<-(Music Stations in a Starbucks in Seattle)
You're sitting at Starbucks and a friend who just swiped his credit card into the store's music kiosk to download a brand-new mixtape onto his MP3 player tells you about a rare My Chemical Romance track he heard last night, which you proceed to download with a few clicks on your cell phone.
Or maybe you discover a hot new underground MC and pay $20 to join his fan club, which allows you to rhyme alongside his "Second Life" avatar whenever you want, suggest songs for him to play at an upcoming show in your town, or maybe even contribute some ideas to the lyrics he can add to a song he's writing with a group of fellow fan-club members.
Such scenarios are right around the corner. In this rapidly evolving technological world, the music industry is seemingly willing to try anything to find new ways to stop the fiscal hemorrhage caused by downloading.
And we mean anything. We talked with label executives, managers, booking agents, artists and future forecasters about what the next big revolutions in music might be (not all of them are quoted in this story). And the one thing almost everyone agreed upon is that you will be able to consume music just about anywhere and any way you want.
They talked about everything from "personal subscriptions" to your favorite artists that will give you unprecedented access to them, to custom MP3 player mixes you'll be able to buy with a quick credit card swipe at the local coffee shop. Some envision virtual concerts in "Second Life," complete with virtual merch, as well as a long-hyped celestial jukebox that could beam virtually any song ever recorded directly to your MP3 player.
A few of the changes they predicted are already on the way, like Apple's recent deal with EMI Music to sell digital-rights-management-free songs at a premium (see "iTunes, Unrestricted: Apple, EMI Agree To Drop Digital Rights Management"), which some think could lead to other major labels jumping aboard that wagon. Add that to the buzz that's been building since Apple's legal settlement earlier this year with the Beatles' Apple Corps that could pave the way for cheap, pre-loaded iPods containing an artist's entire catalog or song selections, to be sold at airports, bus depots or even at a concert.
Whether our experts think that cell phones are the new iPods or concerts can be attended without leaving your home, music will only become more portable, customizable and bite-sized in the next few years.
Works Cited: Kaufman, Gil. “The Future of Music.” www.mtv.com. 16 May 2007. 4 Aug. 2009
How interesting! However, It seems that we've been on this road the whole time. It was only a matter of time until we came across the distribution and purchasing of music virtually anywhere. This road started years ago with the downfall of Tower Records and the rise of MP3 files. Of course we all knew what was coming next. Artists would certainly find ways around this ongoing file sharing. Subscriptions seemed as if they'd be the next big thing for the future. As for virtual concerts, who knows what'll come of that. All I can say is that as long as music is still enjoyable to listen to, and radio is still free, everything will be A-O.K. with me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kelly, that we have and have been on this path for a long time. Nowadays you can purchase music from virtually anywhere. We have so many technologies around us that everywhere we go, we might be able to buy and pay anything and everything anywhere and anytime. This is different that we would have computer screens in café s and other restaurants so buy music or anything you desire and pay at the spot. Nowadays we have phones that can do most of what a computer does such as an IPHONE, so if these phones are capable of purchasing anything at anytime then, having computer screens in cafes isn’t in a too distant future.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of music evolving in the future I think of the sound. I think of how it has changed from when my parents were young to now. I have never actually stopped to think about how the technology will evolve and maybe shape the future of music. There is no doubt that it is more portable. Ideas that were listed her were very inventive and creative. It would be so convenient to go to a concert and be able to pick up the artists entire collection. I am very impressed by the ‘Genius’ application on iTunes. This gives you recommendations for new songs and artists based on what you listen to or have purchased.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I recently attended and O.A.R. concert. They had booths set up where you could purchase a USB wristband. After the show you plug in and download the contents, and you have a recording of the entire performance. This is absolutely mind-blowing. I am sure that this is just the beginning, but it sure beats waiting months for bands to release a live show on CD.