Web Logs
4/29/2003 - Current Belts, Future Music
Martial Arts
Got my white and gold belts in martial arts class last night. Can't wait to get my green and start learning weapons.
Downloads Done Right
Apple launched their new online music service yesterday. After the initial rush of congestion died down, I was able to log on and actually buy a few Eagles tunes I've been wanting. A few impressions:
- The AAC encoding used for the sound files is noticeably better than the older MP3 format. Its clear, with excellent fidelity, and none of the compression aliases so often present with MP3s.
- The iTunes / iPod / Payment system is quick, seamless and with all the elegance I'd expect from Apple.
- The inclusion of album art is nice, but poorly implemented. Certainly no replacement for the much-missed vinyl LP sleeve.
- 200,000 songs to choose from may sound like a lot, but it dosen't take much searching to find some serious gaps. Apple promises the list will be growing quickly.
Once you've tried this system you can only conclude it IS the future of the music industry. No questions. This is where its all headed. A few predictions:
- Apple will go down in history as once again leading the way in an important technological revolution.
- The ability to purchase individual songs could well shift the music industry back to a singles (as opposed to album) focus much like in the early 60's.
- The "home page" of the iTunes store will become a valuable piece of real estate for artist looking to promote their wares.
- Microsoft, Dell, or some other bastion of blandness will steal Apple's idea and repackage it as a vastly inferior (but better marketed) service which will win the loyalty (and market share) of slack-jawed techno-lemmings everywhere. :)
- Whoever does end up on top of the heap will in the process end up canning Billboard as "most downloaded" song of the week will become the new gold standard for popularity.
