So, EMI is now sold to the Russians and it's has been announced that UK record sales have hit the lowest weekly sales figure in over 600 weeks. Now, the industry and the media will have you thinking it a revolt against the big labels, the demise of talent and the end of the music business.
But more likely it's evidence of the growth of the new music business. The fast growning 'Streaming' model. Spotify and We7 lead the way, many will follow! You may be screaming "NEVER!" into you screen at this moment but it won't be long before we are watching and listening to Top 40 streaming charts on a Sunday afternoon.
That may sound odd, but let's be very clear, it'll be better for all of us. It will be more accurate and far more interesting. No longer will the public be forced to buy and listen to what the retailers chose, thus we can kiss goodbye to charts relating to albums sales calculated on marketing costs and more down to proper taste making charts where people are using and listening to music, any kind of music at any time in any place.
It's going to be a cooler chart, new bands that wouldn't survive in a physical world emerging through genuine word of mouth and good viral marketing. Far cheaper meaning far more opportunity. Physical music format is dying, but after all this, I'd like to say I am old school! I still like to pick up and LP or a CD and put it on, but I also love the visual loveliness of iTunes and it's Apple lossless encoding. I just can't seem to let the past go and embrace the new technology with open arms (yet I have with LoveFilm and now of course with Gigseen). Digital sales for 2011 though surpassed 2010 sales in only 10 months. So the digital revolution is still moving at a pace...and guess what! It's going to carry on getting faster and faster. It's still in its infancy. Digital is only ten years old.
A lot of my colleagues moan about paying a tenner for a CD then pay twice that to own it on vinyl, I remember days when people thought (and I am going back a bit) when LP's were getting 'expensive' at £8, now they are £19.99 and flying off the shelves. My colleagues hate more than anything else spending £7.99 and getting a few files in their iTunes window! You can't please everybody
So in reality what are we left with, three parties (LP,CD and download) and nobody can agree on anything, sounds like politics doesn't it.