Right now mp3 is changing the way we receive and listen to music. As internet technology becomes more advanced people are finding ways to make everything for free. For example, long distance calls can be made from internet sites, maps can be downloaded for anywhere in the country, even internet service itself can now be free. Whether it is for profit or fun, internet savvy computer programers are finding ways to undermine the 'old economy'. New laws can not be passed fast enough to stop the internet revolution. Napster is actually using a recent law called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act as a defense to the pending lawsuit it faces with the Recording Industry Association of America. Even if Napster is eventually shut down, there are other programs available right now that can not be stopped so easily. Gnutella is a file sharing program that links individual computers together without a centralized server. Since Gnutella can share any file type, people are claiming that movies will be distributed in the same way once broadband internet access becomes available in more areas.
The bottom line is that the music industry is going to have to adapt to new technology. One way would be find another way to make money on recorded music than just selling CD's. For example, many online retailers are losing money on their merchandise in order to be competitive but are making up for this loss by selling ad space on there sites. Even if they can't stop people from sharing copyrighted music, people will still by CD's. It is much easier to purchase a CD than find and download every song on that CD and put it on a recordable media. Mp3 sharing poses the bigest threat to music singles since the consumer is only interested in one song. It also poses a threat to an artist who releases 1 or 2 good songs from their CD but the rest of their CD sounds like it was recorded in two days. The recording industry has to evolve and figure out how to use new technology to make money instead of clinging on to the past. If they don't figure out how to use digital media to their advantage, they will be left behind in the new millennium.
Sunday, 29 April 2007
The Future of Internet Music Distribution
Music distribution using MP3 compression through the Internet has become an important happening and a major concern of the recording industry. MP3 is just one of many forms of compression that is available for audio. At this time it happens to be wildly popular and is likely to remain so. The popularity MP3 is driving changes in the music industry that will bring a leveling of income to composers and performers, increase in their share of gross revenues, and drastically increase the number of composers and performers that are accessible to the music purchasing public.
After MP3 as finished remodeling the recording industry, the recording industry will consist of a three players:
1. Remnants of the current recording industry.
2. Internet companies that sell CDs.
3. Internet companies that sell individual recordings.
First there will be the remnants of the current recording industry. This area will contain the fewest artists and will operate much like today's recording industry operates. The major difference will be that the ease of creating and distributing unauthorized recordings will limit how successful any artist can be. The more successful the artist the higher the percentage of unauthorized recordings being passed around. Efforts to create a copy proof format will fail because at some point in getting the audio from the CD to the speaker the audio has to be converted into an analog signal that can drive the speaker. This analog signal is in the computer in digital form before it is sent to the audio card and can easily be recaptured and converted into any format without loss of quality. In the worst case the line output can be patched into the line input and still have minimal loss of quality. The loss of quality would be nothing compared to copying cassette tapes. And after the first digital copy is made then all subsequent copies will have the same quality as the first.
Next will be Internet companies that handle CDs recorded by full-time professional musicians. They will have downloadable (reduced audio quality) selections from the CD available at their sites. The consumer will listen to the download to determine if they want to order the high quality CD. MP3.com is slowly sliding toward this model.
Finally will be Internet companies handling individual audio files from anybody who has a yearning to create music. These files will be of the highest quality that the individual artist can produce since the file is the product that is being sold as opposed to being a step on the way to selling a CD. These files will be distributed as shareware. Artist earnings will come from shareware payments and more importantly from having their music included in custom CDs where the consumer will pick which audio selections to put on the CD that they order. MP3Shareware.com is a new Internet company intent on capturing this market.
The leveling of income will occur because at the high end the limiting factor of unauthorized recordings will reduce how financially successful any artist can be. The middle and base layers will provide exposure that was impossible in the pre-Internet recording industry thereby increasing the possibility of financial success for more musicians.
