Here is one more example of the mismanagement of the music industry and its inability to grasp the money possible through accepting and promoting file-based music (remember, CDs are digital, too):

Apple Isn’t The Only One With 1 Billion Downloads

Posted Feb 26th 2006 4:11AM by Sharky Laguana
Most of us couldn’t help but notice thenews this week that Apple had just completed it’s one billionth download, certainly a milestone in the digital music industry. But what about the other company that just celebrated the same? Perhaps you weren’t aware that TouchTunes, a maker of digital jukeboxes since 1998, has also downloaded over 1 billion tracks, and they did it with just 16 thousand jukeboxes, as comapred to Apple’s customer base of 42 million. Like iTunes, TouchTunes is a dominant player in it’s chosen niche, and is said to have an estimated 75 per cent share of the digital jukebox market. Learn something new every day, dontchya?

Two points to be made: (1) I am certain these boxes make more money per machine than non-downloading machines because they have access to so many more tracks; that means more money for the artists (ha) and music industry; (2) Here is a solid example of why the music industry should have recognized the profit potential of file-based music and why it should continue to push the direction.