Although I'll never understand why so many
year-end lists come out well before the year is over, I couldn't help but notice how much music-related stuff there is on Apple Inc.'s [
AAPL] list of the most popular iPhone applications of 2008. To wit:
∙ Personalized radio provider Pandora Media Inc.'s
app topped the list of free downloads, which is already
boosting spirits at a company that
barely survived the summer and
laid off staff in the fall. Pandora's application was even more popular than Facebook Inc.'s tool, which placed second among free apps. WaldenVC, Labrador Ventures, Selby Venture Partners and Crosslink Capital own stakes in Pandora.
∙ Tapulous Inc.'s
Tap Tap Revenge, a game descended from "Guitar Hero," "Rock Band" and "Dance Dance Revolution," placed third among free apps. Khosla Ventures and a large group of prominent Silicon Valley angels have backed the startup.
∙
Shazam Entertainment Ltd.'s app, which "hears" a song playing elsewhere in the room and identifies it, placed fourth. European firms Acacia Capital Partners and DN Capital have invested in Shazam. An iPhone
commercial now features Shazam -- and the Submarines, too.
∙ Among paid applications, the
PocketGuitar toy created by Japanese designer Shinya Kasatani placed eighth. The mobile gaming category dominated the list of paid apps.
∙ In a separate chart listing the top ten free music apps, radio offerings from Time Warner Inc.'s [
TWX] America Online unit, CBS-owned
Last.fm Ltd. and
Clear Channel Communications Inc. were listed alongside Pandora and Shazam. The search-by-singing application developed by
Melodis Corp. (backed by Global Catalyst Partners, Translink Capital, JAIC America Inc., Amidzad Partners and Felicis Ventures), the smartphone radio service of
FlyCast Inc.,
MixMeister Technology LLC's DJ-scratching tool, and DigiDrummer product designed by Magnus Larsson also placed in the top ten.
The
UK list doesn't include Pandora, which
shut down its non-U.S. services early this year, but Shazam and PocketGuitar still scored high.
iPhones now account for 16.6% of the worldwide smartphone market, according to this
report. The iTunes store now reportedly has more than
10,000 applications available.
--Paul BonanosFor more see
VentureBeat and
MobileCrunch
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