Weekly survey: Do you still buy digital music files?

The introduction of iTunes in 2001 was a game-changer for the music industry. Steve Jobs was able to convince everyone involved that this was the future and the way to combat the piracy being waged by illegal file-sharing apps. When it was ported to Windows users in 2003, iTunes exploded and became a monster. It’s been a good run. But as more people adopted streaming, the need to pay for individual songs and albums dissipated. Why spend $1.29 on a single song when you can stream 100 million songs for 10 bucks a month? Sales of digital tracks and albums have been on a steady downward vector for years, dropping anywhere for 15 to 20% year-over-year. The iTunes platform doesn’t have the influence it once did. Mac users saw the standalone version of iTunes integrated into Apple Music a few years ago while PC users still had a version of the original iTunes. Now, though, Apple Music is available in the Microsoft Store, which probably indicates that the old-school iTunes will soon become extinct. That being said, I’m curious of you still pay for digital downloads. (I do because my job requires that I have files of songs I can use on the radio.) Here’s the weekly survey question.

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