In the new recording industry, artists will retain more control of their copyrighted products and receive a larger percentage of the profits. Both MP3.com and MP3Shareware.com offer a 50% split compared to the small percentages now given by record companies.
With the Internet, anybody can put their music online quickly and easily. Mediation sites such as MP3.com and MP3Shareware.com offer several important advantages over private sites such as handling credit card transactions, a high hit rate, and the capability of aggregating many artists to produce custom CDs. Most private sites will simply provide a link to their music on the mediation site of their choice.
Internet audio distribution is providing composers and performers choices that have never been available before.
After MP3 as finished remodeling the recording industry, the recording industry will consist of a three players:
1. Remnants of the current recording industry.
2. Internet companies that sell CDs.
3. Internet companies that sell individual recordings.
First there will be the remnants of the current recording industry. This area will contain the fewest artists and will operate much like today's recording industry operates. The major difference will be that the ease of creating and distributing unauthorized recordings will limit how successful any artist can be. The more successful the artist the higher the percentage of unauthorized recordings being passed around. Efforts to create a copy proof format will fail because at some point in getting the audio from the CD to the speaker the audio has to be converted into an analog signal that can drive the speaker. This analog signal is in the computer in digital form before it is sent to the audio card and can easily be recaptured and converted into any format without loss of quality. In the worst case the line output can be patched into the line input and still have minimal loss of quality. The loss of quality would be nothing compared to copying cassette tapes. And after the first digital copy is made then all subsequent copies will have the same quality as the first.
Next will be Internet companies that handle CDs recorded by full-time professional musicians. They will have downloadable (reduced audio quality) selections from the CD available at their sites. The consumer will listen to the download to determine if they want to order the high quality CD. MP3.com is slowly sliding toward this model.
Finally will be Internet companies handling individual audio files from anybody who has a yearning to create music. These files will be of the highest quality that the individual artist can produce since the file is the product that is being sold as opposed to being a step on the way to selling a CD. These files will be distributed as shareware. Artist earnings will come from shareware payments and more importantly from having their music included in custom CDs where the consumer will pick which audio selections to put on the CD that they order. MP3Shareware.com is a new Internet company intent on capturing this market.
The leveling of income will occur because at the high end the limiting factor of unauthorized recordings will reduce how financially successful any artist can be. The middle and base layers will provide exposure that was impossible in the pre-Internet recording industry thereby increasing the possibility of financial success for more musicians.
In the new recording industry, artists will retain more control of their copyrighted products and receive a larger percentage of the profits. Both MP3.com and MP3Shareware.com offer a 50% split compared to the small percentages now given by record companies.
With the Internet, anybody can put their music online quickly and easily. Mediation sites such as MP3.com and MP3Shareware.com offer several important advantages over private sites such as handling credit card transactions, a high hit rate, and the capability of aggregating many artists to produce custom CDs. Most private sites will simply provide a link to their music on the mediation site of their choice.
Internet audio distribution is providing composers and performers choices that have never been available before.
Theories Related to Future of the Industry
There are currently three arguments
1. The industry will be unchanged because of the MP3's less-than-CD-quality sound and its large disk space requirements. In other words, the MP3 technology will be shelved along with other music technologies such as the 8-track.
2. The industry will eliminate traditional record labels by eliminating the need to manufacture and distribute the physical product of CDs.
3. Argument 3: MP3 will simply whet music lovers' appetites for the benefits of a technology that can deliver songs online. Because the majority of music buyers are not willing to sift through thousands of obscure bands, web sites, etc. they are not going to be willing to completely shift to Internet music technology. Internet music technology will have a place in the market, but will not completely dominate it.
Let us talk for a moment about 2 above. As we look to future of music, the most obvious change we can expect is the dismantling of traditional physical music retail operations i.e the music shop. This is not to say that retail sales of music will be obliterated, but to say that retail sales will possibly reemerge in a different form i.e. through the Internet . The Internet is accesible nearly anywhere in the world where music buyers want to purchase music.
