Pretty much any music fan above the age of 18-20 can name an independent record/music shop they used to frequent while growing up. Whatever their taste of music may have been, hip-hop, ska, punk, rock, indie, reggae, etc...we all had that local 'cool guy' spot to get anything from the latest to the rarest. More than a place to buy music, it often became a hub for all music related culture, happenings, a hangout, and for some even a venue for new acts. For me, the place that embodied all of this was a place called Record Swap / Off-The-Alley in Homewood, IL. It goes almost without saying that these places are not as plentiful as they used to be.
While they may be on the decline, these places still matter, and as the article I've linked below highlights, they can still exist in a world where music is consumed almost entirely in a digital format. The article talks quite a bit about the continued, if not renewed, interest in vinyl. I think that's great...I really do. But more than the music that is bought at a record store, its the culture and meeting place that is created by having a physical space for like and unlike-minded types to congregate and 'talk shop' for hours about...music.
While INDISTR may be an entirely web-based music business (we do have a pretty cool office actually) we 100% support record shops and whatever else may end up filling the gap that is continuing to grow as digital replaces the physical. So go buy some vinyl, or any format, at your local spot and spend some time enjoying the culture of music away from your computer!
Just some morning thoughts...
Check out this article as well.
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2 comments:
I still love going to record shops and finding that special edition vinyl or bonus CD. I only buy physical copies if it is limited and a special/rare collectors version. Above that though, I am envisioning a Indistr digital retail store where you can go in and load up your mp3 or ipod with the latest downloads via Computer download stations with additional artist info, and in store merch, like T-shirts, Hoodies, caps, wristbands, badges etc... Maybe a lounge area to hold industry seminars, Meet and greets etc.
In case kids don't have paypal or credit cards, you can offer prepaid cards that customers can redeem at the download station. Just my mind racing ;)
Perhaps it's more obvious this time of year than it is during others, but there's one element that 100% digital can't seem to do better than a brick-and-mortar cd-shop: the shopping experience.
The "recommendations" that iTunes, Amazon, etc. give you in no way relate to how one browses a store. "Staff Picks" mean a lot more when you can SEE the guy get excited about how much they love the album they've chosen. I've bought more albums based solely on what is playing on the record store's speakers than I have in all of my digital purchases.
I think that people enjoy browsing, finding unexpected things (both old and new). Until the web can actually replicate the feeling of finding that really nice copy of Mike Oldfield's "Ommadawn" that was accidentally placed in the "BLUES" section for $2.99, I will still prefer the tangible atmosphere of a real shop.
That being said, I would LOVE for someone to really make browsing music online a personal, warm endeavor. I'm not sure we're there yet.
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