I don't own an Ipod, and I don't ever plan on getting one either. I enjoy holding an artist’s CD in my hand and flipping through the artwork inside the case. The new explosion of downloading songs scares the hell out of me. Why? Because I'm afraid local record stores won't be able to compete and eventually have to close down, removing a part of society that music lovers thrive on. This went through my mind as my wife and I walked through a record store in The Village a few weeks ago. I thought how nostalgic it is to be in a record store and go through racks of CD's ranging from Duke Ellington to Nine Inch Nails. And if you ever have a question about a particular album, you have a live person to chat with. Besides, some of the best conversations happen in a record shop, along with coffee shops, bars, etc. That's an experience that downloading music can't compete with.
3 comments:
Great post. I have to say, I love my iPod and it goes everywhere with me. I may not be getting the artwork in my hand but I buy a whole lot more music this way....which I am grateful for because how much I love music. Unfortunately, local record stores have been in trouble ever since WalMart/Target/Best Buy opened their doors...I try not to shop at those places becasue of how they are putting small business in the hole left and right.
Getting my music this way really is impacted by how I live with technology at my fingertips.
I really enjoyed reading this and is gave me something to think about....thanks.
I don't own an iPod and don't ever plan on owning one either, but for other reasons. I do own an MP3 player, an old beat-up Rio Karma, which I will replace someday when I find something I like nearly as much. (Haven't yet.)
But as for the record shops, I agree. I too like holding a tangible product in my hands as well. I like the artwork and reading the liner notes. It's much more than listening to just the music.
The profit-oriented big music industry that is ruining things for small artists and making radio a wasteland is responsible for the demise of small record shops as well. But that's another rant too.
I see iTunes and other music 'services' as just that, a service. You pay, they put the music on your iPod. They also, thanks to the bullying of the RIAA, collect the royalties for those songs. Too bad the musicians get such a paltry cut.
I'm happy with buying my own CDs and putting them on my music player myself. And on my PC. And play them in my car. Etc. And when my Rio dies, I'll still have those CDs and will be able to put them on my next player, no matter what it is.
I won't buy music at the Big-box retailers. I do buy at independant record stores, but there are so few any more. What I really like to do is buy from the artist themselves, at concerts and live shows. For the small, indie artists, at least, that's still a money-maker and the ultimate show of appreciation by a fan as well.
What you're describing is the tangibility of community. Coffee shops, bars, record stores, gyms, etc... they're all churches, to some extent. They all bring people together for the sake of bringing people together. Which is, in and of itself, a good thing.
This type of community is, in one sense slipping away from one generation to the next. Albeit replaced by a new definition of community.
There is a certain insincerity in having 'online' relationships when a human connection is available.
Having said all that, I've never met you face-to-face, and thus far have had only positive interaction with you. So... yeah.
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