Phil Leigh, senior analyst with Inside Digital Media, an independent research firm based in Tampa, said that the emergence of cell phones that can play MP3 music files is a threat to Apple, assuming that cell phone makers and wireless carriers want to partner with stores other than Apple's iTunes.įor now, Leigh concedes that most phones are not sophisticated enough to be considered true alternatives to an iPod. There has also been speculation that Google ( Research) could buy its way in to the market through a purchase of iTunes rival Napster.Īnalysts say that Apple ( Research), which announced last month that iTunes sold its billionth download since the store's launch in April 2003, has a safe, comfortable lead in online music for now. Although the company has not said anything publicly about plans for a music store, Google did launch an online video store in January.įollowing that news, Bear Stearns Internet analyst Robert Peck wrote a report predicting that Google would roll out a music store, which he dubbed Google Tunes, in the next few months. And ( Research) is said to be in talks with the major music labels about developing its own digital music shop.Īnd in what might be the biggest threat of all, Google may enter the online music market. In the next few months, the cable network MTV is set to unveil its own music store, dubbed Urge, in partnership with Microsoft ( Research).

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