Are compact discs soon to join eight-tracks and cassette tapes in near or complete obsolescence? It’s no secret that conventional music sales have been declining for years as downloads fly through cyberspace at maddening numbers. In 2005, album sales via retail stores were down 7.2 percent from 2004. Even so, compact discs are far from being relegated to garage sales.
According to Geoff Mayfield, director of charts at Billboard Magazine, downloading sales have yet to eclipse physical album sales.
“Digital distribution represents the future, and it represents optimism. At the same time, the album – the physical album – carries the mail,” Mayfield told the Associated Press last week. “While downloads are sexy, and they certainly had a robust year of growth – physical albums are still the moneymaker.”
The astounding proliferation of digital music cannot be understated. Nielsen SoundScan’s year-end figures totaled a record 352.7 million digital songs being transacted online in 2005. This represents a 150 percent increase from 2004. Likewise, digital album sales mushroomed 194 percent with more than 16 million sold.
The entire music industry is transforming in the wake of the digital music revolution. Online music stores and subscription services are fast becoming a major source of revenue for the industry.
MP3 players are becoming everyday fixtures rather than accessories and have even found their way into cell phones. In 2006, Sony Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung, among others, will release sleek new phones with built-in MP3 players and digital cameras. Nevertheless, Apple Inc.’s iPod still dominates the MP3 player market with a 75 percent market share.
More and more people are turning to modems and cables rather than local record shops. This new digital reality is reflected everywhere, including on campus where countless students and even some professors can be seen walking, chatting or studying, all the while rocking out with iPod’s distinctive bug earphones.
Many students frequently visit Apple’s iTunes Music Store, Real Rhapsody Digital Music or Buy.com Music. Other online stores like Yahoo! Music, mp3.com, emusic.com and the new Napster store offer subscription services. At these digital hubs, membership fees lead the way to all sorts of unlimited media. Many of these sites now let users stream music files over the Internet for free listening.
Students are drawn to online music outlets for a number of reasons.
Nick Olson, a junior and business major, likes the convenience of iTunes because he can easily purchase music and transfer it to his iPod. Olson also noted that iTunes is cheaper than most record stores at $9.99 per album.
Many people avoid the high prices, lines and travel time associated with record stores by copying music files from their friends. In the age of CD burning and networking cables all a music-lover needs to triple or quadruple their own collection is one downloading friend.
Although these programs are under fire from the Supreme Court for copyright infringement, new file-sharing opportunities seem to be cropping up all the time.
Another outlet for music enthusiasts is MySpace.com, a prime example of the convergence of new technology with easily accessible multimedia. The popular social networking site gives users their own space to create Web pages, post blogs and to connect with others, forming virtual communities. On MySpace, users can upload their own music files, stream XML music files, and download scores of MP3s. Aspiring musicians are even using MySpace to distribute and promote their music.
At the same time, new software has given up-and-coming musicians the ability to record and produce their own material at home. As technology continues to change the musical landscape, even more students will enjoy quick and easy access to tons of music online.