“Steve Jobs…Does Not Give A Shit About Music”
"Steve Jobs – quote me – does not give a shit about music. Because what he’s done is bifurcated the music business. No longer is the test of an artist’s work the embodiment of an album, what is considered as consumable are single songs, and that’s because of the Apple platform. He’s a genius, the only thing he cares about is selling his platform."
– Steve Nowack, former hedge fund manager and founder of free music label SOS via Listening Post
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No shit! Of course Apple cares ONLY about selling ipods and devices. The digital world has been using music for a few years now. Sad stuff!!!!
What is Steve Nowack bitching about? Since when is the album the test of an artist’s work? Is it since the 1940s when vinyl technology allowed full album releases? Or perhaps its later, say when the Beatles stopped touring to focus on only recording albums? Or perhaps, it was in the ’80s and ’90s when labels pushed CDs full of crap that only had that one catchy song. And what about artists before recording technology? How do we test Bach’s work?
People enjoy song cycles, they are just at a point where they can decide their own. If an artist releases a truly classic, excellent album, then people will buy the whole thing.
I couldn’t agree more with Wesley Frederick!I’m studying economics and arts (music industry is a huge field of interest). There are many scholars who perceive the prevalence of the album as the main product unit instead of singe songs (or whatever the artist want to give as a test of his/her work), around 1962 and on, clearly because allowed the record companies to retail it(the album) almost three times the price of the single, and by having to bear the costs of packaging and distribution only once (Reference:Strobl &Tucker, 2000)
By returning to single songs it will be easier for new artists to enter because they won’t have to record (and pay or be in debt!) a whole album, but rather a single song, just to start and “test” their talent.
“What is Steve Nowack bitching about? Since when is the album the test of an artist’s work?”
Thank you Wesley! I was going to crawl out of the dark quiet to post that myself. And also, as big as Jobs has become, Apple /= Steve Jobs.