The April Dev Derby is officially underway. A monthly contest hosted by the Mozilla Developer Network, the Dev Derby gives web developers of all levels of experience the chance to push the web forward, learn about new web technologies, and compete for fame, glory, and prizes.

This month, we’re excited to see what you can do with HTML5 audio. HTML5 audio allows you to embed sound in web pages without forcing users to rely on plug-ins. In particular, this allows you to play sounds in games with very low latency, making for a responsive, immersive game experience.

Don’t know much about HTML5 audio? That’s okay. Many Derby competitors (even winners) tell me that learning is the best benefit of participating. Thankfully, we have you covered with all the educational material you need. Check out our documentation on the <audio> element, tips for using HTML5 audio, and this blog post from fellow Mozillian Robert O’Callahan about using audio in HTML5 games.

And don’t forget about the prizes…

• First place: An Android mobile device from Motorola or Samsung and an article featuring your work here on Mozilla Hacks.
• Second place: A hand-crafted laptop messenger bag from Rickshaw.
• Third place: A limited edition MDN t-shirt to show off your geek cred.

While you’re on the site, you might notice that an entry has already been submitted. Want to get a head start like this person did? We are also accepting entries related to the Websocket API (May Derby) and WebGL (June Derby).

Good luck and have fun!