Culture concepts and definitions

Culture and the Ipod

American Culture and the IPod

Apple first introduced the iPod in October 2001, beginning what many would consider an enormous revolution in the music industry. While music had been previously made available on MP3 players, the iPod became the first product that was also linked to computer software designed to help consumers both manage and purchase files. In fact, by the end of 2001, consumers had the option of loading their entire music collection from compact discs into iTunes, and carrying up to 1000 song files on their iPod (Apple, 2011).

The iPod irrevocably changed the way we purchase, store, and listen to music. Prior to 2001, most consumers purchased and stored music on compact disks, but iTunes allowed anyone with a computer and CD drive to transfer all of these music files to their computers. iTunes also enabled users to organize music files, create playlists, and even mark files with album art to make the organization clear and accessible. People quickly started taking entire collections of music, copying the files onto a computer, and discarding the compact disks. iPods and iTunes not only made music highly portable, but also allowed us to cut down on storage. Prior to this advancement people routinely carried compact disks and compact disk players or walkmans to listen to music while they were in the car or exercising. iPods suddenly allowed users to carry their entire collection of music in a much smaller, handheld device (Time, 2011).

The debut of the first iPod in 2001 aroused a fair amount of feedback from critics. The main concerns expressed by consumers and critics revolved around the heavy weight and high cost of the unit, as the original price was approximately $300. Consumers were accustomed to using relatively lightweight compact disk players for portable music, and the original iPod felt heavy to many users. In addition, many basic compact disk players could be purchased for under $100, so the pricing of the iPod seemed high to many consumers. People quickly began discussing that iPod was useful for the home setting, but was not easy to carry, and therefore served to replace larger household-based stereo systems rather than replacing portable music players. In addition, with the high price, many consumers were reluctant to use the iPod in situations where it could be easily damaged or stolen (Time, 2011).

Apple responded to these initial criticisms by making development of additional products and generations a major priority. The company developed subsequent iPod generations and a wide variety of accessories to assist users and make iPods more marketable. For example, iPod "skins" which are simple rubber or plastic covers, became very popular, giving consumers the ability to enclose the device in a protective outer cover that both waterproofed the device and protected the iPod from scratches or other damage. The cultural and economic implications of the iPod quickly became obvious, as designers and electronics companies began to develop a wide variety of accessories for the iPod, including car adaptors, cases, carriers, and custom headphones. Many designers, in fact worked on creating custom materials, colors, and graphics for iPod cases and skins. Thus, the iPod quickly had an enormous impact on fields of design and portable electronics.

A major controversy that surrounded the introduction and evolution of MP3 players such as the iPod was the popularization of MP3's as a music platform. This digital format was easy to copy and transfer via computers, and the question of music piracy quickly emerged into the forefront. The creation of Napster, a company that allowed the free exchange of MP3 files, led consumers to copy and exchange millions of music files, meaning that consumers could now access popular music without buying any compact disks or paying for the MP3 files. Musicians and record companies expressed immediate concern that these systems enabled consumers to access their commercial goods illegally, causing an enormous loss in revenue for artists and production companies.

Apple was, perhaps, the only producer of MP3 players to offer a significant solution to the issue of music piracy. The introduction if an iTunes store enabled artists to directly market their music for sale over the Internet. This allowed consumers to browse music genres, read music reviews, and purchase entire albums or single songs. The popularization and effective marketing of iTunes, thus, allowed Apple to straddle this very difficult issue of music piracy by showing both consumers and the music industry that they were committed to offering high quality products intended for ethical use, as opposed to encouraging the use and proliferation of pirated MP3 files.