Only one-third of Americans buy music digitally

Yes my tech friends. We the iTunes nation are a minority. A growing minority but a minority nonetheless. Two-thirds of all music purchases are still sold on physical media. I have a few friends that refuse to purchase anything other than CDs. Sound quality has a lot to do with that.

Hat tip [App Scout]

Portable Social Graphs - Imagining their Potential

I'm combing through my Social Networking blogs and found this presentation on SlideShare, authored by Shiv Singh of Razorfish, that talks about the potential impact of Facebook Connect. I've mentioned before that FB as an authentication layer for applications like banking could potentially go a long way in overcoming consumer security fears. 

One of the sections in this deck I found most interesting was the idea of connecting iTunes and Facebook. This connection would make it easier to share music you like with friends. It would also offer a way of narrowing reviews to people in your social circle and inspiring people who may not normally review things to participate. Interesting deck and well worth the read.  

Brian Eno's Bloom iPhone music application

I'm amazed at the applications that are coming out for the iPhone in the music category. I talked about one of the RjDj early on in my blog. Then there's the Ocarina [developer site] an application that turns the phone into a recorder. Not only can you play music but you can listen to other users play their tunes around the world. My latest obsession is Brian Eno's Bloom [iTunes link] reviewed here by Stuart Dredge. With Bloom, you generate tones based on mood. Outstanding.

Song of the Day - Long Distance Call by Phoenix

I love this song and have been playing it a lot lately. The guitar riff is lively and almost Oasis like. My favorite part is the end. It builds to an energetic high then drops to almost a whisper. Masterful.

I know these guys have their start in a more groovy sound and I look forward to exploring more of that. 

iTunes link 

Song of the Day - I Feel It All by Feist

Today I've been listening to Feist a lot. Specifically I Feel It All. There's a line in there 'I knew more than I did before' that I find particularly relevant as I get older and wiser. Well hopefully wiser. 

Like many others, it was the 1-2-3-4 video for the iPod Nano (squat version) that introduced me to Leslie Feist. I love her voice, but then I've always had a penchant for scratchy-voiced female singers – Siouxsie Sioux, Björk, Macy Grey etc. 

I've decided to be a bit more casual in my song posts and instead focus on what song I've been listening to and what I like about it. When I stumble upon a new artist I will be sure to do an Artist of the Week feature on them. 

Genius and the iTunes bender

One of the most welcome new features in iTunes has been the Genius playlist. I call it 'Pandora' for my music, Pandora being the service that creates a streaming 'radio station' based on a song you specify. You enter your favorite song from Jimmy Buffett, for example, and Pandora uses data from other playlists to pull songs that typically appeal to Buffett fans. Pandora is a great way to discover new music/artists. 

But what about my own collection. 

I have GIGS of music sitting on my machine, much of it collected in what I call iTunes benders. iTunes store addicts know what I'm talking about about. Maybe wine is involved. You go on iTunes and buy something. Then that leads to another purchase. And another. And another. Soon, you have a $30 to $50 bill. Which is great. But I may not listen to more than one song in the next few weeks. After a few benders...

So I've been using Genius to discover the music that I already have. I haven't yet to purchase something from iTunes based on the Genius recommendations. I'm sure I will, leading to another bender. And so the circle goes.