Another change is the demise of the manufacturing and distribution infrastructure that currently supports traditional music retail stores. Currently, the Big Five record distributors control the physical movement of CDs. 80% of the resources of these five organizations are devoted to the manufacture of physical CDs and moving them from one place to another. As the Big Five sees 80% of their operations disappear, they will be forced to focus on the remaining 20% which is comprised of developing the careers of recording artists and promoting those careers through radio and TV promotion, tour support, etc. However, as the digital revolution continues to evolve, these functions will become even more important. As more consumers have more access to the Internet, aspiring recording artists will need experienced guidance, financing and promotional resources in order to create quality music that will reach audiences more mature and more sophisticated about music. Record companies will have more distribution opportunities, giving them more ways to expose and distribute their artists' product to the consumers with more precise methods for targeting the ideal customer for their music. More revenue opportunities mean more abundantly available, affordable music. This will be good not just for established artists who will continue to see more money spent to promote their work but for new artists hoping someone will invest in their work. In order to be noticed above all the noise; this marketing expertise will be in high demand.
1. The industry will be unchanged because of the MP3's less-than-CD-quality sound and its large disk space requirements. In other words, the MP3 technology will be shelved along with other music technologies such as the 8-track.
2. The industry will eliminate traditional record labels by eliminating the need to manufacture and distribute the physical product of CDs.
3. Argument 3: MP3 will simply whet music lovers' appetites for the benefits of a technology that can deliver songs online. Because the majority of music buyers are not willing to sift through thousands of obscure bands, web sites, etc. they are not going to be willing to completely shift to Internet music technology. Internet music technology will have a place in the market, but will not completely dominate it.
Let us talk for a moment about 2 above. As we look to future of music, the most obvious change we can expect is the dismantling of traditional physical music retail operations i.e the music shop. This is not to say that retail sales of music will be obliterated, but to say that retail sales will possibly reemerge in a different form i.e. through the Internet . The Internet is accesible nearly anywhere in the world where music buyers want to purchase music.
Another change is the demise of the manufacturing and distribution infrastructure that currently supports traditional music retail stores. Currently, the Big Five record distributors control the physical movement of CDs. 80% of the resources of these five organizations are devoted to the manufacture of physical CDs and moving them from one place to another. As the Big Five sees 80% of their operations disappear, they will be forced to focus on the remaining 20% which is comprised of developing the careers of recording artists and promoting those careers through radio and TV promotion, tour support, etc. However, as the digital revolution continues to evolve, these functions will become even more important. As more consumers have more access to the Internet, aspiring recording artists will need experienced guidance, financing and promotional resources in order to create quality music that will reach audiences more mature and more sophisticated about music. Record companies will have more distribution opportunities, giving them more ways to expose and distribute their artists' product to the consumers with more precise methods for targeting the ideal customer for their music. More revenue opportunities mean more abundantly available, affordable music. This will be good not just for established artists who will continue to see more money spent to promote their work but for new artists hoping someone will invest in their work. In order to be noticed above all the noise; this marketing expertise will be in high demand.
Music, the Internet and its Future
The rapid growth of Internet users all aroiund the world has brought many issues to light. Among them are the questions of whether paper based publications such as letters, newspapers, novels etc. have a viable future and how changes driven by the ease accessibility of information on the Internet will affect the industries and occupations that depend on publication and storage of the printed word. However, similar speculation relating to the music industry and the Internet have been largely ignored up until recently. The Internet seems poised to revolutionise many aspects of the music industry including: the publishing of music, artist royalties for use of copywrited material and the sale of recorded music.
