MacNewsWorld – Will Music Subscriptions Replace Per-Song Sales?:
“It’s no secret that the iPod is one of the must-have gadgets of the early 21st Century. What is less talked about, though, is how Apple has helped to kick-start the transition of the music business from retail to online sales. In the space of just over two years, since the iTunes Music Store was launched, broadband Internet users worldwide are now spending more than US$1 billion a year on song downloads. ITunes is the dominant online music service. In the U.S., it ranks as one of the leading music stores alongside major bricks-and-mortar retailers.”
Music: Product or Service?
There was a time when music wasn’t considered a product. Before the gramaphone, music was never heard the same way twice. It was a living art form.
When recording technology made it possible to capture a live performance, savvy business people figured out that they could mass produce it and make a lot of money. There’s nothing wrong with that. But the tides are turning.
The pendulum is swinging back to music becoming a service industry. In recent times, most musicians would ask the question, “How can I get signed?” And the question now becomes…
“How can I serve?”