The music industry has been in a major panic since technology has stepped on their turf and allowed consumers to obtain the music they love, at a very affordable price. With all of the competition out there on the web, in “big box” stores, as they are called, and file-sharing, it is no wonder the music industry is worried. Tech companies like Microsoft and Sony have created very strict DRM-”Digital Rights Management” to discourage people transferring music files they purchase on the web-legally, or from a ripped CD that, most of the time, they own, to another computer, or a portable device. There are still ways around it, but it is a sign that the record industry is trying to get a handle on how music is used.

The Tower Records chain is beginning the process of closing its stores. They were not able to keep up with the popularity-and convenience-of getting music from online stores (iTunes, Walmart.com, Rhapsody, etc.). The other factor, besides convenience, is price. Most legal download sites cost .99 per song. A CD that has 12 songs on it would cost less than $12. So why does a CD at Tower records cost $18.99? I browse through FYE quite a bit and find the same thing. There is no way I am going to pay $19 for a CD. I can buy a DVD for less than that! It is no wonder record stores can’t stay in business.

What I will miss is just being in a record store to just browse. “Browsing” for music online is not the same. I remember the days in college getting a cup of coffee and heading to Tower on Newbury Street and hanging out for an hour or so looking through CD’s. There is an atmosphere that many people will miss. If the store had a knowledgeable clerk, he/she could suggest alternatives to what you had in your hand. It was a social experience, just as it was a shopping experience.

I will miss Tower Records, but they can keep their $20 CD’s. I’m logging into itunes…