Introduction to the future of music
In only the past ten years the developments in music on the internet have been astounding. We have seen the develpment of such technologies as napster, MP3 and many more. The internet has lead to the wide spread desemenation of music, making any type of music available to anybody in the world. This essential idea is why it has been so succesful. Everyday the internet is expanding more and more and this is why the idea of music on the internet will grow and grow over time. Of late there has been much talk of free music on the internet - is it fair to the recording artists? This is one area which will need to be settled before internet music is recognised as a viable medium.
issues
New media technologies have brought about many changes with some good and some viewed as bad, it has undoubtably changed the way that music and the internet but because it has changed the way we as the audience can access the media it has also changed the way the producers of the media are able to broadcast. The internet has revolutionised the way we can access media in the last 10 years now all the days latest news is accesible in a matter of a few clicks of a mouse.
This is also the same for music, with so many different download sites it has become easier and easier to access the music you want when you want.
This hasn't gone down well with some of the music producers because of the illegal downloads that have spiralled from this new technology.
This is also the same for music, with so many different download sites it has become easier and easier to access the music you want when you want.
This hasn't gone down well with some of the music producers because of the illegal downloads that have spiralled from this new technology.
A history of the Apple iPod, iTunes & the Music Store
iTunes
What came first ... the iPod or iTunes? It was the latter. Before the iPod was released, Mac users had had the 'iLife' suite of applications on their computer including iTunes version 1.0 - which had a 'three note' icon instead of the 'double' green one which people are familiar with today.
To this day, both Windows and Mac users can install and run iTunes on their computers without having to have an iPod - you can just use it to organise your music collection on your home computer - you don't have to have an iPod to have iTunes - something which not a lot of people realise.
So iTunes was around (for the Mac only) from January 2001 - without the online store - it merely let you rip your own music/CD collection in and play them through your computer.
First Generation iPod
A chap called Tony Fadell first conceived of iPod outside of Apple, but had difficulty finding funding and so took it to Apple and demonstrated his idea to Steve Jobs. Apple hired him as an independent contractor to bring his project to the public, where he then designed the first two generations before the UK design guru Jonathan Ives took over.
The first Generation iPod was announced on the 23rd October 2001, and was a 5Gb 'scroll wheel' model, which worked with Macs only. It could up up to around 1,000 songs, and went on sale the following month.
iTunes version 2.0 is released in October 2001 - still just a Mac application at this time, and now with a blue coloured icon instead.
In the spring of 2002, third party software developers begin releasing software that will make Windows PC's work with the Mac-only iPods by fooling the iPod into thinking it is connecting to a Mac and not a PC. This worked by fooling the iPod into thinking it was looking at a Mac mounted volume/disk and not a Windows one.
As Apple were only producing iPods for Macs at this time, software was also developed for Windows PC's to allow you to manage your music collected - Ephpod and Anapod being two that are still going today.
At around the same time, a new version (but still classified as first generation) of the iPod comes out - with a 10Gb hard disk, thus capable of storing 2,000 songs. Connectivity is firewire only.
Second Generation iPod
in July 2002, Apple replaced the mechanical scroll wheel with a solid-state touch wheel and gave us larger sized models. Looking exactly the same as the first generation, the second gen ones appear in the third quarter of 2002, but with several key points:
There is now a Windows PC version (which ships with the dreadful Yahoo! MusicMatch application instead of iTunes which hasn't been written for Windows yet), and secondly they are now available in 5Gb, 10Gb and 20Gb hard disk sizes - the latter two having a touch sensitive wheel, instead of one that physically moves. There is still no USB connectivity for them - not a problem for Mac users where Firewire comes as standard, but Windows PC users had to go and buy an additional firewire expansion card to make them work.
At the same time, iTunes verion 3.0 come out (with a different coloured icon again) and it's still only available for Macs. However, people know that a Windows version of it is on its way when adverts appear for programmers to work/code a Windows version of it.
Third Generation iPod
The third generation - and some would arguable say the model which really caught the publics mainstream attention - came out in April of 2003. They look different from the first and second generation models, and have had the buttons move from the outside of the wheel to just below the display.
There are three sizes: 10Gb (2,000 songs), 15Gb (3,750 songs) and 30Gb (7,500 songs) models available.
