So, fast forward five years.

How do you want to enjoy your favorite band?

Do you want to go to the store on release day, buy a Coldplay album on vinyl, and find a code inside so you can download a digital copy?

Do you want to leave albums behind, and purchase a new Passion Pit single from iTunes whenever the band records a new song… assembling albums of your own invention from your favorites?

Do you want each act to have its own site, where you can listen to samples and decide whether to buy an annual subscription, which will give you access to all of their music?

I’m impressed with Sam Phillips new subscription approach. But I also want to hold a vinyl copy of her next record in my hand. And I don’t want record stores to disappear: I like browsing through used copies. There’s something exciting about browsing. I’ve made a lot of discoveries that way.

Here’s one thing that concerns me: I explore music with the help of the public library system. Every week I bring home five or six new albums to play on my commute from my Shoreline home to Seattle Pacific University and back. Will exploring music through the public library become obsolete?

Let’s imagine a way out of this present chaos of options. What do you see as an ideal resolution?

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