3UK hits one million a month paid-for music downloads

May 15, 2006

3UK announces its customers bought more than one million music tracks and videos in the last month. The figures clearly demonstrate the influence 3 is having on UK music sales with seventeen percent of all digital downloads (audio tracks) being purchased on 3 in April.

3's award-winning music service offers customers access to 500,000 tracks from all the major record labels and independents and recently helped catapult Gnarls Barkley to the number one slot in the UK charts with more than 20% of the single's downloads coming from 3. Further evidence of the impact 3 is having on the music industry is clear - 3's share of the mobile music market hit seventy six percent in April, with a four percent share of total single sales in the UK.

Graeme Oxby 3's Marketing Director said: "This million a month milestone is significant to us and to the wider music industry. In single sales, 3 is second only to iTunes on the internet with seventeen percent of digital downloads on 3 alone - a few years ago no-one would have believed mobile could have had such an impact on the music market. These are exciting times for us as the market looks set to grow and grow."

Peter Jamieson, BPI Chairman commented: "The UK record industry's investment in legal digital music distribution, combined with technical innovations such as mobile delivery, means that the UK now boasts the biggest and most advanced digital music market in Europe. British music is on a high, and the digital revolution means UK consumers have never had so much choice over where, when and how they buy their music."

3G mobiles are unique devices that allow customers to purchase tracks over the air, manage and play their music and even dual-download to a PC. 3.5 million customers on 3 are spending an average of £34.51 per month on communications, entertainment and information services.