After some initial skepticism, Leap Wireless International Inc. (LEAP) seems to have found success with its Muve music service, which the company said has now attracted more than 200,000 users since its launch earlier this year.
The service, which offers subscribers unlimited access to music through specific devices, is set to add its first smartphone with the impending launch of the Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Vitality device. The Muve Music service is currently limited to the Samsung Suede feature phone.
The Vitality sports Google Inc.’s Android 2.3 operating system, a 3.5-inch touchscreen and is powered by an 800 MHz processor. The device also includes a four gigabyte memory card that can hold up to 3,000 songs through the Muve Music offering.
Retail price for the smartphone is set at $200 with all rebates, and as with all Cricket services there is no contract required. The single rate plan for the device is $65 per month for unlimited calling, data access, messaging and access to the Muve Music service, which is a $10 premium compared with non-Muve Music equipped smartphones.
As for the Muve service, Leap noted that customer spend an average of two to three hours per day listening to music on their device. In July, 153 million song plays took place within the Muve Music service and, on average, Muve customers download 400 songs per month. Since the initial Muve Music launch customers have downloaded more than 150 million songs.
This is somewhat significant as the mobile music market has changed radically over the past several years from a record company/wireless carrier-centric service focused on charging customers a fee to download and own specific tracks, to a streaming service that is either free or has a nominal charge.
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