| It was only a matter of time before cyberspace | | | | recording moguls --- albeit grudgingly --- sought to learn |
| prevailed in the music industry ... | | | | from the new technology. The key to their success to |
| 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley made history by becoming | | | | date is their seeming awareness that their objective is |
| the Number One song in the United Kingdom's singles | | | | to find their niche in the cybermarket, rather than |
| charts without one CD being available in stores. Over | | | | attempt to dominate it. Granted, it's a mega-niche, but |
| 31,000 legal downloads were compiled after the song | | | | the industry apparently accepts that it will no longer be |
| was featured on BBC's Radio One. | | | | the lone gateway between artist and consumer. |
| Among other things, that would rank the song right up | | | | Retailers, for example, are beginning to capitalize on |
| there as the ultimate impulse buy. | | | | the social aspects of music purchases. There will |
| To be accurate, 'Crazy' won this distinction because of | | | | always be teens, and congregating for music is a |
| a recent amendment to the British music industry's rule | | | | long-standing trait of theirs. When it's in the malls or on |
| that a song's download couldn't count against its sales | | | | Main Street, the major chains are preparing to offer |
| until it became available in stores. However, the point | | | | kiosks where downloads can be purchased on-site. |
| has been made that, just as digital discs replaced | | | | With their vast inventories of stock, these stores |
| tapes and records in personal music consumption, the | | | | present an ideal means of searching for songs, |
| torch has now been passed to digital transfers. | | | | sampling them and then sharing opinions, which |
| PC World noted this eventuality in its January 2006 | | | | perfectly describes the normal buying habits of both |
| issue, noting that music download sales tripled in 2005. | | | | teens and tweens (ie- the 9-to-12 set). |
| That accounted for six percent of the music industry's | | | | Verizon is on the front lines for the mobile niche of |
| sales for the year, impressive in that it also signifies a | | | | music retailing with its VCast technology. This service |
| dent in the number of pirated tracks. Figures released | | | | transforms the wireless phone into a portable music |
| by the International Federation of the Phonographic | | | | player by synchronizing music already stored on the |
| Industry --- the authoritative source --- revealed a tally | | | | user's PC. It can also be used to buy new songs or |
| of $1.1billion in download sales during the year. | | | | albums from the Verizon Wireless music catalog, |
| Gnarls Barkley's digital achievement came just over a | | | | which is accessed via cellular phone or PC. |
| month after another cyber-landmark was attained. The | | | | Quality of sound for music downloads continues to |
| billionth download in iTunes history occurred in late | | | | improve exponentially, which further increases the |
| February 2006, when a Michigan teen ordered | | | | attractiveness of downloads. FXSound is on the |
| Coldplay's 'Speed of Sound' for the sum of 99 cents. | | | | cutting edge in this respect with its critically acclaimed |
| That price is yet another reason why singles --- almost | | | | DFX Audio Enhancement package. Compatible with |
| eradicated by the trend toward albums in the 1970s --- | | | | virtually every major music platform, from MP3s to |
| are back, and in a big way. | | | | Internet radio, DFX is trumpted as "the first plug-in to |
| And to think that the music industry spent the early | | | | make truly professional-quality audio processing |
| years of the Cyber Era trying to deny, or at least | | | | available to Internet audio users." They do this by |
| discourage, its existence. | | | | restoring the full range of frequency harmonics, thus |
| Perhaps finally realizing that such a tactic didn't work | | | | creating the auspices of a high-end home music |
| for blacksmiths at the turn of the last century, the | | | | system. Its effects are amazing. |