What Can The Record Companies Even Do?

[caption id="attachment_2227" align="alignleft" width="402" caption="The Power of iTunes."][/caption]

Remember back in the day, when one of your favorite bands or singers came out with a new album, you'd rush to the store and buy a CD or vinyl? There was something so nostalgic and classic about buying a physical copy of that album, and having it to play on your turntable or CD player. David Pogue, an insightful writer for the New York Times Technology section, discusses how online music is taking over the music industry, and how this effects big record companies.

Everybody seems to think that record company executives are big, greedy dunderheads. “How dare you charge for music?” the college set shouts. “Music wants to be free!”

Well, the recording executives may, in fact, be big, greedy dunderheads. But over the years, little by little, they’ve tried to make online music sales fairer and more convenient.

Today, Web music services are spread across the entire price/convenience/permanence matrix. Some offer music that’s free and legal, but you can’t choose exactly which songs play (Pandora.com). Some let you download song files to own forever for 79 cents to $1.30 each (iTunes and Amazon.com). Some let you rent music — that is, listen to all you want for a flat monthly fee, but you’re left with nothing when you stop paying (rdio.com, Napster.com, Rhapsody.com).

And some services are illegal.

This month, though, the world took a great step forward toward the holy grail: free, legal, song-specific and convenient. After years of pulling out its corporate hair in tufts while negotiating with the music companies, Spotify has finally brought its service to the United States.

Read more at New York Times Technology