Comparing apples of 2012 with oranges of 2008.
Yesterday, we wrote a news story about GetJar's new report, including its claim that mobile apps will outsell CDs in 2012.
That was based on a comparison of an apps revenue projection for 2012 made by Chetan Sharma Consulting in its report for GetJar, with CD sales predictions from music industry body IFPI.
The relevant line in the press release says "This would mean that the value of apps sold would be greater than the value of CDs sold in 2012 ($13.83bn)", with a footnote ascribing that figure to IFPI.
There's a problem though: IFPI doesn't make predictions. Instead, it reports existing sales figures. The organisation contacted ME wondering where the 2012 CDs prediction came from.
After talking to GetJar, we've got to the bottom of it. The IFPI data used for the comparison was actually CD sales figures for 2008, not 2012.
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In other words, GetJar's report is suggesting that the value of mobile apps sold in 2012 will be more than the value of CDs sold in 2008.
It's a strange comparison, but it's actually a more impressive boast, since CD sales have been declining, and are expected to continue sliding until 2012.
Even so, we're happy to get the facts straight.
