Advantages and disadvantages of convergence for the music industry.

Technological convergence is the tendency for different technological systems to evolve towards performing similar tasks.

The line between recording and playback is quickly blurring. And so is the line between professional and amateur. Technology has made new products smaller, feature-rich and more affordable. When anyone can record their music and offer it on the web for the whole world to enjoy, there is suddenly little difference between musicians and listeners. The music industry is rapidly converging and new market opportunities are being created every day.

We all remember Napster and the amount of controversy it created, as well as its impact on the record industry. A similar transformation is underway in the world of recording, and it will affect all of us as both consumers and producers of audio content. This transformation is called convergence, and in our view it will take three distinct forms:

1. Convergence of the Producer and Consumer Markets

2. Convergence of the Recording and Playback Domains

3. Convergence of the Computer Tools for all of the above

The first type of convergence is most easily illustrated on the example of a club DJ. Here we basically have a consumer who grew up listening to records, who has evolved into a producer of original content by creating innovative musical collages for the audience to enjoy. This type of convergence and the associated consumer trends have sprung new life into the declining turntable and record needle industries and given birth to new market segments in DJ mixers, effects, lighting and sound reinforcement equipment.

Computer software like ACID™ extends this trend to the desktop user through sample manipulation and adds to the creative possibilities of people without the training and experience to play a "real" musical instrument. More people can generate original content now than before. The line between the consumer and the producer of content has blurred.

iPod took the world by storm in 2002 with over a million units sold, far surpassing the sales of all other MP3 players combined. Curiously enough, the processor chip used in many MP3 players is capable of not only playing back, but also encoding MP3 files onto the hard drive.

This means that a device that fits into your pocket can theoretically also function as a stereo recorder, which in turn opens up possibilities for recording live shows, practice sessions and demos on a small budget. No longer do you need an expensive studio and racks of gear to put together a demo. If all of your instruments are electric, you can easily record a complete project in a spare bedroom. The home, which has traditionally been a playback-only domain, now doubles as a recording domain as well.