Bigfoot. The Loch Ness Monster, iPod killer. All rumored to have been seen, yet none have managed to transcend their folklore status. While the first two enigmas continue to hide in the shadows, the latter most certainly walks among us every day. In fact, it lives in our pockets and pocketbooks. Of course, I'm referring to the mobile phone.

While some might have you believe that the next big "thing" in digital music lies in the launch of yet another dedicated MP3 player, the truth is that the real breeding ground for innovation in consumer electronics has been and continues to be mobile phones. Well beyond the utilitarian functionality of communications and productivity, today's mobile phones have the vast capabilities and cache to dramatically change the way that people access and enjoy digital music.

For starters, everyone has a phone. It's the most ubiquitous consumer electronic device ever created. No consumer needs to be educated on what a mobile phone is, but perhaps on what it can do.

And, even though the digital music market is still very young and developing, ringtones, streaming, subscriptions and downloads have already unleashed a global mobile music market that is expected to top $14 billion by 2011. Furthermore, phone manufacturers are clearly committed to creating handsets that are dedicated to creating a robust digital music experience and extending the life and functionality of the phone to consumers.

The Importance of Developers
What most people don't realize though, is that today's most important ally of the music industry is the software developer. Content may be king; but at the end of the day, content is still content. How today's consumers experience, personalize and have access to content in a way that's relevant to their lifestyles lies in the in the creative hands of mobile software and applications developers.

The driving force behind finding the next big thing like text messaging or the "ringtone" will be the ingenuity of a software developer that had the foresight to break new ground. By providing developers with the tools and resources to create new and innovative ways for consumers to access their favorite music or enjoy a richer audio experience, these developers can serve as catalysts for the music industry to create new products and alternative business models that deliver meaningful ways to monetize content.

Sony Ericsson's Developer World is an example of the type of global support program that is needed to empower wireless developers with the resources to innovate and help everyone within our ecosystem capitalize on a global marketplace that is growing exponentially.

With the mobile phone is firmly established as a credible digital music player, mobile music-related applications are becoming increasingly important to both handset manufacturers and mobile operators. The time is ripe for music-related Java ME and Symbian OS based applications that enable playlist management, download agents, FM and Internet radio, as well as using music and sound effects in other types of applications such as video games.

In addition, as mobile networks continue to evolve, they will allow for new music and multimedia based applications and services. Tools will be provided that will help developers to enable multimedia communication applications.

Imagine two people sharing a song during a phone call, listening to an audio stream, or sharing a playlist that contains click-to-buy links to a music store. A mobile music player that is wirelessly connected to the internet has the potential to link to communities of music listeners in unique ways. The possibilities are limited only by imagination - which is exactly why we must collectively work to bridge the gap between the music industry and the mobile development community.

Sony Ericsson has seen firsthand how cross-functional relationships with record labels and music publishers can provide unique insights into the music industry that can be passed on to the developers to spur innovations.

Growing Pains
But while the mobile music space is growing, it is certainly not without its share of growing pains. Consumers demand that their experiences are seamless and provide instant gratification. Even on today's 3G networks, a full music download can take 30-60 seconds or even longer depending on the file size and network conditions.

Developers must continually adapt by creating applications and services that can support different schemes to deal with varying bandwidth conditions. Methods such as Dual Delivery are helping to address this issue and improve the fidelity of files and synchronization between platforms. Storage will also continue to be an issue as mass consumer adoption increases, as well as the amount of content stored on mobile phones. Building a library of music takes both time and space, and consumers will expect ample storage space on their phones.

Lastly, there still remains a significant amount of consumer education about the benefits and availability of mobile music that needs to happen. Manufacturers, operators and content owners need to work together to effectively communicate the proposition to consumers. We must all work together to truly deliver a great entertainment experience, including the user interface, breadth of music and audio related content, and flexibility of use.

None of these challenges are insurmountable - as long as we continue to support and empower the mobile software development community to create new and innovative solutions.

About the Author
Mikael Nerde has been with Sony Ericsson since its inception in October 2001 and took part in the building up of the Sony Ericsson Developer Program. As Head of Developer Program & Content Planning, Nerde is a driving forces behind creating and designing the application and content strategy for the company.