The date is Dec. 6, 1965 and music fans are lined up outside of a record store, waiting for the doors to open so they can rush in to grab their copy of The Beatles new album, Rubber Soul.
After the coveted record is in their hands, they’ll likely hurry home to their turntables, open the packaging, and listen to the album while studying its artwork.
Fast forward to August 2011. The highly-anticipated collaboration between rap superstars Jay-Z and Kanye West is, after rumours and speculation, given two release dates – Aug. 8 for iTunes and Aug. 12 for the physical release.
On Aug. 7, fans all over the world sit in front of their computers and count down the minutes until midnight. When the album becomes available for download, all it takes is a single click of the mouse and two minutes until it’s yours.
Since record companies started releasing music in MP3 format in 1999, the ways in which we buy music have undoubtedly changed. This and other changes in the music industry have resulted in the closing of once-popular music store chains Sam the Record Man and Music World, and more recently there’s talk of HMV following suit.
Along with the changing ways in which music is available, the attitudes and opinions of music consumers have changed as well. Some people think they shouldn’t have to pay for music at all.
An unofficial poll of 50 students at Lethbridge College showed that six per cent buy albums on vinyl, 12 per cent buy CDs, 24 per cent use iTunes, 38 percent use peer-to-peer file sharing, and 20 per cent use a mix of the above.
Ben Clark, an 18-year-old high school student, says that most of the music he buys is from iTunes, though he likes the idea of having something tangible as well.
“There’s some albums where I only like certain songs, so iTunes is good for that because you don’t have to buy the whole thing, and you don’t waste money on songs you don’t like,” said Clark.
“But I’m trying to buy more CDs, because I like having something that you can hold on to, rather than just seeing it on the screen.”
A 2007 study by the University of London for Industry Canada showed that people who buy CDs for their tangibility are also more likely to buy DVDs, concert tickets, and video games.
Clark says that his format choice also depends on the availability of the specific album, as he listens to a lot of techno and electronica artists from other countries.
“I like to buy music made by artists who live in Romania and Denmark, so iTunes is really helpful for that because you can’t find it in stores here.”
The Industry Canada study also showed that people who describe themselves as having a great interest in music are more likely to purchase music in a physical form.
Mike Maguire, Lethbridge College student and host of two radio shows on CKXU, says that listening to music on vinyl provides a full sensory experience.
“It’s a tangible object, there’s a physicality to it – getting up to switch sides, etc. I’m sometimes drawn to a record based on cover art alone. It seems like there’s more to enjoy than just listening to the music when on vinyl.”
It’s a popular opinion that vinyl will be the only remaining physical form of music being made in the near future, and there are studies that prove the sales and production of vinyl are steadily increasing. However, vinyl sales still only made up about one per cent of total music sold in Canada in 2010.
“I think there will still be a market for vinyl. Not all releases, especially with popular and major labels, they’re going to be strictly digital. But what will be released on record will be much more coveted objects – special editions, limited press runs, high fidelity and packaging,” said Maguire.
This may be enough to sustain locally owned record stores, but evidence showing a major shift towards online purchasing has steadily increased over the last 10 years, and it seems that music chain stores are likely to become a thing of the past.
Graphic by Lacey Vornbrock