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Music: Sick of self-serve?
Sat, 16 Jul 2005

Just as voice-over-IP could made telephone-companies irrelevent (they're all scrambling like mad to find new markets, or become data pipe companies, or survive via legislation), mp3s and iPods have pretty much made record stores redundant. I know I've gone over it before - how I will buy a CD, rip it to mp3 files, and only then listen to it while on my way somewhere (leaving a graveyard of jewel cases in the basement.) At this point, if everyone has an mp3 player (be it dedicated like the iPod, or as part of a PDA or cellphone, like the upcoming iTunes cellphones) all we need is simpler delivery for this consumable society. iTunes Music Store does pretty well, but as my wife adds -- it won't really happen until you can buy from a selection of tracks right on your phone and have the track delivered then and there (or perhaps never have the track and just pay pennies to listen each time, piping it from the carrier?)

So what are the CD shops doing now? Obviously they've diversified into DVD sales as well - near sighted as that may be, since what happens to CDs also happens to DVDs. Soon, will HMV or Sam-the-Record-Man just be a kiosk with bluetooth mp3 beaming sitting ostricized in the mall corner? Do they have any other plans?

What about the poor sales clerks of the shoppes -- you know, the guy in the suit thats not so sharp, but with a purple shiny shirt and a half-mullet -- the obviously former guitar teacher who dreams of rocking out but instead works the floor trying to help customers decide between Britney and Aguilara. Won't someone please think of the salesmen?

Like bookstores, we do need to browse - but here too, Google and review sites are working their magic. Whats an honest business to do? Are we sick of self serve yet?

One of these days I'm going to write some automatic file transfer code for my PDA, so I don't even have to eject the SD card to copy files over. Then I too can hammer another nail into the former music industry.

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