It doesn't really make sense to do that. Ed Sheeran for example sold a enough downloads this week to see there's still an interest. And also, I'd say digital sales for albums are still somewhat stable, too.

 

I think they're using the falling sales as an excuse, rather than a reason. They want to encourage people to get an Apple Music subscription, and of course if you can no longer download tracks from iTunes, some people will give in. But I suspect a lot more won't bother.

I think it's the right move.

 

Streaming and album downloads, with physical albums making up a part of the market, is probably the way forward for the industry.i think downloada, seeing as they are loaned, are just a rip off anyway.

I'd rather be able to buy a song/album and support an artist that way. Streaming is notorious for the pittance it pays to those involved in the song - in particular the artist. You'd have to stream an album a thousand times through in order to generate the same revenue as just buying it. So it doesn't make a huge amount of sense to end downloading altogether - particularly for those acts who are independent or on indie labels and such.

Agree with this. I was talking to someone from a small local indie band I liked recently and they were really happy to hear that I'd actually bought their music rather than just streaming it.

 

From another aspect of this, as someone who hoards many niche & weird releases, I can't say I'm particularly enthused whenever I hear someone else mention a song disappearing from Spotify, or having it changed to a less desirable version. I feel comfortable knowing that tomorrow I can still listen to an excellent but entirely-vanished-from-the-internet 2011 B-side to a non-charting single, whereas with Spotify I have no such certainty.

It is interesting to see certain posters in this thread bolding onto downloads like some held on to cd singles. Streaming is the present and future why not just embrace it. You are posting om a forum probably on your phone, you embraced interent and smart phones why not the next way to listen to music.

 

Although streaming is a good option for most people, there are disadvantages

 

- You can't burn to CD

- Releases don't always stay online forever. Labels go bust or stop paying the fee to keep them online, international licences expire. I'm scared that songs I like now that failed to chart or were on a tiny Swedish independent label will disappear in a few years time. And if they weren't released on CD either, you're never going to be able to get that song back.

- Integrating your existing library is doable, but can be messy. I'm not sure how much you can edit artwork, titles and tags for streaming songs, if you're particular about that like me. Might depend on the service.

- You have to pay £10 a month forever, or you'll lose access to the songs. If you have already built up an extensive MP3 library that you are happy with, do you actually need access to millions more songs? You might only want to buy the odd Ed Sheeran single or Adele album or Now compilation now and again, rather than £120 a year.

Edited December 7, 20177 yr by AcerBen

Although streaming is a good option for most people, there are disadvantages

 

- You can't burn to CD

- Releases don't always stay online forever. Labels go bust or stop paying the fee to keep them online, international licences expire. I'm scared that songs I like now that failed to chart or were on a tiny Swedish independent label will disappear in a few years time. And if they weren't released on CD either, you're never going to be able to get that song back.

- Integrating your existing library is doable, but can be messy. I'm not sure how much you can edit artwork, titles and tags for streaming songs, if you're particular about that like me. Might depend on the service.

- You have to pay £10 a month forever, or you'll lose access to the songs. If you have already built up an extensive MP3 library that you are happy with, do you actually need access to millions more songs? You might only want to buy the odd Ed Sheeran single or Adele album or Now compilation now and again, rather than £120 a year.

 

For people like that, like me, a physical albums market would work alongside it, especially with youtube beside it.

I feel they're really jumping the gun here (if it's true, I don't see anything in the article that's an official statement so I'm not taking it as such yet) - they have something that Spotify doesn't have, why lose that advantage completely? It's not like downloads are TOTALLY dead, they are still selling pretty well for the time being even if they are clearly falling.

 

I don't think it should ever be seen as old fashioned to want to own a song you love, I still stand by that there's still a market for it.

- Integrating your existing library is doable, but can be messy. I'm not sure how much you can edit artwork, titles and tags for streaming songs, if you're particular about that like me. Might depend on the service.

I know you can't on Spotify which is annoying but I've learnt to live with it. I think Apple Music let you once you add songs to your library but it's been a while since I used it as it was a trial and I decided Spotify was better.

You can on Apple Music but it's messy af, if you've got any songs saved offline you have to turn cloud sharing off (which deletes them from the device so they aren't offline anymore) to add songs, and then re-download them for offline listening, which is quite annoying if just the odd song comes out that isn't on iTunes or Apple Music and you want it in your playlists :drama:

Oh I was talking about editing artwork and tags (which Spotify doesn't let you do), Spotify does let you add songs you have downloaded on iTunes/elsewhere that aren't available on Spotify.

Ohhh I only use Apple Music on my phone so idk about editing them on PC but on the app you can't, I just make sure it's tagged properly when I put it on my phone

It's a shame if this is true, no matter how big Spotify gets it will never match the intrigue and entertainment that iTunes provided in it's 2010-13 heyday. Especially if/when big concerts such as Live 8 happen again. The Official chart will become completely dead in terms of following it as a hobby when it becomes a streaming only chart.

It's a shame if this is true, no matter how big Spotify gets it will never match the intrigue and entertainment that iTunes provided in it's 2010-13 heyday. Especially if/when big concerts such as Live 8 happen again. The Official chart will become completely dead in terms of following it as a hobby when it becomes a streaming only chart.

 

I agree.

 

The days of Leona's massive lead, o3 an X Factor performance meaning a song had up to 10x more than no.2 on the bars were ikonek chart moments.

 

This thread is almost funny.

 

Only a few years ago, iTunes and DLs were the new consumption mode that were going to ruin the industry.

 

Now it’s the establishment and streaming is going to ruin it?

You are posting om a forum probably on your phone

 

Um...not me. Laptop here! Is that considered too old fashioned now? :lol:

 

Not long at all, 2020 max i'd say.

 

If this happens, will it also apply to films etc?

I wonder what will eventually replace streaming?

Vinyl :P

Um...not me. Laptop here! Is that considered too old fashioned now? :lol:

 

I was going to say! I use my phone sometimes but it’s much easier on a laptop...with like a real keyboard etc...

If this happens, will it also apply to films etc?

This is my worry after buying a few boxsets on iTunes... :/