mashny

Total Music Threatens Apple’s Music Distribution Revenue

There's a point that many of you are missing: Regardless of where people get their digital music from (and I believe most "legitimate" music will continue to be purchased from the iTMS), on what device do you think that music will be played? Chances are roughly 70% to 75% of that music will be played on an iPod. Apple gets a very small percentage of its iTMS sales, using the iTMS as a vehicle to sell the iPod. Regardless of where the music comes from most music will be listened to on the iPod. Thus, even if the iTMS suffers from lower sales over the coming years, the iPod will continue to be the dominant player. Either way, Apple wins.

If another company can come out with a better line of players, with greater ease of use, more power to them, but I don't see that happening any time soon. Those players will have to be better than the iPod, not "as good." As Emerson said, "Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakespeare." What are the chances of another company making a better line of music players, that are as aesthetically pleasing, as versatile, as intuitive to use, and as well integrated with some form of downloadable music service? In my estimation, roughly nil. Apple owns the legitimate downloadable-music arena and will continue to do so for a long time.