CNN.com – Josh Bernoff: Customers turning to downloads over CDs – Sep. 6, 2003
This is definitely a trend that’s coming from youth. The young people do this the most, and when you go into Tower Records a few years from now, it’s going to be all old people hanging out in there.
Interesting article: this makes the first time a media format will go away, but won’t be replaced by another.
The victim here will be the retailers: they’re the ones who won’t have any physical objects to sell. The labels are projected to move to online services for music sales, and DVDs will be replaced by cable companies’ video on demand, leaving the mall music stores selling posters and T-shirts.