itunes 4-Where to now?

[SnowWhite]

On Wednesday, April 30, 2003, at 10:54  PM, Cube List wrote:

> Here's an interesting side-track ... will it still be as easy to buy
> esoteric music at the pawn shops when on-line music sales allow the
> sampling of 30 seconds of the music? Is the reason that so much
> non-commercial music ends up in the half price bins is the fact that
> people buying new esoteric music don't know what they are getting until
> they get it home and open it? Also, if there is no need to produce
> media, will there be less cut-out CD's in the bargain bins?


Will the price of music on CD actually rise due to smaller numbers 
being produced and will second hand music really florish if there are 
fewer CDs produced and sold. In the long run Apple may have given 
buyers in the used market the boot. No CDs means no used market. That's 
what I see in 10-15 years. I think music stores are in deep trouble 
now.  They will need to fill niches that on-line does not cover. But 
that begs the question-Is server storage and bandwidth cheaper than a 
physical location and is it able to cover the niches more effectively.  
I think Apple definately has an advantage with server space.

Your choices for music will be to steal it (on the web) or download it 
legally for a buck. No one would have music they could legally sell if 
the original source was web purchase. Today, used music, it is the 
source copy that is resold.  Not possible with on-line sources.

Do you all feel that all the other record labels will launch on-line 
music ASAP to compete with this new direct marketing?  What do you all 
think the ramifications will be?

jj