Since the late 90s the Music Industry as we once knew it, has been spiralling out of control. File sharing sites like Lime wire have taken over from music stores as the port of call for most consumers.
I think this really sucks!!
Gone are the days where you would pop down to your local music shop and buy the latest album. According to a Rolling Stone article on the decline of the Music Industry; over 2700 record shops have closed since 2003!!! That's in the US alone!! For me part of buying an album is to have the Physical album - be it CD or Vinyl - not a file sitting on your hard drive!! How can you show off your music collection to your friends if its all hidden in the depths of your laptop?
I remember not so long ago I would turn up to a party lugging a full CD Case!! Other party goers would do the same. Now days we bring our Ipod along to conveniently plug in!! I know what your thinking! Ipods make our lives easier because you can take your music collection anywhere and hold it in the palm of your hand... Sure.... I'm not gonna disagree, but is this the death of the music that we once knew? Is the world of CD's and Records really going to be replaced by a non tangible file on a computer?
This is happening and we are moving with the change! Even I use Itunes, although I haven't downloaded illegally..... Yet...
Of course vinyl aficionados will use the same (and other) arguments against the rise of the CD. Also music and the way it is being made/constructed is changing in a way that is consistent with the web-based/online/digital medium of the internet (which affords the file-sharing capability).
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Daniel, I prefer to have the legitimate album rather than a burnt version because with a pirate version of my favourite music i don't get to enjoy the art work on the album, to read thru the titles of the songs but most of all to learn the history of the artists and this is what piracy takes from me. I too use to lug my vinyls around to parties also, until i was introduced to parties that did not have a record player only a guitar.
ReplyDeleteAs an avid vinyl collector, I don't like how the use of CDs and now mp3s have made the purchasing of vinyl so few and far between, and when you do find them, the collectibles are usually very expensive, and I can def say I haven't bought many in the last couple of years. I went through the tiny vinyl section that JB Hi-Fi has, but they are all between 75-150 dollars. Although I will say I do find carrying an iPod around quite good in some situations, such as for exercising (running or at the gym) or walking to and from uni, but I personally still use CDs at my parties :P
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, you've made many good points on piracy. That part where many record stores have closed really is an eye opener and i guess its quite a sad issue that more and more people will go for the easy way out and just obtain music without paying for it. I would say that I've never downloaded free music online but then i would just be lying (oh the devastation of it all :P). But hey i do agree with how your idea of a solution that meets the artist and the consumer halfway, after all, this piracy issue isn't going to miraculously disappear anytime soon.
ReplyDelete