MarCom Professional

SanDisk to launch new music format

I read an interesting article this morning. SanDisk are looking to promote music content using an initiative called SlotMusic. This service is backed by 4 of the major labels. It is a US offer to start, with 2 major retail outlets (Wal-Mart and Best Buy) selling SD cards with music albums on. It is to be priced at the same amount as digital music purchased from say iTunes $7.

This is an interesting move for a number of reasons;

• This is a whole new format for music purchase in a world where physical music sales are in decline. 
• Arguably, the whole concept of changing mobile usage patterns is a massive hurdle to overcome. If you talk about connecting to the mobile internet to download content being a user barrier, then surely entering a card into a phone and browsing to the content, is a similarly daunting task for 80% of the users out there. Ok, on certain handsets this is simple.  But on many it isn’t easy to switch between phone and external memory.
• This idea seems to overlap heavily with side-loading of music content using the PC as the master, and mobile phone connection software to manage the files between both devices.
• Bluetooth is the most common way to share content - especially between the 16-24 demographic. Will they change this behaviour, or will 1 person purchase a card and share the content with everyone.
• This has been used effectively in Europe in the handset sponsorship arena. For example, Sony Ericssonand their Walkman phones have partnered with a label, in conjunction with a music event, to offer exclusive/promo/new content on SD memory cards in box.

Also posted on www.welovemobile.co.uk