Hmmm, we don’t know if we agree with Josh Spear on this one. Josh has listed an interesting concept by Alice Wang called Audio Sticks. Josh says:
Wang envisions a future where artists will release their albums on USB flash memory keys, each holding 70 MB of data.
Yeah – but (a) if every single album came on a separate USB key, wouldn’t our music collection get a little bulky; and (b) haven’t we left the physical medium already. Our music is already virtual and soon the sharing of our music will be virtual too. Why do we need these fobs?
Comments?
Alice Wang
Alice Wang’s Audio Sticks – Josh Spear
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Completely agree. The trend is moving towards storing data on a server in the sky and accessing it anywhere, anytime. The branded USB stick seems a bit nostalgic already
June 20th, 2006 at 7:34 pm
Agree, seems dated already.
June 20th, 2006 at 10:51 pm
i thought about this a year ago (im a recording artist/label owner myself) but yeah, it doesnt make sense in the long run. maybe as a record release party gift to the press and industry people.
June 21st, 2006 at 5:41 am
storing your music on a server is a sensible option, but when has sensible ever been fun?
growing up, my mates and i would constantly swap mixtapes – there was a raw charm about them that ‘invisible’ mp3s (and even CDs) don’t have. i would much rather give a friend an audiostick than email them a playlist.
are audiosticks practical? not really. but what’s a bit of impracticality between friends?
June 21st, 2006 at 1:09 pm
I guess you guys are misunderstanding the point of this project. This project is exploring how our perception towards music will change. not about manufacturing the usb sticks to replace cds. please get the facts right before posting about someone else’s project.
June 21st, 2006 at 5:01 pm
Kay,
The image is how I interpret the project – what else is there to understand? Once one puts an idea out there, one stops owning it and it will be interpreted how the mob wishes.
June 21st, 2006 at 6:19 pm
Read some comments from my own site: http://www.joshspear.com/item/alice-wangs-audio-sticks/
June 21st, 2006 at 6:52 pm
What’s the point of exploring how our perceptions toward music will change when no viable result is offered? How is “designing” a USB flash stick and hub worthwhile in this exploration? What raw charm does a stick have over a cd, with its better quality, lower cost and larger area for artwork?
June 23rd, 2006 at 3:46 am
It seems to me that a disposable, flimsy, cheap, or self-destructing usb stick would step up to the plate rather nicely to fill the void left behind by promotional “coaster” cd’s.Every summer a soda company or candy company puts together a pile of one hit wonders and hands them out as a premium… why not a stick? why not a sticky stick, stuck to the six-pack, peel plug & listen?
July 24th, 2006 at 1:33 am
those of you who thought this was never gonna happen, it’s happening right now! Keane is releasing their new album on USB sticks.
October 22nd, 2006 at 7:21 pm