Certification - August 2008 - (Page 19)

Once CDs are gone, music distribution likely will move entirely over to digital downloads. It’s unlikely that another physical format will be introduced. “I don’t see another physical format taking over because I think the record industry sort of missed that window,” Liebowitz said. “If the record industry were smart, it would have gotten rid of the CD 10 years ago and had something new, the way the DVD people have.” What is likely is that music downloading as a format will continue to mature, with users becoming better educated about how they can get downloads of the best possible sound quality, which has been an issue with downloading thus far. iTunes generally sells music files that have a bit rate of 128 kbps, far below the 192 kbps needed to match CD quality audio (some would place this requirement at 256 kbps). “That’s easily overcome; they can sell them at higher bit rates if they want,” Liebowitz said. “There’s no real limitation.” Byrne agrees. On his blog, he points out that while the era of packaged music may be over, “the era of music bundled with multimedia may have just begun.” Byrne sees music becoming merely one component of what buyers would be getting in purchasing an album, a teaser that draws them into an entire multimedia experience. “Now maybe free, recorded music will be the thing that hooks you into the universe of Britney, Ashley or the Ying Yang Twins,” Byrne said. “The music will be your introduction into a universe of merch, relationships, video clips, links [and] on and on.” This is certainly something the record industry has experimented with, bundling CDs with free DVDs and ringtone menus, building enhanced video content into the discs themselves and having albums unlock further content online. Once the recording industry fully fleshes out this package, declining CD sales may not seem to be such a death knell. 8 – Daniel Margolis, dmargolis@certmag.com August 2008 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE 19

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Certification - August 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Data Stream jVirtual Village Tech Careers Dear Techie Troubleshooting Academic Connection What We Like Look Ahead The China Boom United in IT: Tech Culture Breaks Down Barriers Abroad Interface Digital Home Technology Integrator: Specialized Skills for the Smart Home Inside Certification Ad Index Endtag

Certification - August 2008

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