Another major upgrade is the fact that there are no 'separate' Mac or Windows PC models - any iPod will work on either type of computer, and also USB functionality is now built in for the first time.
In September of 2003, the 20Gb model replaced the 15Gb one (holds 5,000 songs), and a 40Gb model replaced the 30Gb one - which now holds 10,000 songs.
iTunes Music Store comes online
In April of 2003, a new version of iTunes (4.0) is released along with the launch of the iTunes Store - where you could legally buy and download music. But the store is for US based customers only, the rest of the world must wait a little longer.
Eventually, in October 2003 comes iTunes version 4.1 - for the very first time it's availabe for Windows based computers as well.
iPod mini
The iPod mini is released in January 2004 - a 'cut down' smaller version which has a 4Gb disk, that can hold 1,000 songs if you use Apples new AAC encoding system instead of MP3.
It also comes in five colours - silver, pink, green, blue and gold. It's the first appearance of the 'click wheel' as well where the four buttons have been placed underneath the scroll wheel.
On the main iPod front, the 10Gb model is replaced by a 15Gb one - although great bargains can be found with some retailers selling off the old 10Gb model stock.
iTunes store in the UK
The iTunes music store is launched in the UK in June of 2004. Other European countries follow shortly after, but people complain that the price is too high in the UK when compared to other countries.
Fourth Generation iPod
Just three weeks after I got my third generation model, Apple announce the new fourth generation ones, which now had an improved battery life, a click-wheel like the iPod mini, and they lower the price significantly as well! There are 20Gb and 40Gb models. They go on sale in September of 2004.
iPod Photo / U2 iPod
I'm still confused as to whether these should be known as fifth generation iPods or not, but the iPod photo is announced/released in October 2004. It has a colour screen, improved battery life again, a different screen font, and (hence the name) the ability to store and display photos. It comes in 40Gb and 60Gb capacities at quite a price.
At the same time, a limited edition black & red colour "U2 iPod" is released, in 20Gb only, it comes with the bands signatures engraved on the back of the iPod, along with a voucher that enables you to buy the entire back catalogue of U2's music from the iTunes music store.
iPod Shuffle
In January 2005, Apple release the iPod Shuffle - the first iPod with no screen and no hard disk, as it's flash memory based. It's tiny as is ideal for joggers and other sports people who want random music on the go. It's also one of the cheapest priced ipods yet. It comes in 512Mb and 1Gb sizes.
iPod mini (Second generation) and iPod Photo revised
Come February 2005, the iPod mini gets a makeover : It's now available in 6Gb models (as well as 4Gb), it gets an increased battery life (almost doubled), and the price is dropped making it excellent value for money. The Gold coloured iPod is dropped though as it is the one which sells the least.
In the iPod photo range the 40Gb is discontinued, and instead replaced by a smaller 30Gb model - but at a much cheaper price, and it's thinner too
The regular 'fourth generation' iPod (non-colour/photo) was then available in just the 20Gb size.
All iPods in colour
At the end of June 2005, the main iPod range was reduced two just two models - the 20Gb and 60Gb versions which were both in colour. They dropped the 'photo' branding as the non-colour/photo model was withdrawn meaning that all iPods now came in colour and could display photos. The U2 iPod - still proving to be surprisingly popular was also now available in colour.
The price was also dropped again. iTunes 4.9 was released at the same time, bringing with it Podcasting capabilities. iPod-mini at this time is still black and white though.
iPod Nano
In September 2005, Apple announced the iPod Nano - which replaced the iPod mini. A flash disk-based player that came in 4Gb and 6Gb models, and also now in TWO colours - black as well as white, these incredibly small and tiny players were snapped up immediately as they were so popular. They also had colour screens, a bit of a sore point for Apple as they then had to admit that there was a fault with some of them becoming badly scratched and broken shortly after.
