- An example of service to be on offer through NTT DoCoMo's network -

When people want to enjoy music, they have no choice but to turn, if not to live concerts, to broadcast programs or some form of sound recording. Since Thomas Edison invented the first gramophone to cater to people's cravings for music anytime they want, the form of music storage device has shifted from wax cylinder to record disk, spools of analog tape, and to digital CD and MD (Mini Disc), with increasing convenience and improved sound quality as time went by. People's desire for music has always been filled through successive inventions of state-of-the-art technologies, and such technologies have accelerated the development of music storage devices as well as their players. Today, it is an era when people can also enjoy music through the Internet. Many companies have been formed to distribute music over the Internet. IC cards for storing such music as well as home-use and portable players have been developed. With these, because songs can be downloaded into the memory of players directly from the Internet, people no longer need to go shopping for music CDs and the like. Apart from this Internet-based service, a new PHS-based music distribution service is also about to be launched. This plan has been promoted mainly by Air Media Inc., a company newly formed by NTT DoCoMo, Inc. and Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd. Air Media has been studying relevant technological as well as business issues, and has already come up with concrete plans regarding the system configuration and music content to be provided.

Fig. 1 Outline of MMD Service

The following is an overview of Air Media's Mobile Media Distribution (MMD) Service, a music distribution service which will be offered using NTT DoCoMo's PHS 64 kbit/s data communications service. Users of this service can try their favorite songs from anywhere by using MMD Service-enabled PHS terminals and can purchase the songs by downloading them onto the IC cards such as SD memory card and memory stick. Sound quality of the songs saved in the card can be as good as that of MD. Special players that accept this stamp-sized SD memory card are compact and light-weight, merits thought to be appealing to headphone stereo users. PHS 64 kbit/s service is one of the fastest in terms of communications speed among the currently available public mobile wireless services.

Photo 1 SD memory card

Photo 2 PHS terminal with MMD Service functionality

Photo 3 Player with MMD Service functionality

PHS 64 kbit/s service is known for its excellence in data transmission and reception, etc., and its service area has been expanding. The music distribution service (MMD Service) enables delivery of music with sound quality rivaling that of MD anywhere within the service area through PHS 64 kbit/s service network, in addition to enabling music download to IC cards from anywhere within the service area. MMD Service also enables distribution and download of still images relevant to songs, allowing users to enjoy both music and images. Service users are charged for songs they download upon completion of the download without an error. Air Media is considering including such charges into the itemized bill to be issued by NTT DoCoMo under the category of music distribution service.

As a matter of course, with regard to copyright protection, the most advanced technologies have been adopted in order to prevent illegal copying of songs and to protect the right of musicians. This service is to be put into commercial operation from the fall of 2000. Field trials have been under way since May 2000, with participation of almost all Japanese record companies who have high hopes in success of the service. In addition, many manufacturers have already begun development of PHS terminals that incorporate the music distribution service functionality.

As higher speed communications systems become available in the near future, music distribution service through wireless communications is seen continuing its progress as a reliable content distribution tool for musicians and other creators, which will not only encompass music but also images and other sources that require copyright protection. From the users' viewpoint, this service is also anticipated to grow into a medium very much worth using and available at an economical price.