Steve Jobs, Apple, and the International Music Industry

Since Steve Jobs and his team created the iPod in 2001, enjoying music and other kinds of media has been brought to a different level. Not only can people listen to music or watch videos on the go, downloading certain kinds of data can be done through iTunes, an online media library that was released by Apple almost at the same time as the first-generation iPod.

A lot of people believe that since the invention of the iPod and iTunes, the entertainment industry got badly affected. Some say that the music industry took the hardest blow. For some, Steve Jobs and Apple robbed many musicians, producers and other members of the music industry of their income generating resources, which led to loss of careers, loss of investors and the slow death of the international music industry.

They say Steve Jobs and Apple changed musical consumption and distribution patterns, the accessibility of digital media and the overall attitude of people towards music. I see all these as positive changes in the music industry and I think it is unfair to blame Apple, especially Steve Jobs, for the so-called demise of the music industry.

Before Steve Jobs and his team invented the iPod, there were already existing portable mp3 players that allowed people to play music, videos and other types of media on the go. Before the launch of iTunes, there were other music-focused online services, such as Napster that allowed free data sharing through the Internet. I guess it was just made famous by iTunes, and also because people became more familiar with downloading music online.

I think what the international music industry is experiencing now should be blamed on the poor quality of songs that are being produced. Gone are the days when songs with great lyrics and melody like Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” and Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” are played by local radio stations. Another factor is the quick change in people’s preferences and taste in music. People these days don’t seem to be contented with just one genre of music which makes it difficult for the music industry to produce songs that will generate a lot of money.

Just as every other sector of the society, the music industry has gone through change over time. Steve Jobs and Apple may have contributed a lot in this said change but I don’t think they affected the music industry negatively. In fact, they might have even revived the interest of people in music.