The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution"

A friend who is a computer wiz says "I don't think that I can ever get into simply downloading music. To which I answer, "We can't deny the future just because we don't like it. There is a lot of interesting, useful information in this book that could be upsetting to jazz fans and musicians but should not be ignored.

The authors foresee a future where music is omnipresent as water (in first-world societies) and the analogy of choice of access to music might be between turning on the faucet for tap water or buying a premium bottled water. The CD business as it now stands is dying if not totally dead and the book explains why, persuasively. It's very hard for a jazz fan to read "video games have more influence in music than radio stations because we have always been outside the mainstream. Still, we need to know where the mainstream is.

Does anyone really know all about the future? Mosaic Records still sells out LP versions of its releases way before the CD version; a niche market perhaps, but an aberration that can't be ignored. Abbie Hoffman's cry of "Steal this book! may have turned into "Scan this book! but you will most likely read The Future of Music in book form...and you should.

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