That small problem aside (in a minority of cases) it was easily the most 'sexy' iPod yet that proved extremely popular.
iTunes 5 also came out at the same time with a new polished look, the ability to nest playlists within folders and a few more refinements.
iPod Video
Just when everyone thought that the Nano was the big thing that Apple would have out for the christmas 2005 market, just four weeks later they brought us something even newer and better in September 2005 - The iPod Video!
This replaces the iPod Photo, and U2 model, and came in 30Gb and 60Gb, and it was even thinner then before.
There is now a 2.5 inch wide 320x240 pixel screen that lets you watch video as well. iTunes 6.0 was brought out to allow you to download music video, short films, and (in the US only at first) certain TV programmes.
New Nanos, Shuffle and Video updated
In September 2006, Apple brought out the new shaped iPod shuffle - now smaller than ever and available in 1Gb.
They also redesigned the iPod nano, including a new 8Gb model. And had them in five refined colours - Silver, Purple, Black, Green and Blue. For a short while a 1Gb model of the older style nano was available too at a very cheap price.
The iPod Video was refined - and became available in 30Gb and 80Gb sizes (the biggest so far) - it included several refinements on the software of the iPod, including a new 'search' function that you could not get through firmware upgrades on existing iPods.
The release of iTunes 7.0 was a major step forward as the iTunes Music Store was renamed just 'iTunes Store' as you could now download music, TV shows and movies (and games!) for your iPod Video. It also incorporated updating the firmware on the iPod to within iTunes - you no longer have to download a seperate program to reset it, or keep it up to date.
In October 2006, a limited edition Red coloured nano was brought out with $10 of the purchase price going towards AIDS charities - as part of the Product Red range.
In January 2007, Apple announced the launch of the iPhone. A combination of phone and music player. In my mind it's a phone with an 8Gb iPod added in on the side, and not a 'proper' iPod. It DOES though however have a screen that is almost as big as the footprint of the unit, and is all controlled by touching the screen - no physical buttons. It wil be launched first in the USA in the Spring, and then Europe and the rest of the world to follow later, due to sorting out the contract side of the phone networks.
Personally, I'm still waiting for the 'proper' 6th generation iPod, which should have the wide-touch screen like the phone, but with a 80Gb hard disk, and no phone!
In February 2007, the Shuffle was made availale in five colours - silver/grey, purple, green, blue and orange. People suggest that you can now colour coordinate with your outfit and use them as tie-clips!
What came first ... the iPod or iTunes? It was the latter. Before the iPod was released, Mac users had had the 'iLife' suite of applications on their computer including iTunes version 1.0 - which had a 'three note' icon instead of the 'double' green one which people are familiar with today.
To this day, both Windows and Mac users can install and run iTunes on their computers without having to have an iPod - you can just use it to organise your music collection on your home computer - you don't have to have an iPod to have iTunes - something which not a lot of people realise.
So iTunes was around (for the Mac only) from January 2001 - without the online store - it merely let you rip your own music/CD collection in and play them through your computer.
First Generation iPod
A chap called Tony Fadell first conceived of iPod outside of Apple, but had difficulty finding funding and so took it to Apple and demonstrated his idea to Steve Jobs. Apple hired him as an independent contractor to bring his project to the public, where he then designed the first two generations before the UK design guru Jonathan Ives took over.
The first Generation iPod was announced on the 23rd October 2001, and was a 5Gb 'scroll wheel' model, which worked with Macs only. It could up up to around 1,000 songs, and went on sale the following month.
iTunes version 2.0 is released in October 2001 - still just a Mac application at this time, and now with a blue coloured icon instead.
In the spring of 2002, third party software developers begin releasing software that will make Windows PC's work with the Mac-only iPods by fooling the iPod into thinking it is connecting to a Mac and not a PC. This worked by fooling the iPod into thinking it was looking at a Mac mounted volume/disk and not a Windows one.
