Apple'licious Tunes

Apple inc, a company that made the way for future technology. Famous for its computers, the Macintosh, and the world’s most advanced OS, Mac OS X. In 1984, Steve Jobs, introduced the first Macintosh. He described it as ‘Instantly Great,’ and that it was. Why am I talking about Apple? Good question, well, I’m sure, many of us witnessed how Apple changed the music industry forever.

There’s no doubt about it right? Steve Jobs, and his team shook the world with their first iPod in 2001. 1000 songs in your pocket? Who would've thought it? I mean, I remember when I use to carry my Sony CD player everywhere I went. A player, that only played one CD at a time, unless you wanted to be a superhero, and carry your CD collection with you.

Along with the first iPod, came the newly developed iTunes, that started its life with the title ‘SoundJam’. However, in the meantime, The Napster and P2P music sharing software was in the limelight. It failed to see success, as it was overwhelmed with lawsuits, and forced to remain shutdown in 2002. It wasn’t until 2003, when iTunes store launched consumers had a new way of purchasing music, at fair and reasonable prices.

There was no longer a need to go to your local music store, and pick up your favourite album. iTunes had it all covered, at $0.99 (£0.59) per song or $9.99 (£6.99) for an entire album. With just one click, you’re synced, and ready to jam with your tunes. What a life right? In just 10 years, iTunes grew to what we know today, the world’s largest online digital retailer. It was, and still is, the store that encouraged major record sales. The music industry, entered a new era consumers no longer ran down to the shop to add to their music collection.

However, it’s not all “fine and dandy,” because, many music artists aren't happy with the way Apple is affecting the music industry. Recently, Bon Jovi said, Apple’s killing the music business, he told afterdawn.com:


“Kids today have missed the whole experience of putting the headphones on, turning it up to 10, holding the jacket, closing their eyes and getting lost in an album; and the beauty of taking your allowance money and making a decision based on the jacket, not knowing what the record sounded like, and looking at a couple of still pictures and imagining it.

God, it was a magical, magical time. I hate to sound like an old man now, but I am, and you mark my words, in a generation from now people are going to say: 'What happened?' Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business”.

There’s no doubt Apple’s made an impact towards the music industry, that’s for sure. So much so, that they shook the world. Now, every story has two sides, advantages and disadvantages, the good, the bad, and the ugly, I think you get the point!