It all started with the introduction of the iTunes Music store! Since then there has been an increasing availability of online music stores where you can legally purchase and download your favourite music tracks and albums. It was just the other night I purchased a full album off the iTunes store when I had a little realisation. Wow that was easy, and I didn’t even have to leave my house.
This all made me think a little about what actual purpose the ‘Record’ store actually serves in the current world that we live in. One of the biggest differences between the two and reason that I think that online music stores have been so successful is not so much the ease of purchase but more so the ability to pick and choose exactly what songs you want. No longer do you have to spend $30 for an album where you only get two or three songs that you actually want to listen to. It think this is the major appeal, but what about pricing?
While albums available for online purchase all come in at different prices depending on the number of tracks, when comparing their prices to purchasing a CD from a store there is a significant price saving.
I have a feeling that the preference to purchase music on a form of media like a CD may also be a bit of a generational thing as well. Given the fact that in the past people have always had a very tangible experience when purchasing music and movies, essentially they would walk into a store, hand over their hard earned cash and physically get something for it. From what I can see it seems that those generations of people still want that tangible experience. However for the younger generations that are used to the more intangible experience of handling their media I think we will slowly see the need and want to have a physical copy of a movie or music slowly fade, and with it will the need for bricks and mortar record stores. Just the way I see it anyway. What do you think? Let us know in the poll below!!
This is one of the new features that Apple included in iTunes version 9. If you have ever had to import more than a single file into iTunes at a time then I think you need to be aware of this method.
Apple have created a folder called ‘Automatically Add to iTunes’, and any media that you place in this folder will automatically be added to your library and organised in the appropriate way. It really is a shame that they decided to hide this folder away down in the depths of you’re computer because it certainly does make importing files a whole heck of a lot easier.
Just a little thing to be aware of when it comes to putting files into this folder. Don’t be alarmed when they suddenly disappear – it’s ok! What iTunes does it takes the file and puts it within the iTunes library files with all of your other media.
I was reading an article on Ars Technica today Report: music fans cling to CD’s, but discover music online which highlights some research that has come from two companies in the UK. Essentially it states that out of a group of music lovers between the ages of 14 & 64, 73% of this group preferred to purchase their music in CD form rather than digitally over the internet.
To me this figure comes as a bit of a shock, personally we have pretty much entirely switched our music purchasing to online usually using iTunes and sometimes other digital/online methods. In fact I can’t even remember the last CD that we actually purchased? To me the thought of going to a music store and buying a CD is a purchase method that is long gone. Give me the ease of a click of a mouse for this method of getting my music any-day. This way it’s already in the best format for what I use, and that is to transfer it between my digital devices such as other computers/iphone/ipod etc, and if I need to make a CD then I burn one (haven’t done this for quite some time either).
My music purchasing behaviour has probably changed though since it became so easy to buy music over the internet in the sense that I only purchase the songs I want. I have not actually bought a whole album in this way, maybe because I don’t feel the need to buy songs that I don’t particularly like. It would seem that digital downloads are used by record companies in a similar way to what concerts were in the past, as a marketing & promotional tool. Record companies would throw concerts and tours to promote record sales, maybe this is the new way for them to promote the purchase of full CD albums?!?
Whatever is going on out there by looking at history it is pretty safe to say that one day the CD will be obsolete, and probably as we move into an age where GEN Y’s and Millennial’s get greater purchasing power their impatience and the need to ‘have it now’ will probably see digital sales grow to be the way of the future. So while I definitely believe that one of these days the CD will go the way of Vinyl records and cassette tapes, the day hasn’t quite arrived as early as I thought.
How do you choose to purchase your music? Do you have some thoughts about these purchase behaviour changes? If so leave a comment!!!
Loading ...
