Non-streaming media formats are transitional (except LPs)
My sister said it almost two years ago as we were dissolving our dad’s household: “Let’s keep the LPs but not worry as much about the CDs. They are a transitional format. LPs, on the other hand, will not go away any time soon.”
I realized that her prediction had already been fulfilled when I finally got around to looking at Spotify. This is a searchable music-on-demand service, like Netflix WI for music but with a vast selection of tracks, like iTunes already populated with almost all the music out there. In addition, it allows you to set up radio stations around specific artists.
My conjecture is that 95% of my CDs are already on Spotify, and my approach is going to be not to buy new CDs or downloadable tracks, except for recordings by regional artists or others that have not appeared on official labels. Similarly, I am not planning to invest in Blu-ray equipment or media.
Here is an in-depth analysis of Spotify versus its competition. Its closest competitor seems to be Rhapsody, which has been around for a number of years. Both claim over 13 million songs. But Spotify has a free plan and lower rates on the paid plans. The next few years should be interesting…
41 notes /
