Opinion: Music makes the mobile world go round

Music-related content, in the form of ringtones, MP3s and, more recently, video, has long been one of the most popular uses of a mobile phone. This has been further illustrated by a couple of announcements this week, one from MTV about its mobile lyric search service, and one from INgrooves which is launching its mobile music screensavers in November. The morphing of some of Sony Ericsson’s handsets into Walkman-branded devices, and of the course the iPhone with its iPod functionality indicate that music will continue to be a key area of focus for manufacturers and developers alike in the future.

MTV’s new lyric search service will be carried in the mobile environment via its MTV mobile, VH1 Mobile and CMT Mobile brands. Users texting the name of an artist, song, or partial lyric to a special number will receive a link in return that guides them to a WAP site featuring lyrics and other details about the artist in question. There is obviously significant scope for development of this idea, including links to the video accompanying the song and the ability to purchase either the video or the song for streaming and/or download.

InGroove’s music screensavers for mobiles are available to Verizon and Alltel Wireless subscribes in the US and feature animations of (apparently) renowned artists such as Tila Tequila, Too Short and B Legit that play simultaneously with the relevant track when a handset is opened. At $2.99 each they aren’t particularly cheap, but then the dollar is worth so little these days it may be a better deal than it sounds.

Music is an incredibly powerful medium for the youth demographic that is also a primary target for much of the other mobile content and applications currently on offer and in development. MTV is a huge and powerful brand and so almost anything it does is bound to get some traction, at least in the short term. Whether trying to identify a song or artist you like but don’t know the name of, or simply using it to cheat in pub quizzes, we think this idea has some mileage. INGroove’s screensavers could also hold significant appeal for the same demographic, especially when the range of artists on offer is expanded.

Hamish M.