimed this month by 50 Cent, whose last single spawned more than 500,000 paid-for mobile downloads.

How long before a mobile music consumer will be able to get the weekly UK Top Five sent to their phone at a viable premium charge or using short code? Significant developments of so-called short-code commerce can link labels and ...