5 or 20 years from now, how will we be getting our music? The CD will be deader than vinyl -it only lasted quarter of a century and has none of the cache of vinyl, nobody will miss it at all, the way nobody misses cassettes.
MP3s seem to be the obvious answer, the smart money has streaming music clubs like Spotify. $10 a year and everything major release comes to you. I don't know how this will impact indies and individuals but I am sure they will be accomadated on some level or the other.
The soundcloud looks a little deadendy in that case, and Itunes will have to grow or die.
But even that might not be it.
As Joseph McElroy mentioned to me, why would be woant to pay $120 a year when hebarely buys albums worth of songs.
Good question.
In time, collecting music will be collecting lists of songs you like on youtube. You'll have your own account and add songs as you want them and you will pay nothing.
How the music business will surviveis another question: an entirely advertising music business seems impossible to me. But I wonder how many ten year olds get all their music off youtube. Do the words ALL OF THEM sound about write.
First, around two generations of music lovers will have to die before a generation of people who HAVE NEVER EVER PAID FOR MUSIC, ARRIVES.