The music industry is far more complicated than any decade past could have predicted. In an age where all kinds of music are available at your fingertips for a small fee (or even free), it's hard to believe that music once meant going to a physical store to spend more than $15 on a record or a CD. The younger generation, born in the digital age, may not understand the work of all parties involved in producing an album. How did we get to this point? Some would say it's a matter of convenience and society would agree with that. Almost every industry has had to go digital in one way or another. Local businesses now need websites and social media to advertise and generate business. Even government has expanded online, with most cities providing access to forms that previously required a trip to the municipal office to fill out. Digital is the way of the future and no industry feels it more than the music industry. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The shift from physical to digital music began with Apple's release of the iTunes system and the iPod. Before Apple, the device of choice was vinyl, CD player or Walkman. When the iPod came out in 2001, things changed completely. Many consumers have started loading their CDs onto their new devices instead of carrying around a CD player or Walkman. iTunes offered consumers a way to legally download music over the Internet rather than going to a store and purchasing a physical copy. This also allowed the purchase of individual songs rather than an entire album. Apple continued to dominate the market with each release of a new iPod and eventual iPhone, securing its place in the technological world. Yet there were, and still are, many people who cling to their vinyl. Today's hipster culture extols the aesthetic benefits, among other aspects, of owning vinyl records. This led to a 32% increase in vinyl sales between 2014 and 2015, and an increase through 2016, despite other download sources declining in the streaming era that followed. From the digital age of downloading came the age of streaming. Streaming is the best way to listen to music today. Between 2014 and 2015, CD sales in the United States fell by 17%, album downloads by 5%, and single downloads by 13%. However, usage of ad-supported on-demand streams increased by 31% and usage of subscription streaming increased by 25%. (Source: Recording Industry Association of America) All the heavyweights of the download era have had to adapt or risk being left behind. First on the streaming scene was Rhapsody in 2001, under the name Listen.com. The company offered unlimited access to a vast music library and charged a monthly fee. They purchased their music from Naxos Records in addition to several small independent labels. By 2002, they had signed with five major labels (EMI, BMG, Warner Bros. Records, Sony and Universal Records). Rhapsody has now been overtaken by many others: Google Play, Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music and even YouTube. Each of these sources does its best to make up for lost profits from CDs. Google Play costs $9.99/month for "All Access", $14.99/month for "All Access" for up to 6 family members, and is free for "Standard". Spotify costs $9.99/month for,.