The Future of Music: iTunes?
On December 13, 2013, Beyonce dropped her album, which had been kept secret until the day of release. The complete album was not available in stores, but through iTunes, and the only way to hear it was to buy the complete album. Observers of the music industry have been predicting that this is the new way to sell albums and that other artists will do the same.
Releasing an album online helps cuts cost from distributors, record labels, and promoters as well as prevent piracy. The music industry has not been well for a while; artists have not earned enough to pay for studio time and have to keep touring to make money. By releasing albums online, it is more cost effective and will leave the artist with more money. I do agree that more artists will follow Beyonce's footsteps, but the success of doing so will not be in the same level as Beyonce. Some artists do need advertising because they aren't as popular as others. Whether releasing full albums online will catch on is still unclear, and whether it will completely replace the traditional method is even more unfathomable, but I do believe more artists will go digital. Saying that online albums will completely replace physical ones is the same as stating print books will go extinct.
Personally, I don't think it would make me want to buy music, unless it's an artist/band that I am obsessed with. Even if it is a band that I love, I would rather have a physical copy than an online one, the same goes for books.
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