Ever the philosopher Steve Jobs said at the iPad 2 launch, “It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing.”
But what is old Steve actually hinting at here?
The rumour going around at the moment is that Apple are in talks with record companies to provide iTunes users with unlimited repeat downloads.
I.e. At the moment, if you download a track on iTunes and lose it, tough luck, you would have to buy it again. But according to Bloomberg if the Apple/record company deal goes ahead music fans will be able to purchase any song and re-download it again to any Apple device, anytime, anywhere, free of charge, just like with apps.
But this is likely to just be the start. With the explosion of Spotify in Europe and Pandora in the US coupled with YouTube and the threat of Spotify US even downloads which were heralded as the future of music are now fast becoming old news as music streaming begins to dominate.
If Apple don't move fast iTunes could be lost along with the CDs.
So what's your preferred music method? Are you a downloader a streamer or an avid physical form purchaser?