CD's may not go away soon but they are obsolete, this really is the future. The service is very customer friendly and makes a lot of sense for an ailing music industry. Music can be purchased and downloaded in seconds without traditional manufacturing, shipping, and channel costs. Also the convenience and portability of current playback devices shouldn't be underestimated. New ipods store, organize, and create infinite playback options for 7500 songs or over 600 CD's in a player about the size of a deck of cards, Sony has small self contained headphones that hold 60 minutes of music. I've been on the road for almost a month and without my ipod I wouldn't have had access to my music.
Apple's Music Store - The Future of Music
Apple just launched it's on-line music service this week, selling tunes at $0.99 a piece. Here's an article about the service from today's Globe and Mail, which is a Canadian national newspaper: http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030507.wbmath0507/BNStory/Business.
If major labels put more and more focus on these web-based services, will there come a day when CD's, SACD's, LP's, etc. will no longer be available? Since I question the quality of MP3 and PC-burned disks, how will the audiophile market be served?
If major labels put more and more focus on these web-based services, will there come a day when CD's, SACD's, LP's, etc. will no longer be available? Since I question the quality of MP3 and PC-burned disks, how will the audiophile market be served?