OT: Online music outsells traditional formats

[bkbroil]

I know I have gotten into the music downloading scene and I never even considered it a year ago. I went on a music hiatus there, for about 3 years and now I think "Why did I stop listening? I love this stuff!"
I think Music downloading services are here to stay. What do you think?
Figures from the Official Chart Company in the UK have revealed that for the first time ever online music sales have eclipsed the sales of traditional music formats such as CD, cassettes and vinyl.
During the month of January it has been revealed that over 150,000 songs were downloaded from sites such as MyCokeMusic. This will be good news for all those companies who are offering downloadable music content, and bad news for traditional music outlets such as Virgin and HMV, who will most likely have to start looking for alternative ways to offer their music over and above the traditional high street record store format.
The Official Chart Company began testing it's Official Download Chart in October, with the aim of integrating this into it's official chart rating systems some time this year. With download music becoming so popular, it makes sense to use this information as part of the UK chart system.
The executive chairman of the British Phonographic Industry, Peter Jamieson, had this to say about the news:
Digital music services without doubt represent an exciting future for the music industry. Putting the systems in place to properly reward the artists and creators of music takes time, especially against a backdrop of tough market conditions and increasing piracy. Having been in development in recent years, more legitimate services are now available to consumers and these figures show that as a format the download has officially arrived.
Until the quality of downloadable music reaches the quality available in either CD or vinyl format, it is unlikely that these formats will die out completely. However the sheer convenience and ease of use of downloading songs from the internet, as well as devices such as Apple's iPod being able to store thousands of songs in a highly portable format, do signal that major changes in the way people acquire, store and listen to music are in motion.

[Bruanor]

Well, since no one else seems to be taking up the topic, I guess I'll throw in my two cents worth.
Are downloading services here to stay? Absolutly, and I think they will phase out the "brick and morter" stores, given enough time. Soon you'll be able to download movies to your TV in seconds, with pause, rewind etc. Instant and on-demand is how things are going.
Movies, music, soon tv, eventually e-books and e-newspapers (once digital paper solutions get good enough). Every thing you could want to entertain you, instantly at your fingers.
With the growing popularity of portable, wireless connected devices, soon you'll be able to have the net and pratically any piece of information virtually instantly... will this make us smarter or dumber as a society?
Bru...
Now hows That for wandering off topic!

[Brad Isaac]

Originally Posted by Bruanor

... will this make us smarter or dumber as a society?

Huuuhhhh?

[Bruanor]

Think about it... if you have all the information you need accessable to you ... you don't need to know things, just be able to read and recite. Retention is irrelevant.

[Brad Isaac]

Bru..
That was my silly attempt at a joke. You said "will this make us smarter or dumber as a society?"
That was my big dummy impression. "Huhhh?" :P
All I know, is the closer I get to age 40 the less I can remember Today during a consultation, someone told me I had engineered this brilliant solution for them a few years ago and I literally said "That was me?!?!" I seriously couldn't remember doing it! But checking my notes back on the account, sure enough it was me

[bkbroil]

Yessiree! The internet is MY collective memory. How did I ever get through meetings and do any work without being able to "look it up" on the internet.. It's hazy, but I did do it at one point...
Heck, if I think hard enough (POP!-- that was a brain cell popping ) I remember when people used to smoke at their desks. It was also big for developers to smoke while programming! Imagine all the developers being on that caffeine/nicotine rollercoaster! They would drink their coffee at 9:00am ....come down off the caffeine and go out for a smoke at 10:00am and so on..and so on....
Now that I think more about it...I'm starting to see those flashbacks of people putting their feet up on their desks and lighting up! Hah! Cracks me up.... God....now I'm remembering back to college...I had an English professor who smoked all through class and would put the cigarette down on the chalk ledge. The cigarette would burn the chalk dust and make the room have this terrible stink...In order to get out of class you had to STOP, DROP and ROLL! (Ahhhhh....good ol' LaSalle U)

[Bruanor]

Alright, I missed the joke I'd been staring at code for god knows how many hours.. takes the good out of a person If it wasen't for the net tho, I'd be lost hell, I get twitchy when my cell goes into an analog zone!
Bru...

[Bruanor]

.....must stop smilely faces!