The New World of Music

Technology is an amazing thing... Sometimes it can be challenging and complex as it can take time to adjust to utilizing new tools in both the work world and in leisure life. One way or another, technology creates waves in almost every type of industry in the world. While some advances in technology can be extremely helpful, it can be devastating to others. A prime example of this came in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s by way of the internet. The rise of the music industry through vinyl records and the evolution of radio paved the way for new artists from around the world directly to superstardom. Somewhere along the way when the internet became a main staple in the household, software capabilities, such as Napster, led to a rise in file sharing and a decline in record sales. This undoubtedly sent a shockwave throughout the music industry. Was this setback a serious issue that could lead to the decline of the music industry. The answer is absolutely not. While file sharing on the internet created a major issue in the music industry, the internet itself has been utilized by media giants to reinvent music delivery, not only for buying albums from major label artists, but for discovering up and coming artists that might be unknown to the general public. Apple has helped pioneer the new age of media through their iTunes platform and integrating it with the iPod and eventually with the modern day iPhone, bringing millions of tracks and albums directly to the palm of a listeners hand in a few seconds. In the past, a listener's new music discovery path would most likely begin at a concert or by listening to the radio and hoping to catch the name of the artist and track title to go to the local record store and search through bins hoping to find the album that housed their desired track. In the modern day, a listener can pull out their smartphone and use the Shazam app to uncover the artist's name and the track title instantly. The app will then display a link to the iTunes store with the ability to download the song directly. The way that our methods have changed it truly extraordinary. The changing trends do not stop with iTunes and the ability to buy music on a smartphone. The rise of music streaming services have taken off to new levels of success. Several of the services rely on advertising or a subscription based model to generate revenue. It is miraculous how in just a few short years, we have so many new choices through the likes of Pandora, Spotify and now the new Apple Music streaming service to access music and share genre interests with other fans from around the world. The global revolutionary trend continues. Grab a good pair of headphones and step into the new world of audio heaven.