This posting on Downhill Battle predicts the unavoidable shrinking of retail space for CDs and the ultimate death of major labels. As the CD format becomes obsolete, the last hold majors have on consumers will disappear and create a competitive market comprised of independent labels.
Sounds good to me, except I believe that the “virtual” music retailer who can create the best user experience will win in the end. This user experience is not just about a nice web site or integrated music jukebox, but rather about the entire end-to-end transaction. Not only does the virtual storefront fall under this “experience” umbrella, but also the hardware, software, digital rights management (DRM), and audio sound quality. Today, the iTunes and iPod combination clearly wins for the majority of consumers. For folks like me who are thoroughly opposed to DRM, we’re still waiting for a good (legal) user experience.
The idea of a pleasant user experience shouldn’t be so hard for a clever entrepreneur to grasp. The metaphors are certainly abundant. For example, dining out is only partially about the actual act of eating. It’s an entire experience. If the food is magnificent but the wait staff is terribly rude, I’ll never eat at an establishment again. Similarly, if the food is terrible but the staff is nice, I’ll smile and say thanks but there’s really no point in eating there again. I have these expectations because I am paying a premium for quality and service. Is it not fair for me to have the same expectations from those who want to sell me music?
So why don’t major labels understand this? They do know they aren’t the only restaurant on the block anymore, don’t they?
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