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Examine the changing patterns in music technologies


obsolescence, investigating if the shift towards digital music
will have a positive effect on the music industries
contribution to E-waste.
THE E–WASTE
ISSUE
We
We need
need toto find
find aa cycle
cycle of
of
obsolesce that
obsolesce that makes
makes E-waste
E-waste
obsolete.
obsolete. Rather
Rather than
than aa never
never
ending
ending circular
circular notion
notion of
of
fashionable
fashionable music
music technologies
technologies
which
which never
never become
become
stylistically
stylistically or
or technologically
technologically
obsolete.
obsolete.

The
The PRODUCERS
PRODUCERS of of new
new
audio
audio technologies
technologies are
are
producing
producing products
products with
with
planned
planned obsolesces,
obsolesces,
harmful
harmful chemicals
chemicals and
and
without
without greener
greener
strategies
strategies of
of disposal.
disposal.
CONSUMERS – Why consumers wont let go of old audio technologies
SUBCULTURA
L IDENTITY
ATTATCHED
WITH
NOSTALGIA PRODUCTS

TECHNOLOGICALLY
RESISTANT

THE IMPOSIBILITY OF DIGITAL MUSIC ELIMINATING


THE DESIRE AND NEED FOR OLDER AUDIO
TECHNOLOGIES.
“The Cassette didn’t kill the LP, the DVD still hasn’t killed VHS, and the iPod won’t kill
the CD”
IN-DEPTH STUDY; VINYL
We must wonder why such an old fashion form of music still exists and why it is still being produced.

“Many people today are replacing vinyl collections


they threw out when CD’s took over.”
“Crowding around a record

2009: Vinyl sales up


player to listen to a new album
with friends, discussing the
50% from 2008, with foldout photos, even getting up
to flip over a record makes
2.8 million units in vinyl a more socially interactive
2009 way to enjoy music.”
SO WHAT‘S THE
PROBLEM ?
Why cant I have my cake (IPOD) and eat it too (Vinyl, cassettes,
CD’s)?
MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE MILLIONS OF TONS
OF E-WASTE FILLING UP LANDFILLS AND POISENNING THE EARTH

“One of the unfortunate effects of our capitalist economy is the constant drive for new and better. Really it’s
mostly new and novel with better being a secondary consideration.”
SOLUTION
We as consumers will never seize our demand for old technologies. It is
a natural cycle of technology where as a technology is created and a
culture is created for that technology.

THEREFORE THE RESPONSOBILITY AND DUTY TO STOP AUDIO


TECHNOLOGIES CONTRIBUTION TO E-WASTE LIES WITH…..
THE PRODUCERS
WITH THE PRODUCTION OF ALL
PRODUCERS PRODUCERS CONTINUE THESE
THESE “FASTER,
“FASTER, BETTER
BETTER
CONTINUE TO MAKE TO FAIL TO STRONGER” AUDIO
PROMISES OF NEW REVOLTIONALISE MUSIC TECHNOLOGIES, PRODUCERS FAIL
(DEBATABLE
(DEBATABLE IMPOSSIBLE).
IMPOSSIBLE).
TO EMPLOY GREEN STRATEGIES
TECHNOLOGIES FOR THEIR CREATION AND
MAKING PRODUCTS
THAT WILL WHICH GO THROUGH
DISPOSAL. MEANING THAT ALL
THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS
REVOLUTIONALISE THEIR NATURAL CYCLE DIREGARDED TO MAKE WAY FOR
YOUR MUSICAL OF TECHNOLOGICAL THE NEW, ALL THE NEW
TECHNOLOGY, AND THE OLD
EXPERIENCES. RELEVENCE BUT TECHNOLOGIES THAT BECOME
MAKING OLDER INEVITABLE EVENUTALLY RELEVENT AGAIN ONCE THE HYPE
TECHNOLOGIES BECOME OBSOLETE OF THE NEW HAS PASSED, ARE ALL
CONTRIBUTING TO A MASSIVE
IRRELEVENT. ONCE MORE. PILE UP OF MUSICAL E-WASTE
SOLUTION
THE CREATION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
PRODUCTION AND DISPOSAL STRATEGIES.

Or Perhaps ….
DIGITAL MUSIC
Not Quite.

There is now a whole new entity to E-waste, And they call it I-waste.
“Locks APPLE!
consumers
into a single
option”.

“designed
to be
disposable”.

“force-fed
Obsolescence”.
It’s looking up though!
Green my
Improvements in
apple !
re-cycling and
disposing
methods

Removed PVC ,
Mercury, Arsenic
glass,
Brominated flame
retardant.

Removed
DRM
restrictions

Has now sold 6 Billion


songs making it green by
default, in declining the
production of physical
music products
IS THE MOVEMENT TOWARDS DIGITAL MUSIC A
POSITIVE MOVE TOWARDS A GREENER SOLUTION OF
AUDIO TECHNOLOGIES?
Only if;
• Producers create products which are environmentally friendly

• Producers direct more successful management strategies for the disposal of their
products

• Consumers become technologically aware of their producers planned obsolescence and act
accordingly with smart strategies of consumption

• Consumers become energy efficient, becoming more frugal with


the use of their appliances

• Apple, the company with the dominant market share, continue to increase their
environmental responsibility and aim for higher re-cycling rates, less harmful
chemicals and stop decrease planned obsolescence.
THE END
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Retrieved March 24, 2010, from Research Library

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Greenpeace International 2008, iPoison + iWaste, March 13 2010, http//www.greenpeace.org/apple/itox.html

HARRISON, A.. (2006). 'cheaper than a CD, plus we really mean it': Bay Area underground hip hop tapes as subcultural artefacts. Popular Music, 25(2), 283-
301.  Retrieved March 24, 2010, from Research Library

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http://techcrunch.com/2009/01/06/itunes-sells-6-billion-songs-and-other-fun-stats-from-the-philnote/

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