How Apple Turned Music Into Costco
I was most excited about music at the peak of the iPod.
I was most excited about music at the peak of the iPod. I cherished my CD collection, but having all of my favorite songs in a sleek Apple device was mind-blowing.
Every song on my iPod was curated by me. If a band was a one-hit wonder, only their one hit was included. If I loved a song, it was on my iPod. If I didn’t, then it didn’t exist. That satisfying scroll of the white wheel. Ticktickticktickticktick. My iPod was me.
The only downside was you had to buy music on iTunes. Each album cost ~$15, roughly the same amount as CDs.
But there were better, less legal options to obtain music.
Napster, LimeWire, Oink, KaZaA. I could download any song I ever wanted. I’d cross my fingers, roll the dice, and hope I wasn’t downloading a virus. If the file worked, I’d add it to my iTunes then sync it with my iPod. My entire illegal stash at my fingertips.
For a while, music was free until the government started suing Napster users to make an example of them. The threatening legal letter I received from the FBI was effective. Party’s over.
Spotify soon arrived to solve the piracy problem. For just $9.99/month you could listen to everything. Legally. Most artists already had their entire discography on there.
But there’s something missing on music streaming apps. Having every song ever recorded…in an app…just feels odd. The search options by genre are terrible. You can’t search for all artists of a particular genre in alphabetical order. You have to cross your fingers and hope the app recommends you good music.
I often feel stuck wondering “what am I in the mood for right now?” then blindly typing in whatever artist comes to mind. It just doesn’t hit the same as being on the hunt.
There’s a curiosity while physically hunting for music that’s robbed by the algorithm. While streaming apps might recommend new artists you never heard of, the joy of music curation is gone.
The iPod felt boutique. Streaming apps feel like Costco.
Music Wants To Be Held
A few years after Spotify was released, I bought a beautiful Audio-Technica record player. I didn’t own any records yet, but I knew it was time to start exploring. I walked into an old record store and browsed for an hour. I walked out with a new press of In Rainbows and a used Led Zeppelin II. Off to a good start.
A few weeks later I went to a vinyl show. A one-day event at a biergarten with 50 tables of mostly boomers proudly showing off their mint condition vinyl. They were passionately talking about music and telling stories while trading their most prized possessions.
One guy had a rare first edition press of Animals by Pink Floyd. His table was surrounded like a celebrity. While I was waiting for a beer, I talked to a guy who saw Jimi Hendrix live at Woodstock. He was so excited to tell me about it. This place was alive.
