Mobile music 30 years on

The 30-year anniversary of the Sony Walkman this month highlights the leaps that have been made in mobile technology since, and the potential of digital devices in the future.

Just a few decades ago, portable music meant lugging a toolbox-sized cassette player around, and recording and transferring tracks was a laborious, time-consuming process.

When Sony brought out the Walkman TPS-L2, in 1979, it offered the now seemingly primitive promise of good quality music `on the go`.

As one of the first portable audio devices designed primarily for entertainment, the Walkman boasted some handy features, such as the `hotline` button, which allowed listeners to temporarily override the music they were playing if they needed to talk to someone. The earphones were also a major contributor to the Walkman`s success; before the device`s lightweight 45g design, music headphones were of the large earmuff variety.

Sony product manager Nadine Pillay says the company broke the mould by marketing the Walkman to general consumers. While earlier portable tape players were targeted at journalists for recording purposes, the Walkman was "first and foremost, a music player", says Pillay.

Thirty years later, music has become just another digital stream in an ocean of applications carried by the latest media devices.

Simon Dingle, Za Tech Show host and technology writer for Finweek, says convergence has been one of the most important technological changes in recent years, "creating a scenario in which mobile phones, GPS, pocket cameras and music players have been combined into single devices".

"In the near future, these mobile devices will replace all other personal computers. Instead of having a desktop computer or laptop, you will eventually just have a single mobile device," says Dingle.

He argues that, in future, while people might still have a screen and keyboard on their desks, these will essentially provide the input and output to their mobile devices. "The point is that individuals will increasingly become the masters of their own computing paradigms."

Another significant trend has been the merging of music with other forms of digital technology, creating a new approach to business. According to IFPI`s Digital Music Report 2009, the music industry is reinventing itself and the way it does business to meet the demands of consumers constantly influenced by new technology

"Partnerships with technology companies are integral to the changing business model," according to the report, which adds that future music industry revenues are likely to increasingly come from deals with ISPs, hardware manufacturers, handset makers and other technology providers.

"Technology companies look to music to add value to their services and enhance their own business model, while music companies look to these partners for their enormous reach into consumers` homes and lifestyles," states IFPI.

According to Jake Larsen, head of music for Nokia Middle East Africa, the move from standalone content and services to multimedia applications delivered to various devices is crucial and represents a paradigm shift in the way people browse, discover and consume music.

He believes music should be accessible, wherever listeners are: "People will increasingly expect this to be an effortless and intuitive experience. In order to achieve an increased level of customer engagement, producers and distributors of entertainment need to provide constantly improving levels of interactivity and multimedia experiences."

“People want all their music with them, all the time, everywhere they go.”

Jake Larsen, head of music for Nokia Middle East Africa

He adds that the mobile device, as an evolution of the mobile phone, is being recognised not only as a converged communications solution, but also as a music system with leading-edge connectivity and tight integration between the onboard music player, online music shop and library management software.

"Interaction between devices and music listening stations will become increasingly integrated and will ever more take the place of any other physical format," says Larsen. "This will allow users to move between rooms, cars and other areas while seamlessly transferring their listening experience between music output sources in these spaces."

According to Dingle, connectivity has been another major advancement in the mobile music space, with mobile devices connecting to the Internet wirelessly and from just about anywhere.

A 2008 Pew Internet & American Life survey predicts most people worldwide will use a mobile device as their primary connection tool to the Internet by 2020. This is set to have a considerable impact on the way people access and consume music.

"One of the most important developments is the ability to acquire more content directly from your device by means of an Internet connection, rather than being limited to what you physically own at any time," says Larsen.

Dingle believes a significant change in the music technology space has been the rise of digital storage and distribution: "[It] has not only removed the need for physical media but also challenged the way in which music is licensed, marketed and distributed. New licensing models have emerged that facilitate the flow of content both online and off-line."

Mobile music has become increasingly accessible, with various online download stores emerging and beginning to offer content free of digital rights management (DRM). This enables users to transfer and play downloaded tracks on any device using any operating system. There has been much debate around companies` proprietary DRM, with consumers arguing that it hinders accessibility and binds users to the players and programs used by the content provider.

Nokia SA recently introduced the Nokia Music Store to the country, offering local and international music tracks for purchase and download. "People want all their music with them all the time, everywhere they go," notes Larsen, who says the store allows music lovers to consume as much music as they like, wherever they are.

However, the Nokia Store currently still operates with DRM, and the world`s most popular, DRM-free platform, Apple`s iTunes Store, is not available in the country.

With music and mobile technology constantly developing to keep pace with a generation wired on instant access, Larsen predicts a greater variety of applications and services will be added to devices, which users will interact with in an increasingly seamless fashion.

"Today, people have the ability to store all of their photos, music, videos and other important documents on a device, or online, ready to be accessed at any time. As time passes, the need for instant gratification will drive technology ever further down this path and we will see ever more means to stay connected with loved ones, be entertained and do business anywhere, anytime."

Related stories:
Mobile computing gets innovative
Nokia Music Store goes local