2 Ipod musings

A Digital Question
 In this crazy, wacky fast moving world where the monopoly that astronomy has had on large numbers will be shortly replaced by the size of your hard drive, do you know that there are now more bytes on the average hard drive than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy? I am wondering if we have really thought about what this all means, particularly for us musicians. I don�??t know about you, but the latest promotion of the cute little iPod boasts that you can put ten thousand songs on it. That really scares me, because as the famous law of the market decrees, to which we are all subjected, like it or not, is that the more there is of anything, the less is its value. Besides, how can you really process in your brain so much music?
 Lets do a little thought experiment: How long will the five hundred songs that you downloaded last night on your trusty player take to listen to? Lets set two parameters: 1. You are not replaying anything more than twice, and 2. You are actually listening, it�??s not just in the background. So lets do a little math: Five hundred times five minutes (the length of an average piece of music) times two (a couple of listenings) equal 5000 minutes, which is about 80 hours. Let�??s assume a generous two hours a day, 5 days a week, and thats two months of listening to new music.
 Now ten thousand?! You do the math. It is just plain impossible. The problem (as I see it) is that it is very detrimental to the creative musicians who are trying to step out of the formula. Music has to grow on you, and the best music takes two, three, sometime ten listens to be appreciated. Just think what it would do to our listening shedule. Simply put, good music needs attention, meaning: time. Sorry, Artist, you are number 4567, (Hmm�?� what year would that make me?).
 
 A Digital Answer
 In defense of the iPod�?�While there is validity to the accusation that no reasonable person would need that much music, the iPod is intended to be used as a dual mp3 player and pocket hard drive. The beauty of the iPod is that it removes the burden of choice for people, like me, who feel paralyzed with indecision over music when they leave the house for their commute. It enables us to consider music in a way we never have before. Instead of being committed to a single album, the artist�??s vision, we have the choice of experiencing the fan�??s vision�??the Playlist. The Playlist, the cornerstone of the digital music revolution, lets me cycle between songs from as many artists as I want, in whatever theme I want, without switching albums! Now
 that really rules.
 Take it from someone who listens to songs all the time and says, �??Hey, what is that? I�??m going to go download that from iTunes!�?� The iPod democratizes music, even if you don�??t listen to all of it, America is the land where bigger is better, and let�??s be honest�?� if two people have a 40 GB iPod and one has 500 songs on it, and one has 2000 songs on it, is it really the iPod�??s fault if they don�??t listen to all their music or appreciate it? No. The iPod�??s a tool. A really great tool. With really cute earbuds. I can�??t wait til Christmas.
 
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thats just great dwight great

[Justin Tonation]

Originally posted by Dwight Curtis Seafoan:
  A Digital Question
 I don�??t know about you, but the latest promotion of the cute little iPod boasts that you can put ten thousand songs on it. That really scares me, because as the famous law of the market decrees, to which we are all subjected, like it or not, is that the more there is of anything, the less is its value.
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AAAUUUURRRRRRGGGGGGHH!!!
 
 Why must every fucking thing, tangible and intangible, be assigned a market value? How about accepting music for what it is instead of putting a price on it? Sure, musicians should be able to sell copies of their recordings and scores as they see fit, but recordings and scores are not music. A bazillion TRL songs don't diminish or augment the musical value I hold in Big Star's "Kangaroo". And while I find Maroon 5's "This Love" to be worthless, it undoubtedly holds much value in many of today's teenagers who will fondly remember the song for years as it reminds them of good and bad times.

[thirsty moore]

So, the famous market decree applied to CD's is that the more there are, the less the value.  Which means that all of these songs that come out daily are rapidly diminishing in worth.  So what does it matter that an iPod can hold 10000 songs?  
 
   

Originally posted by Dwight Curtis Seafoan:
  A Digital Question
 I don�??t know about you, but the latest promotion of the cute little iPod boasts that you can put ten thousand songs on it. That really scares me, because as the famous law of the market decrees, to which we are all subjected, like it or not, is that the more there is of anything, the less is its value. Besides, how can you really process in your brain so much music?