Chilli Music launches Facebook payment facility

The direct to consumer mobile entertainment portal Chilli Music has launched a new service enabling consumers to purchase tracks via Facebook. The facility enables Facebook’s 750million regular users to purchase fully-licensed track downloads and complete albums for mobile devices direct through the social media site’s integrated store. Currently in its public beta stage, the service accepts payments for music and a comprehensive range of mobile games using the network’s Pay For It functionality. “Almost every consumer-facing business in the world has been touched by the social media phenomenon and the smart ones are continually working on new ways to take advantage of the channel. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen an enormous leap in the volume of customers choosing to interact with the company via these networks, and introducing the ability to pay via Facebook is the latest landmark in our evolving approach,” said Steve Kitchen, Chilli Mobile’s Managing Director. Currently boasting over 200,000 followers on its corporate Facebook page, Chilli Music’s latest launch creates what is believed to be the networks’ first music store dedicated exclusively to mobile. This significant fan base, which gives the portal a direct link with consumers, has been built to enable the company to engage consumers in closer dialogue and flexibly adapt its services based on feedback and any emerging trends. All users are also offered a version of the music for their PC with every purchase as the portal’s ‘dual download’ service allows users to send purchases to their home computer as well as receiving files directly on their handset. Mobile Chilli has experienced a 1200% increase in album sales since the start of the year. Based on current growth, the company is on course to achieve over 1,000,000 paid downloads in 2011. Steve Kitchen added: “The synergies between many high volume Facebook users and mobile users is significant, so it makes real business sense for Chilli Music to be bringing these two bases together. The growth seen over the course of 2011 indicates that public confidence in mobile commerce is continuing to grow across the board, not merely in the high end and early adopter audience.”