“The times they are a changin’” seems all too poignant a comment in any climate or era, but none more so than the mutation the recording industry is at present experiencing.
Reports published this week have gone to further bear the naked truth of the decline of the music shop. With Zavvi slowly edging towards that great gig in the sky it has been revealed that over a quarter of the UK’s independent music stores have sold their final record over the last year. The sector now has only around 300 outlets left – a figure that is likely to drop further as trends continue.
It is a great shame and one that will undoubtedly hit a nerve with past and present generations, as the stalwarts of our musical indulgences begin to fritter away. But as new digital models are uncovered, like Spotify and We7, we are surely just bearing witness to the new, more convenient way by which the ‘kids of today’ will find, hear and buy their music.
Further forcing the issue, Nottingham’s wonderfully acclaimed indie record store Selectadisc has announced it is to close its doors at the end of March, while Spotify on the other hand has just announced its exclusive unveiling of the new U2 album. The said album, undoubtedly the biggest release so far for 2009, is an exclusivity that would have once been the sole reserve of Woolworths or alike.
To call it a shame is to put it lightly. I’m a child born into the digital world of the CD, and as such would wonder just what the old fogies were moaning about when they protested “it’s just not as good as buying vinyl”. Looking at the direction of music sales it’ll not be long before I’m the old codger reminiscing of the golden times when we perused the shelves of our local record shop to find our next piece of soul food.
On the bright side, I can at least take heed in the fact that I’m hip enough to know my way around the unsigned gold mine that is amazingtunes. Check out our office favourites here, it’s a good starting point and a bit like browsing a record store but from the comfort of your own PC.