As Apple were only producing iPods for Macs at this time, software was also developed for Windows PC's to allow you to manage your music collected - Ephpod and Anapod being two that are still going today.
At around the same time, a new version (but still classified as first generation) of the iPod comes out - with a 10Gb hard disk, thus capable of storing 2,000 songs. Connectivity is firewire only.
Second Generation iPod
in July 2002, Apple replaced the mechanical scroll wheel with a solid-state touch wheel and gave us larger sized models. Looking exactly the same as the first generation, the second gen ones appear in the third quarter of 2002, but with several key points:
There is now a Windows PC version (which ships with the dreadful Yahoo! MusicMatch application instead of iTunes which hasn't been written for Windows yet), and secondly they are now available in 5Gb, 10Gb and 20Gb hard disk sizes - the latter two having a touch sensitive wheel, instead of one that physically moves. There is still no USB connectivity for them - not a problem for Mac users where Firewire comes as standard, but Windows PC users had to go and buy an additional firewire expansion card to make them work.
At the same time, iTunes verion 3.0 come out (with a different coloured icon again) and it's still only available for Macs. However, people know that a Windows version of it is on its way when adverts appear for programmers to work/code a Windows version of it.
Third Generation iPod
The third generation - and some would arguable say the model which really caught the publics mainstream attention - came out in April of 2003. They look different from the first and second generation models, and have had the buttons move from the outside of the wheel to just below the display.
There are three sizes: 10Gb (2,000 songs), 15Gb (3,750 songs) and 30Gb (7,500 songs) models available.
Another major upgrade is the fact that there are no 'separate' Mac or Windows PC models - any iPod will work on either type of computer, and also USB functionality is now built in for the first time.
In September of 2003, the 20Gb model replaced the 15Gb one (holds 5,000 songs), and a 40Gb model replaced the 30Gb one - which now holds 10,000 songs.
iTunes Music Store comes online
In April of 2003, a new version of iTunes (4.0) is released along with the launch of the iTunes Store - where you could legally buy and download music. But the store is for US based customers only, the rest of the world must wait a little longer.
Eventually, in October 2003 comes iTunes version 4.1 - for the very first time it's availabe for Windows based computers as well.
iPod mini
The iPod mini is released in January 2004 - a 'cut down' smaller version which has a 4Gb disk, that can hold 1,000 songs if you use Apples new AAC encoding system instead of MP3.
It also comes in five colours - silver, pink, green, blue and gold. It's the first appearance of the 'click wheel' as well where the four buttons have been placed underneath the scroll wheel.
On the main iPod front, the 10Gb model is replaced by a 15Gb one - although great bargains can be found with some retailers selling off the old 10Gb model stock.
iTunes store in the UK
The iTunes music store is launched in the UK in June of 2004. Other European countries follow shortly after, but people complain that the price is too high in the UK when compared to other countries.
Fourth Generation iPod
Just three weeks after I got my third generation model, Apple announce the new fourth generation ones, which now had an improved battery life, a click-wheel like the iPod mini, and they lower the price significantly as well! There are 20Gb and 40Gb models. They go on sale in September of 2004.
iPod Photo / U2 iPod
I'm still confused as to whether these should be known as fifth generation iPods or not, but the iPod photo is announced/released in October 2004. It has a colour screen, improved battery life again, a different screen font, and (hence the name) the ability to store and display photos. It comes in 40Gb and 60Gb capacities at quite a price.
At the same time, a limited edition black & red colour "U2 iPod" is released, in 20Gb only, it comes with the bands signatures engraved on the back of the iPod, along with a voucher that enables you to buy the entire back catalogue of U2's music from the iTunes music store.
iPod Shuffle
In January 2005, Apple release the iPod Shuffle - the first iPod with no screen and no hard disk, as it's flash memory based. It's tiny as is ideal for joggers and other sports people who want random music on the go. It's also one of the cheapest priced ipods yet. It comes in 512Mb and 1Gb sizes.
iPod mini (Second generation) and iPod Photo revised
Come February 2005, the iPod mini gets a makeover : It's now available in 6Gb models (as well as 4Gb), it gets an increased battery life (almost doubled), and the price is dropped making it excellent value for money. The Gold coloured iPod is dropped though as it is the one which sells the least.
