Week 3: The Digital Revolution in Music

The digital revolution in music is changing the way people listen and access music as well as the way artists are are able to be heard and paid. With the creation of mp3s music can be accessed on the internet all over the world and heard within the privacy of one's own home. With the creation of mp3 players people have the capability of leaving their homes and continue to listen to the music they accessed on the internet whether it be walking down the street or in a car or better yet on public transportaion. Many libraries and vendors are tuning into this and trying to create programs and application for patrons to use.

The digital revolution has made music more accessible and readily available to share with others and this is also present in the library. Libraries are jumping on the band wagon by buying databases which offer digital music to it's patrons. For instance, new databases like Overdrive are allowing patrons to download cd albums straight to their computer or Mp3 player from their homes. Rather than making a trek to the library and searching for a physical CD in the stacks and then checking the material out to eventually take it home and download the item, libraries are becoming hip or simply catching up to the revolution.

Similarly, Alexander Street is an electronic publisher that will soon allow users to download their music collections straight to an iPhone or several different mobile devices. The company also plans to allow users watch video on mobile devices as well. Likewise, EBSCOhost also plans on allowing users to access the database from smartphones. At this rate patrons will never have to leave their homes or on the other hand, they can travel just about anywhere and have information at their footsteps.

Not all libraries have successfully acheived this type of hip status as this digital revolution is only slowly revolutionizing libraries. My county library does have Overdrive but has not subscribed to the complete multimedia package. So while I wait for my library to become hip, I simply registered for a free e-card with the Alachua County Library System and try to download what I can from their hip library. Which by the way - if you are a Florida resident you have the right to do. They even have television series and movies you can download from their site. If you have not checked out how it works or registered for a card you should definitely try at least to see how it is set up - at least this is what my branch manager suggested.

So, I recently tried Alachua County's e-card and accessed Overdrive. The music collection available for downloading is not the most extensive collection. There is free music and the quality of it does come through nicely, but if you are looking for indie rock or the latest and greatest hip hop you may need to look elswhere. While the collection is probably a reflection of budget or simply local patron taste, it does not reflect modern users taste. The collection is primarily made up of classical and new age. And although "new age" is meant to be modern it is very far from "new taste". I do recall Lady Gaga and Jay Z hitting the top of the charts recently.

Moreover, the fact that vendors and libraries are trying to adhere to new generations they may need to remember that the choice in music may also need cater to the new generations that are actually using the products and services. This may be key in creating a successful product.

Happy downloading!