The Future of Recorded Music

Between compression and the focus on singles, this is aimed at the tunes market. I can't quite make the mental jump to this business model for classical, jazz, & concerts. Would you want to have to download a whole disc's worth, plus burn time, instead of simply buying the disc? Also the download price will rise for longer material to the point that it will defeat the advantage in downloading.

There is a small but growing chorus from the computer industry to the effect that commercially made discs should disappear. Instead, models like Apple's might divide the pop market from the dvd-type disc market, with dvd's (video or music) packaging a lot of extras at a fixed disc price, while music services cater for quick access.

If Microsoft steals the idea, it will be coded with WMA, not AAC, and that will end the interchangeability. Better let Apple do the Windows app to insure compatability.

This is a major step in the evolution of music distribution. It brings legitimacy to downloading music. Unfortunately, since the songs are in a compressed format there really isn't much in it for the typical audiophile. However, as technology evolves (larger HDs and greater bandwidth), it's possible that uncompressed versions could become available. Regardless of the future, the ability to legally download songs from major label releases is a positive move.

This is a logical next step for the music industry - give the customers even less at a greater cost. We have been paying $15 per cd (too much) now we'll be charged 99 cents per track for inferior quality recordings and the industry can run to the bank with the money they save on pressings, packaging and distribution. The only thing that is hard for me to understand out is why the industry is having trouble figuring out why sales are decreasing.