In the iPod photo range the 40Gb is discontinued, and instead replaced by a smaller 30Gb model - but at a much cheaper price, and it's thinner too
The regular 'fourth generation' iPod (non-colour/photo) was then available in just the 20Gb size.
All iPods in colour
At the end of June 2005, the main iPod range was reduced two just two models - the 20Gb and 60Gb versions which were both in colour. They dropped the 'photo' branding as the non-colour/photo model was withdrawn meaning that all iPods now came in colour and could display photos. The U2 iPod - still proving to be surprisingly popular was also now available in colour.
The price was also dropped again. iTunes 4.9 was released at the same time, bringing with it Podcasting capabilities. iPod-mini at this time is still black and white though.
iPod Nano
In September 2005, Apple announced the iPod Nano - which replaced the iPod mini. A flash disk-based player that came in 4Gb and 6Gb models, and also now in TWO colours - black as well as white, these incredibly small and tiny players were snapped up immediately as they were so popular. They also had colour screens, a bit of a sore point for Apple as they then had to admit that there was a fault with some of them becoming badly scratched and broken shortly after.
That small problem aside (in a minority of cases) it was easily the most 'sexy' iPod yet that proved extremely popular.
iTunes 5 also came out at the same time with a new polished look, the ability to nest playlists within folders and a few more refinements.
iPod Video
Just when everyone thought that the Nano was the big thing that Apple would have out for the christmas 2005 market, just four weeks later they brought us something even newer and better in September 2005 - The iPod Video!
This replaces the iPod Photo, and U2 model, and came in 30Gb and 60Gb, and it was even thinner then before.
There is now a 2.5 inch wide 320x240 pixel screen that lets you watch video as well. iTunes 6.0 was brought out to allow you to download music video, short films, and (in the US only at first) certain TV programmes.
New Nanos, Shuffle and Video updated
In September 2006, Apple brought out the new shaped iPod shuffle - now smaller than ever and available in 1Gb.
They also redesigned the iPod nano, including a new 8Gb model. And had them in five refined colours - Silver, Purple, Black, Green and Blue. For a short while a 1Gb model of the older style nano was available too at a very cheap price.
The iPod Video was refined - and became available in 30Gb and 80Gb sizes (the biggest so far) - it included several refinements on the software of the iPod, including a new 'search' function that you could not get through firmware upgrades on existing iPods.
The release of iTunes 7.0 was a major step forward as the iTunes Music Store was renamed just 'iTunes Store' as you could now download music, TV shows and movies (and games!) for your iPod Video. It also incorporated updating the firmware on the iPod to within iTunes - you no longer have to download a seperate program to reset it, or keep it up to date.
In October 2006, a limited edition Red coloured nano was brought out with $10 of the purchase price going towards AIDS charities - as part of the Product Red range.
In January 2007, Apple announced the launch of the iPhone. A combination of phone and music player. In my mind it's a phone with an 8Gb iPod added in on the side, and not a 'proper' iPod. It DOES though however have a screen that is almost as big as the footprint of the unit, and is all controlled by touching the screen - no physical buttons. It wil be launched first in the USA in the Spring, and then Europe and the rest of the world to follow later, due to sorting out the contract side of the phone networks.
Personally, I'm still waiting for the 'proper' 6th generation iPod, which should have the wide-touch screen like the phone, but with a 80Gb hard disk, and no phone!
In February 2007, the Shuffle was made availale in five colours - silver/grey, purple, green, blue and orange. People suggest that you can now colour coordinate with your outfit and use them as tie-clips!
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