Print is Dead: Books in Our Digital Age

Former Creation Records boss Alan McGee (AKA the guy who signed Oasis) has a posting on his Guardian blog entitled “Do we still need record shops?,” where he asks that question in response to all the digital alternatives that currently exist for music. “All the music I want I can get off Amazon or go on MySpace to hear,” writes McGee. “There’s no real need for record shops any more.” And, indeed, the sales of CDs have reflected this, not to mention the fact that many records stores — including the giant Tower chain — have gone out of business because of the rise of the download and the disappearance of the CD. All of which goes to show that consumers, when given a viable digital alternative (especially younger generations that don’t/won’t feel the nostalgic tug of formats), will choose digital over analog, finding absolutely nothing wrong with either entertainment or art as a computer file. McGee also writes that he even doesn’t read music magazines anymore, instead getting all of his news online. In terms of the “print is dead” debate, McGee’s views on music — since he comes from the point of view of an ardent audiophile — could be easily compared with the booklover who vows to never give up physical books. “Nothing will ever beat vinyl for me,” admits McGee, “but digital technology has changed our world, and for the better…” In fact, with the eventual increase in digital delivery and consumption, a few years from now we’ll probably be reading blog posts entitled “Do we still need bookstores?” I won’t try to answer the question, but I’m sure it’ll one day be asked.

The Guardian: Do we still need record shops?