Instant Gratification

Even the preferences of consumers for the location of sales have widened, thus diversifying the possibilities of the distributing sector of the music industry supply chain.

Consumers began to shop in different locations for the sake of convenience or to find more selective music needs that the larger retail stores could not offer. People began looking in smaller specialized stores for what they needed. They joined record clubs where distributors profited by narrowing the supply chain, thereby eliminating the retail stores and offering discounts to the public while still making killer profits. With the advent of the internet, these record clubs moved on-line and offered a transnational channel of distribution, thereby opening the market beyond a set boundary. In a research study of 13,000 students conducted by Webnoize.com, 28.1% said they purchased music online while 55% still purchased from retail stores. 40.1% of students say they use the internet to learn about their music interest before actually purchasing. These studies prove that the internet is slowly fulfilling the public need for instant gratification- having what they want right away. The Big Six are now trying to use this new medium for further profit and expansion.