http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=2850042&page=1
I thought this was an interesting article. It’s contrary to what the book reads (to some degree), in that, the experience of actually shopping for music is not quite dead (at least in some cities). It’s not all about just downloading one song from an album, but rummaging through stack after stack of CDs, looking for something obscure, or searching for the latest Top 40 album. It’s also about connecting with others that have the same interests, and also a place to network. Many people do enjoy the hands-on experience, and the personal attention received. Internet can be quite impersonal. I agree with the commentary that there are many individuals that prefer brick-and-mortar to that of online shopping for music. For Amoeba music shop, it was probably beneficial that Tower Records filed for bankruptcy. It left Amoeba as the one source in the area that provides every type of genre available, all under one roof. And, without the competition, they are sitting pretty good. The article also points out that Amoeba doesn’t have numerous stores around the globe, thus, allowing them to be more focused on just a few stores, providing customers personal attention and a vast variety of music. Another aspect of Amoeba is that many famous band members frequent the place drawing fans there as well in the hopes that they will be able to bump into them. The atmosphere plays a huge role in drawing customers, something you don’t get with Internet.
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Although I don’t buy music that often anymore, I think I like the hand’s on stores better. Even with the best search and recommendation engines, nothing beats the browsing that can be done in a real store. There are so many musicians I am not that familiar with, so would never think of searching for online, but if I see their album, recognize their face, I might try it in the store and buy the album because it is fun to experiment. Amoeba reminded me of EasyStreet Records here in Seattle. They have a couple of stores now, both here locally. They do a pretty good job diversifying. They have a café, with great food as well as a small stage where they host artists from time to time. I especially like their used section, where real musical gems can be found. -- Great post.
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