Tech Blog

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When the late Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPod back on October 23, 2001, he did so in front of a small crowd in Cupertino, CA that bore no resemblance to the aura and showmanship that was to follow years later. And no one knew it at the time, but that launch would initiate a series of events that revolutionized entire industries.

It’s generally known that Apple wasn’t first to market with an MP3 player, nor was it first with software (iTunes) that could playback digital music files. At $399, the iPod was an expensive option, had a 5GB hard drive that could fit 1,000 songs and it could only sync with Macs — using FireWire instead of USB. You look at these factors and wonder how it came to be so successful, but the key lies in two major moves that came afterward.

The third-generation iPod was the first to have the popular touch scroll wheel, USB syncing and support for Windows (complete with an iTunes version for PCs). That one came out in 2003, and was complemented by the iTunes Music Store. The die had been cast — not only could you sync over your own MP3s but also buy music at $0.99 per song, so you weren’t stuck paying the full cost for an album that didn’t deserve the price tag.

This is really just the first phase of the iPod’s legacy over a decade because the business model and formula applied to music has been repurposed for movies, TV shows, books and apps. This reached a new level once Apple successfully rid the Music Store of Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection.

Apple has consistently been criticized for its centralized approach to its products and the way they work with each other, but this arguably simplified the whole process for a wider range of consumers. They could buy the songs they wanted, sync them over and be on their way without having to really figure anything out. But it can be argued that DRM also forced consumers to stick with the iPod because they wouldn’t be able to play purchased tracks on non-Apple devices. Would this have happened if DRM had been lifted in, say, 2005 instead of 2009? Hard to say.

But the point is that the iPod and its surrounding ecosystem pulled the music industry into the 21^st century kicking and screaming. Remember those ridiculous lawsuits against random people downloading music from Napster, Kazaa and others? It wasn’t just that, Jobs and co. had to also push hard to get them to agree to selling songs at $0.99 apiece or $9.99 for a full album. The iTunes Music Store offered indie artists and others the opportunity to sell their music without selling out to record executives.

Have you noticed that popular artists tour far more than they used to? That merchandising and other gigs (like being a judge on nauseating shows like American Idol) have become more and more common? This is largely the halo effect of the iPod because the business model around music has changed so much.

Rather than intimidate or strong-arm people into buying music the old-fashioned way, Jobs and the iPod managed to convince artists that they should be giving them incentive to not steal music, but rather buy it through proper channels that are convenient to them.

Jobs passed away before he could see this 10^th anniversary, but he likely appreciated what the device paved the way for. The iPhone and iPad are direct descendants of the iPod, and the Mac’s renaissance is largely a result of the iPod’s iconic influence.

Now, the iPod is in decline, cannibalized by the very products it helped conceptualize. But its legacy will remain intact for a very long time to come.