Billboard has an interesting look at the mobile music market, with particular attention paid to the positive impact Apple's iPhone has had on the sector. Although much of the music on mobile phones, even the iPhone, is transferred from a PC rather than purchased directly on the phone, Billboard believes this might change once the faster 3G iPhone comes out.

The article also talks up the partnership between Verizon Wireless and Rhapsody America, which is the merger of RealNetworks' Rhapsody and MTV's URGE music service. Rhapsody and Verizon hoped to have a mobile version of the service live this spring, but they're reportedly running behind schedule because Verizon Wireless wanted the service to work on a wide variety of handsets.

Billboard concludes:

The upshot is that the mobile music effort will receive a double shot in the arm -- a few iPhone and BlackBerry owners using their phones to access a lot of music, as well as a whole lot of Verizon subscribers using their phones to access just a little.