iTunes: Music Biz Panacea?
Apple's unexpected initial success with its iTunes subscription music service shocked and pleased many in the music industry—and appears likely to prompt a rash of imitators.
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Industry News Roundup
Music sales in the US continue to decline, according to a May 8 report from the <A HREF="http://www.narm.com">National Association of Recording Merchandisers</A> (NARM). Retails sales totaled $8.93 billion in 2002, down from the $10.46 billion reported for 2000. Most (87%) of the organization's members reported a drop in music sales last year—only 13% posted higher totals.
Free Music!
A ticket to Home Entertainment 2003—The Hi-Fi and Home Theater event, to be held June 5-8, 2003 at San Francisco's Westin–St. Francis Hotel will offer attendees a chance to hear over a dozen live musical performances from great artists performing contemporary jazz, blues, rock, and classical music.
The Downloading Myth
The music industry repeatedly points to online file trading as the explanation for its declining market. But annual sales are still well ahead of 1998's figures and several analysts note that when you take into account the economic downturn, increased competition for entertainment dollars, high CD pricing, uninspiring new music, and consumer resistance to copy protection, those negative numbers should really <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11441/">be far worse</A>.
Hi-Rez Audio's Uncertain Future
"There's a flat screen in your future."
Recordings of May 2003: Every Breath You Take; Fragile
<B>THE POLICE: <I>Every Breath You Take: The Classics</I></B><BR> A&M Chronicles 069 493 607-2 (hybrid SACD/CD). 2003. The Police, Hugh Padgham, Laurie Latham, orig. prods.; Nigel Gray, Chris Gray, Hugh Padgham, Phil Nicolo, orig. engs.; David Tickle, Martin Pradler, 5.1 remixes (tracks 1-12); Bob Ludwig, 5.1 remixes (tracks 13-14) and SACD mastering; Bill Levenson, reissue supervision. A?D. TT: 59:43<BR> Performance <B>*****</B><BR> Sonics <B>**</B> to <B>*****</B>
Listening #5
Moderation, like a natural death, is what most thinking people roll toward, if only because extremism requires too much energy: Extreme points of view are hard to hold without a certain amount of self-delusion, and the brighter you are, the harder your self-deluder has to work.
Are you planning on attending HE2003 next month?
Heading back to the West Coast after three Shows back East and in the MidWest, the Home Entertainment Show will fire up again in San Francisco on June 6. Will you be there?
HE2003 Seminars Announced
Show attendees at Home Entertainment 2003, the hi-fi and home-theater event of the year, will be treated to nearly a dozen educational seminars to help guide and inform them about what and how to buy the new and sometimes confusing home audio/video and home theater products available today.
What a Crack-Up
You've got to give the audiophiles who post at the <A HREF="http://www.AudioAsylum.com">Audio Asylum</A> online forum credit. Not only is AA one of the more informative and constructive audiophile communities, some of its members provide the audio industry much-needed feedback on how it's doing—for better or worse.