SanDisk, the popular flash memory MP3 player maker, recently acquired the wireless MP3 player company MusicGremlin. Even though the company released in 2003 a MP3 player with several innovative features, the product didn’t sell as good as expected.

The media players, called Gremlins, allow users to directly download music files through Wi-Fi from a subscription service and then share their songs with other users. The idea behind the product was to create a player which would not require any PC involvement.

SanDisk’s Sansa Senior VP Daniel Schreiber explained that the new technology and ideas brought by Gremlin will be the main support in the development of the next Sansa media players.

SanDisk will fully integrate the MusicGremlin into their production line and the acquired company will no longer provide any services on its own.

Even though the merger was considered SanDisk’s attempt to transform the Sansa media player into a more competitive device in the face of Apple’s number one market seller, the company’s officials claim that they plan to address their product, currently in development, to certain niches yet uncovered by the iPod.

SanDisk’s efforts to enlarge its user base have been hindered over the past few years by the continuous popularity rise of Apple’s iPod and not even its 2006 anti-iPod campaigns combined with the carefully planned advertising of its MP3 players managed to make any significant change.

Even though it may seem that the general audience targeted by the music player companies has reached a firm conclusion about its preferences, a new product such as SanDisk’s Sansa, bringing a series of new features and released with a proper media coverage might have a chance at success, especially considering the fact that the market is always looking for the next big thing, that new ‘cool must-have’ gadget of the season.