It seems like I should make some note of the amazing changes lately in the online music world, since I enjoy music, and particularly music that I can research and buy without prying my big arse off the sofa.
Amazon.com recently announced the beta of their online music download store, which offers a million or so songs with no DRM. That last bit is the important part. I’ve not been a buyer at Apple’s online store, which itself added some DRM-free tracks from select companies a couple months ago. Then, this week, Microsoft *blink, blink* announces that it’s going to start selling DRM-free music, too, for all those lucky Zune owners out there.
I know there have been places out there that’ve been selling DRM-free music for years now. But Amazon and MSFT coming around marks a real change in the landscape, I think. If not a death knell for the traditional music industry, at least a serious illness knell (but then we all know the music industry has been seriously ill for decades, in one way or another).
Ava knows what CDs are, but I doubt she’ll ever buy one. I certainly won’t encourage her to buy any. In the time it takes to rip the layers of plastic wrap off a new disc, she could be halfway through listening to whatever album she’s interested in. Then again, maybe she won’t be interested in music at all. Man, that would be sad.