Steve Jobs will remain an iconic figure in the history of the music industry. Billboard said it best:
“That a man who never played an instrument or so much as sang a note professionally could be considered one of the greatest rock stars of this generation speaks to the impact Steve Jobs had on the music industry, and the legacy on it he leaves behind.”
Ever since the word of Jobs’ passing , members of the music business have been weighing in on the loss of the former Apple CEO. Many of the products Apple released during his tenure as CEO directly impacted the music business. These products not only changed the way music is distributed, sold, and enjoyed, but also the way its made. Jobs really started the digital music business that we know today.
Along with being personally involved with creating the iTunes digital retail system, he was personally invested in acquiring the music catalog that he wanted to hear and he wanted to make that publicly available. The best example of this would be acquiring The Beatles catalog. He personally convinced Dr. Dre to make his catalog available digitally and he also negotiated directly with Bono and Jimmy Iovine at his kitchen table for the U2 iPod in 2004. Bono made this statement saying:
"What made Steve Jobs truly great is that he was only interested in doing truly great things. He was bored by an easy ride or easy profit. In a world littered with dull objects, he brought the beauty of clean lines and clear thought. [He was] one of a very small group of anarchic Americans who through technology literally invented the 21st century. We will all miss the hardware-software ELVIS.”
What made Jobs a real impact on the music industry? Sure all of his products combined with their amazing software made a huge impact on the business, but most importantly he was a fan. Not only a fan of music, as we all are, but also a fan of how music could be enjoyed. And that is a legacy that will live on forever.
RIP, Steve.
Credit: http://hypetrak.com/2011/10/steve-jobs-the-i-in-music/ & http://michellespushplay.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/steve-jobs-impact-on-the-music-industry/
Very well put. Steve Jobs was all of the above and much more. He has left his footprints on the sands of Time and he will always be remembered for the way he changed the world.
ReplyDelete