How Music Libraries Were Transformed By The Internet

Everything in a society changes as the overall technology in that society grows, and music is no exception. The internet, the fastest growing form of communication, was bound to become intertwined with music, the most historic form of artistic communication. As the internet continues to advance, it has become an important portion of the media industry, such as music libraries. At first the internet was seen mainly as a threat to the livelihood of music artists and recording studios. Producers were concerned for their financial books, since they believed internet sharing would kill their businesses by leaving them with no means to make profit from the music. The rush could not be stopped, however, and music has flooded the web through both legal, and currently illegal, means.

Music companies began to see that stopping the technology was a futile task and switched over to using it to their advantage. Even small music labels and indie bands sought refuge online as their source of distribution. It provided a quick and inexpensive way to spread the word of one's band or record company.
People's libraries are now full of the most diverse, unique, and avant-garde music in history, combining cultures and styles that no business analysis would have predicted people would like. Although most of western civilization takes part in illegal downloading or streaming of music, it has exposed them to bands that would never have seen success otherwise. Businesses now show profits from these internet discoveries, when thousands of fans from the internet show loyalty by buying merchandise, concert tickets, MP3s of the band's music and videos, and supporting traffic on the music label's website.
 
The success of many small businesses that moved online gave much needed confidence to larger companies to follow suit and make the journey along the virtual highway. Apple has released their iTunes Store, a program that one can download online, allowing customers to make large or small purchases of many different songs and albums. The iTunes Store allows a person to select only the songs he or she wants from a particular album without requiring the person to purchase the whole album.

Connection to the world-wide-web has also made the library itself a variable tool. In years past, there was only the default music player that came equipped in the software of the computer itself, but now many different programs compete for the most popular install online. Some provide the music in stores, connect to a portable device like an iPod, burn disks, shrink file sizes, organize, and find all information for an untitled MP3. These programs have also inspired easier creation of independently made music from home that can be quickly shared with the world with a simple click of the mouse.

The music industry has never been the same since the first online music library; it has changed for the better. From the physical to the virtual, musical stores and music libraries have come a long way since the emergence of online power. It can be assumed that as the internet grows at an exponential rate, the music libraries themselves will also continue to evolve to suit the needs and desires of the people.