Show M The digital revolution J Joseph seph W. W Bateman Music Reporter The digital revolution is isler here ler Nearly 25 years after the introduction of compact discs into the music industry compact discs are being threatened with the same fate as 8 Tracks cassettes and laser discs But their competition doesn't come from a new product or or anything tangible CD demise comes at the hands of digital of-digital r dig digital tal downloads from online music stores like Tunes Tiu es' es Lets Let's face it sales in CDs have been dying for the last couple of years Last year shrunk 49 percent the fifth straight drop in six years according to Nielsen SoundS can In 2000 over million albums were sold sold sold- compared to the anemic anemi million in 2006 a dr p n nearl nearly milli million n albums The death of mus music music c is certainly not insight but the I 1 fi ll t tr 1 j I 0 f rt owN j tr 1 41 o- o IV I r- r i i. i c Jr II f i t r E F I w. w J JL f t Photo by Robert Ghader With emerging digital technology CDs are quickly becoming a thing of the past death of the CD is As Alain Levy CEO of EMI told Rolling Stone The CD asit as asit asit it is now is dead Looking at digital download sales at music eb tes and the picture gets gets brighter In 2006 s sales les' les ballooned to an impressive 89 percent increase to million songs from million songs in 2005 according to an Associated Press analysis One of the colossal leaders of digital downloads is which demonstrates the tle growing strength ami and n d popularity op l ritY of buying music online Opening their online doors in 2003 reached one billion downloads in February 2006 Just shy of ofa a year later would double their astounding record In the first week of 2007 Steve Jo Jobs s CEO of Apple Apple- which li owns iTt Revolution Resolution Continued on page 3 The digital revolution Continued from page page 1 t w announced at the Mac Ma World convention that ov over r two billion songs have bee been purchased S I IThe The formula for is pretty successful and i the allure is completely understood The site offers offers' direct synching with music purchases onto the worlds world's most popular device the Tracks can be purchased individually for 99 cents or entire albums for Another factor for the popularity of is the offering of exclusive live and rare tracks The Bridge School Collection which features all-acoustic all performances spanning 20 years of artists ranging from Tom Petty and a 1986 duet j from Bruce and Neil Young showcases the I Istar star power brings to the digital music stores In addition to bringing great music downloads also raise money for the school which assists people I with severe speech and physical impairments This week released a I semi-acoustic semi live set from i emotional rockers Keane i Major label acts arent aren't the only ones cashing in on exclusives Several indie rocks bands ranging from the soothing and quiet Iron and Wine to the quirky and catchy have exclusive releases Although Tunes is the biggest it certainly isn't the best Some critics complain of the high costs of downloads limited sharing capabilities and full length releases being about the price of a CD D. D from a brick and mortar store Ji j jIn In the coming weeks The Globe w will i provide in depth analysis of digital music sites both legal and illegal as well as players The digital revolution will willbe willbe be printed I |