Why iTunes Is So Popular

[Kent Pribbernow]

<img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/indextopwin04272004.jpg" /><br /><br /><span><b>It’s all about the music</b></span><br />Music is part of our lives. From your car stereo to your home CD library, music enriches our daily life. It inspires and energizes us, even when we are feeling the weight of the world on our shoulders. Just plug in your headphones, fire up your playlist and lose yourself in the music. And having the ability to access a massive library with thousands of audio tracks from various artists’ right at your fingertips is a panacea. Combine that with the industry’s most popular digital audio player and it’s no wonder iTunes is the Rosetta stone of online music.<br /> <!> <br /><br /><span><b>Digital Crack</b></span><br />When Apple first announced the iTunes Music store, I was highly skeptical as to why I, or anyone else, would want to download audio tracks (short of pirating them via Napster and Kazaa) when they can simply purchase CD’s and rip them onto their hard drive. After all…music is music no matter what form of media it is distributed in. But after using my iPod with iTunes for several months now, I get it. iTunes isn’t just a place where you purchase tracks; it is a user experience…a lifestyle. Over the past year, I have purchase music from artists I had never before heard of or rarely listened to, ranging from <i>Peter Pan</i> by <b>Jim Boggia</b>, to <i>Don’t Dream It’s Over</i> by <b>Crowded House</b>. Even old classics from groups like The Platters have caught my ear. And prior to iTunes I would never have even given a thought to downloading such music. This is where iTunes is such an invaluable tool. It connects consumers with artists. Allowing users to actually sample music that normally wouldn’t appeal to them, or were never before exposed to. Downloading music via iTunes is like digital crack. Once you start, only your Credit limit can stop you. <br /><br /><span><b>The Future?</b></span><br />Could this be a model for how all music will be distributed in a not too distant future? Give consumers the ability to choose what artist and track they wish to purchase, eliminating the middle man. The traditional venue for artists to distribute their music is through the dreaded and corrupt major Record Labels. But iTunes empowers a whole new generation of independent artists, enabling them to promote their talent to a wide and captive audience. <br /><br />At the very least consumers can purchase music they would normally be too ashamed to buy in public. I still get accusing stares from my friends every time they see my movie soundtracks and classical music collection. Yes, I have sick taste in music…I admit it. I prefer to think of myself as eclectic. They think of me as in need of psychiatric therapy.<br /><br /><span><b>Everybody wants to get into the act</b></span><br />Apple got the user experience and ease of use down to a science. Finding a song in iTunes couldn’t be simpler, even offering a free download of the week, and highlighting celebrity playlists. This is why so many iTunes wannabe’s are copying Apple’s formula. All those 99 cent songs add up to a major revenue stream for whomever can grab the most customers. Hardware is purely a secondary source of income compared to the much larger download market. Even Microsoft knows this, although fashionably late. But I wonder if the folks in Redmond truly comprehend the depth and scale of what online music offers consumers…and how to offer it? <br /><br />Great music…great hardware…great software…great user experience. iTunes isn’t just a store, it’s a way of life. The digital lifestyle.

[bdegroodt]

Cool! This was front page on Google News! And on topic, Hello! My name is Brian and I'm an iTunes addict. I'm also a reformed music thief thanks to Apple.

[dean_shan]

iTunes rocks becasue it's fast, simple, easy to use and has few errors. I love it cause you can find new stuff with it. I've dicovered a lot of music that I would have never found if it wasn't for iTunes.

[sub_tex]

I'm not a big iTunes fan (*ducks from thrown shoes and bricks*).

Things I don't like:

1. Music Player. Why I would want to use this massive app just to play my music is beyond me. Winamp 2.9 sits in the systray and uses up less than 2 megs of RAM. Plus it gives me full control of tracks, volume, etc. via keyboard hotkeys while I'm in other apps. iTunes is more along the lines of WMP, but better.

2. Pushing AAC and DRM on me! Let me do what I want with the tracks/CDs I purchase, please. And yeah yeah yeah file sharing/napster/Kazaa blah blah blah. Let those idiots do what they will. I paid for the CD. Quit calling me thief!

Things I think it does well:

1. The online music store. Even though I refuse to purchase compressed music, the browsing and sampling of music is a great tool that even I use sometimes before heading out to buy the CD. And for the majority of everyone else in the world that doesn't mind DRMd AAC tracks, it's by far the best online music store in terms of ease and integration (well, if you have an iPod that is).

2. Library organization. It was using the first release of iTunes that got me to really fix up my ID3 tags. The interface was fine (though a bit limited) but made browsing for and editing artist info a easy thing.

If iTunes offered FLAC downloads, I think I would sign up in a second. Well, that and they would need to lower the track price. It works for some records, but for most I'd rather pay the $4 extra and get the nice packaging. JPGs of album art are no substitute for well designed CD packaging.

All this aside, though, iTunes has made a huge jump forward in bringing digital music and the new reality of how we live today into the mainstream eye. I think that's excellent. I hope it continues to succeed and maybe end up overhauling this current music label setup! As was stated above, it really makes a viable option for indie bands.

[As an FYI for Winamp users who want a very nice library plugin check out MEXP. Integrates perfect with Winamp and gives you more options than you can handle.]

[klinux]

2. Pushing AAC and DRM on me! Let me do what I want with the tracks/CDs I purchase, please. And yeah yeah yeah file sharing/napster/Kazaa blah blah blah. Let those idiots do what they will. I paid for the CD. Quit calling me thief!


The only way you can do what you are freely to do what you purchased is buying the CD itself and rip it yourself. Comparing to the other US digital music download sites, iTunes is the least draconian.

As for asking for FLAC with liner note, album cover, a lower price, plus a free concert ticket and backstage pass - well, we can all dream can't we?

I use iTunes on both PC and Mac and is happy with it . Speed can be improve in both versions, however.

[bdegroodt]

Speed can be improve in both versions, however.
Hmmm...What's the speed issue? Mine is probably the swiftest application I have on my PowerBook. Every so often it takes a few seconds to display the music store. I assume this has more to do with internet traffic than any application speed issues.

With you on your statement about iTunes being the least draconian. I have yet to run into a time/place where I couldn't use my music in the exact way I wanted to use it. I think Apple's done a great job of balancing record company and music listener interests.

[dean_shan]

The only way you can do what you are freely to do what you purchased is buying the CD itself and rip it yourself. Comparing to the other US digital music download sites, iTunes is the least draconian.

Um eMusic (http://www.emusic.com). They give you unencrpyted MP3s. Although they do not have nearly the selection of music as iTunes. Personaly I use both services.