The Future of Recorded Music

Regarding MP3 compression, every non-audiophile I know says they clearly hear the difference between 16bit/44KHz digital and the various compression schemes. As audiophiles we shouldn't completely discount the publics desire for good quality sound.

This is a major step in the evolution of music distribution. It brings legitimacy to downloading music. Unfortunately, since the songs are in a compressed format there really isn't much in it for the typical audiophile. However, as technology evolves (larger HDs and greater bandwidth), it's possible that uncompressed versions could become available. Regardless of the future, the ability to legally download songs from major label releases is a positive move.