A group of students from Austria have caused a bit of a storm in the IT world by hacking into their iPhones and downloading music-playing software onto them.

Now, the trio are becoming a bit of a sensation with fellow music lovers after loading up their handiwork onto file sharing website YouTube.

In the first clip, posted February 17th, the hackers are seen indulging in what they described as a "jam session". The youngsters have two iPhones, one which plays keyboard software and another which is loaded up with a virtual guitar program, played alongside a Nintendo DS that provides the percussion.

The New York Times notes that the result "is more songlike noise than melody" but it has proved a hit on the net with wannanbe music makers and intrigued social network users alike.

The youngsters, who preferred to only reveal their first names, told the newspaper that they wanted to show the musical capabilities of the much sought-after device.

Seb, 24, commented: "We did our first video as an example of what could be done with the new music applications that are used and to present our idea of an iBand.

"We are all students of different fields of art, and share our interest in making music as well as modern media."

His fellow bandmates, 26-year-old Marina and Roger, 25, have since loaded a second video on their site, www.iBand.com, this time featuring an iPod Touch rather than a DS console.

"To use the iPhone as a musical instrument isn’t about getting a technically perfect song together," commented Seb. "It has very innovative input methods, but we could also use any sort of synthesizer and full band equipment; with today’s technology there are no limitations.

"But we think that exactly the limitation is what creates a spirit. Of all possible things you can do with a mobile phone, what could be more meaningful than to create music?

"We have been thinking about forming a band that would only use iPhones as musical instruments for a long time now. Time seemed just right to take the first step when a new piano application came out."

Gizmodo.com, a site for tech fans - including the iBand - was the first place to make mention of the musical students and the trio told the site about the software they use, which included PocketGuitar, Moo-Cow-Music Pianist and Moo-Cow-Music Drummer.

Various blogs have picked up on the quirkiness of iBand, with Endgaget dubbing them "the Velvet Underground, but with iPhones" and Wirednews declaring them to be "a trio of tabletop instamusicians".

Whether Seb, Marina and Roger will perfect their techniques (or improve their musical ability) remains to be seen. What does seem clear, however, is that they will keep rehearsing with the technology, and keep generating an awful lot of interest.