ell, we love music, and it’s always good to do something you love. More importantly, music is a part of everyone’s life. Everyone! Music’s been around forever;
it will always be around.” - Steve Jobs
Let’s face it - Apple has been the king of music in the 2000s. No other company came close to its success and influence. With the introduction of the Apple iPod combined with iTunes, Apple allowed its customers to get access to around 1000 songs in their back pockets. And that was revolutionary back in 2001 when the first iPod entered the market.
Back then having a device so small and portable, with only 5GB of memory was something else, as the was nothing that could match it. No MP3 Player, on the market, not even Sony’s Walkman, offered that much memory. Not to mention the premium feeling that Apple forged for the device, both in terms of materials(aluminum rather than plastic) and the $500 price. Simply put, Apple changed the way we listened to music, offering a new technology that everybody wanted!
The introduction of the Apple iPod was a game-changer.
There is a chance that if you are young, you probably are not aware of Apple’s music-listening device, the iPod. After all, nowadays you can just hit play on Apple Music and your Air Pods will do the rest. Back then, the iPod was what connected us to our favorite music.
And it’s worth noting just how much the new technology of the iPod affected CDs and vinyl. Even though more recently there has been a physical-media resurgence, back then, the iPod ran a lot of this industry to the ground. People didn’t want to buy CDs anymore because they could buy songs from the iTunes store and have them at their disposal anytime via a small device that was the size of a deck of cards.
The iPod blew everyone’s minds. Not only you were able to listen to music on the go more conveniently, not having to wear a portable cassette player, but you could store a lot of songs on it. Having an Apple iPod meant you could plug your headphones in, but also your car radio, your sound system at home, or your work computer and just listen to music. Legally! We emphasize the idea of legally listening to music because back in those days there was a real issue with pirating music everywhere, and iTunes offered the solution to safely and ethically listening to your favorite tracks.
And the storage options kept growing year by year. While in 2001 having 5GB of hard disk memory to save your music, in 2007, when the first iPhone was released, the iPod classic offered 80GB for half the price of the original 2001 version.
Nevertheless, these features were not the only ones that attracted customers. The design for which Apple went on to be recognized started with the AppeliPod. The interface was also so easy to use that everyone could access their favorite music without any effort.
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iTunes changed the way people consume music.
Now you don’t have to acquire whole albums to listen to your favorite artist! iTunes allowed its users to purchase individual songs. If an album that you liked had a few misses, you didn’t have to own and listen to them anymore. Did we also mention that this was a more cost-effective alternative? Still, it wasn’t the perfect template for music listening. That was achieved with the introduction of streaming services.
Going back to iTunes, the digital store offered a large library of music and a simplified experience of acquiring songs and albums, but it also offered immediate synchronization with the iPod. If you purchased a song or album from the platform, your device would get it immediately!
The Apple iPod and iTunes were a perfect combo.
The new technology of the iPod dominated the market for digital music players, while iTunes became the world’s largest music retailer. In 2008, Apple reached a peak in sales for its iPod, with over 54 million units sold worldwide.
And that’s not enough - as the popularity of the iPod and iTunes significantly influenced the music business, which at that time, struggled to adapt to the digital age. Apple showed that this was a sustainable practice for delivering and listening to tracks everywhere. Music was no longer something that you played in the comfort of your house or used CD players and pick-ups.
And the killer duo paved the way for today’s streaming services.
There’s no question about it - we are living in the era of digital streaming. We had to say goodbye to the iPod in 2022, as Apple interrupted the production of the device for not making sense anymore. Everything is now digitalized, you need nothing else than your phone to experience the joy of listening to music.
Apple Music was introduced back in 2015, as the company’s alternative to Spotify and Pandora. Its success can be attributed to its flawless integration into Apple’s ecosystem. The app is pre-installed on every iPhone device and it’s also accessible on iPads and Macs. And that’s not all! The streaming service also comes with exclusive material and features such as the Apple Music 1, formerly Beats 1. That is basically a radio service developed and owned by Apple that streams a mix of pop, rap, and indie music on all the devices
The popularity of today’s music apps comes after the iPod and iTunes warmed the scene for everybody. Without them, the translation of music to the digital age would have gone way slower. Nowadays, people can’t fathom life without Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, or other streaming services that we got everyone got so used to.
By
Adam Brown
•
February 25, 2025 9:00 PM
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