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Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Music downloads on the Internet: A new music generation

In 2004, the UK heard the first ever download chart hit single. Westlife were officially the first download chart UK number11, with a reissue of their 1999 hit single, 'Flying Without Wings'.

And since the first download number 1, the UK music charts have introduced new methods of compiling the UK Top 40 chart. All legally downloaded music and music bought in-store is now included in the UK Top 40 chart.

Downloading Music

Downloading music from online music stores has revolutionised the way we buy music. Many people prefer to download tracks straight from the Internet. Shop sales offline are not affected in a dramatic way and profits still reach the artists, unlike illegal downloads.

Sites such as iTunes and Coke Music have given Internet users the ability to download their music quickly. There is no longer a need to go to shops such as HMV.

Illegal Music Downloading

Even though the cost of MP3 downloads is at an all time low, with tracks costing as little as 50p for the UK, some people still choose to download tracks illegally or use file sharing software to share music. This form of music downloading is illegal and the UK government is improving laws and watching Internet activity to combat the issue.

Music History in the Making

With the first download chart number 1 in 2004 for Westlife and the combining of the download chart and UK Top 40 chart we are entering a really interesting era of music.

In April 2006, Gnarls Barkley achieved the first UK number 1 based on download sales alone - an unbelievable achievement you will surely agree. With over 31,000 sales for this single alone2, the download industry is becoming a key way to sell music and achieve a number 1 in the UK Top 40 chart. Even more impressive was that the song was not even released for sale in shops until the day after it had reached number 1 in the charts.

The Future of Music Downloads

With such a high number of music downloads, the Internet will undoubtedly continue to play a huge part in the sale of music for years to come. But what does the future hold for music downloads on other platforms?

It is not uncommon to have a mobile phone with an MP3 player nowadays and downloading music for mobile phones has become a lot easier.

The introduction of mobile phone MP3 shops has boosted sales. The latest online MP3 shop selling music for mobiles is 3 mobile, a 3G (third generation) mobile phone network provider in the UK.

Soon, there will be more shops as mobile technologies advance. New phones with larger memory sizes will be invented to compete with multimedia for phones. Memory cards for mobiles will develop into larger cards with cross compatibility to transfer music, videos and games from PC to mobile phone.

TV channels are now offering 3G customers clips, live footage and sports highlights on their phones. This technology is showing us that the worlds of multimedia and mobile phones are coming together.

New technologies will improve the communication and increase the power and performance of the small devices most of the public use on a daily basis.

1 BBC News 'Westlife top first download chart' at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3617020.stm (13 Nov 06)

2 BBC News 'Crazy song makes musical history' at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4870150.stm (13 Nov 06)