I just attended a great panel on the current state of music publishing deals, sponsored by AIMP.

One of the topics discussed was how people are buying music. As you may know, people in the 50s and 60s bought singles. Shortly thereafter, the industry moved to a full-length album model.

So the question was posed: Why are people back to buying singles instead of full albums? Is it because:
– people prefer the single format?
– people now have shorter attention spans?
– artists only include one or two good songs on an album, making it a waste of money to pay for 10-12 songs?
– another reason? (Please specify.)

I would love to know YOUR thoughts as to why this is the case. Please leave a comment to let me know why you think people are back to buying singles.

Erin M. Jacobson is is an experienced deal negotiator and a seasoned advisor of intellectual property rights who protects artists, songwriters, music publishers, and other music professionals. Her clients include Grammy and Emmy Award winners, independent artists and companies, and distinguished legacy catalogues, as her knowledge of both classic music and current industry practices places her in a unique position to protect and revitalize older catalogues. She handles all types of music industry agreements, with an emphasis on music publishing. In addition to being named a Super Lawyers Rising Star and one of the Top Women Attorneys in Southern California, Ms. Jacobson is a frequent author and speaker, and has been featured in publications, including Billboard and Forbes. She also is on the Board of Directors for both the California Copyright Conference (CCC) and the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP).