I’ve heard that Jobs isn’t doing too well. I doubt death is on his doorstep, but like all of us, it can’t be too far away.
I’m sure Steve Jobs, a person who’s had a mystical experience, understands that change is constant. From life to death, Windows to Apple, MySpace to Facebook, British Empire to the American Empire, the one thing we as humans know, is that change is constant.
The Apple Empire will fall. When? Probably when Steve Jobs dies. He is the face of Apple and the spirit of all its innovations. Who else is going to make those awesome keynote updates? But at issue is not his death but rather how it will impact musicians? Meaning how will it impact iTunes, the single biggest digital music store in the world. A place that is very popular, and makes a lot of musicians a lot of money, even if it does have detractors.
If iTunes fails, is there anyone who will step in to provide a coherent system for digital music to be sold?
Ummmm I don’t think so. Google Music (lolz), Spotify (streaming/not the same), Amazon, and other pay-ish models have not arrived, been embraced, or have even come close to the market share that iTunes has.
So who could step in? In theory, yes, Google could, but I’m not holding my breath. Maybe Facebook could. They definitly have the market share. Perhaps if it was done as a side deal with Spotify, as a pay download for those who want to “own” music. Something like that would work.
This brings us to another massive change happening to musicians: Downloads die as streaming takes over.
The cloud is the final frontier for music. Streaming is the future, but without Jobs to hold the direction and vision for iTunes, the future of streaming would be wide open.
So to answer the question, if Steve Jobs dies do musicians lose? Yes, in the immediate future if Steve Jobs died it would harm musicians because the single best thing about iTunes is how ubiquitous and understood it is as a music player and purchasing tool for digital music.
If iTunes went away it would cause a lot of people a lot of confusion. Not you, you’re hip, I’m talking about your less tech savvy family members. Those other people wouldn’t immediately know where to look for digital music. That would mean less money for musicians. So live Steve Jobs because a decade into the digital music revolution, and no one has figured out how make money from digital music except you.
Music Consciousness
Voyno
11 Comments
Sorry, but that article is ridiculous….and crass!
If the Taliban were eradicated, would terrorism stop?
Bull. Don’t dictate an artist career based off what Steve Jobs and Apple does. There’s no telling that if Apple does become the new music industry, they might act the same way as “The BIG FOUR”. Apple products was based off innovation, creativity, strategetic skills, and capabilities. BUT SOMETHING BETTER WILL COME ALONG, guranteeed.
Bull. “Following the crowd” trend never cease to amaze me, even in the independent world. If musicians survived before ITUNES, it can damn sure survive after it if it comes to CLOSE one day. Because something better will come along. You know, distribution and media services is all about innovation, strategies and skills. Aboviously this generation of media and music lack everything in that those departments and are just lazy. Think about this, if everything music-wise was dictated by Apple in general, then musicians would be in REAL jepordy without the assistance of the FUCKED UP RECORD LABELS. What would happened if Apple acted the same way the music and recording industry acted and treat their artist and consumers? WHATCHA GONNA DO THEN? It’s nice to have Apple as one of the many options of music, media outlets and distribution services, but don’t judge an artist or musician’s career based off of what Steve Jobs and Apple products does. That’s way too much kissing ass now.
The face of Apple yes. The grand daddy of selling and making money online with music and so much more, YES. But the death of iTunes if Steve Jobs passes, not so much. I think even before he got sick the first time, he’s made sure to pad his bench with the best of the best. Apple, iPads, iTunes, the whole kit and kaboodle continue with or without him. Music is still massively important to Apple. Easiest form of content to carry with us on our iDevices and when iTunes makes the move to HTML5 from the standard bloatwear look out. As John Paczkowski put it this morning in All Things Digital, “Steve Jobs’s Finest Product is Apple and it Won’t Break Down” Long live iTunes and Long live Mr. Jobs
Just my two cents!
I hope you’re right!
not trolling, unsubscribing. good luck & good health to you.
Speculating on a living person’s demise? Yes, definitely crass.
He’s not a person, he’s Godhead Steve Jobs.
I read your stuff all the time & it’s usually good info, but jeez, this was crass. (and I’m not even an Apple fan.)
Trollin I guess.