Are Music Players Just a Trend?
Most of you may have noticed the growing popularity of devices that play music, and you’ve also probably noticed that these music players have become a necessity for many people. Even you, dear readers, have them. MP3 players, FM radios and CD players (if they haven’t been phased out yet) are the most common gadgets you’ll probably see people using in order to listen to their favorite music. People have become interested in these players because: (1) they’re portable, making it easy to listen to songs that they want (and songs that they’ll probable hum to even though they despise them) while they’re commuting or while they’re in the office working; (2) these make it easier to isolate themselves from others during a family gathering they didn’t want to go to but still attended; (3) they’re so easy to use, a simple press of a button enables the user to listen to music; and, (4) they’re able to feed people’s need for music.
Okay, the ones I’ve mentioned are only MY reasons for liking flash or digital players, but the fourth one (and maybe the third if you’re not able to escape that family gathering) are the main reasons why people are into these music players. They play music, so they’re popular. As music has always been a popular topic for a lot of people, many studies have been conducted to determine why exactly people listen to, turn to or obsess about music.
People find worth in music. People have always felt the need to create sound or be involved in anything that has something to do with sound. Music elicits various emotional responses from people because of its (music) many characteristics – tempo, melodies, theme, rhythm, how the sounds are made – they all contribute to people’s different responses to music.
More of the article after the jump.
Most of you may have noticed the growing popularity of devices that play music, and you’ve also probably noticed that these music players have become a necessity for many people. Even you, dear readers, have them. MP3 players, FM radios and CD players (if they haven’t been phased out yet) are the most common gadgets you’ll probably see people using in order to listen to their favorite music. People have become interested in these players because: (1) they’re portable, making it easy to listen to songs that they want (and songs that they’ll probable hum to even though they despise them) while they’re commuting or while they’re in the office working; (2) these make it easier to isolate themselves from others during a family gathering they didn’t want to go to but still attended; (3) they’re so easy to use, a simple press of a button enables the user to listen to music; and, (4) they’re able to feed people’s need for music.
Okay, the ones I’ve mentioned are only MY reasons for liking flash or digital players, but the fourth one (and maybe the third if you’re not able to escape that family gathering) are the main reasons why people are into these music players. They play music, so they’re popular. As music has always been a popular topic for a lot of people, many studies have been conducted to determine why exactly people listen to, turn to or obsess about music.
People find worth in music. People have always felt the need to create sound or be involved in anything that has something to do with sound. Music elicits various emotional responses from people because of its (music) many characteristics – tempo, melodies, theme, rhythm, how the sounds are made – they all contribute to people’s different responses to music.
Because of these, we all want to make music (that we like and don’t like) to be easily accessible to us. Hence, the flourishing of various kinds of music players. Also keep in mind that not all people are after the same kind of music player. They have different standards and requirements with regard to choosing what music player they’re going to purchase.
Since there are so many kinds of music players in the market, manufacturers are finding new ways to make their products more appealing to people. Various features are incorporated in the players, like the FM tuner, voice recorder, digital audio recorder, and the ability to function as a digital photo viewer or a movie player, among others. Music players like the iPod, Sony Walkman and the Samsung YEPP have all come up with unique features that would give them advantage over other players and at the same time function properly for the users.
One of the important features people look for when they plan on purchasing music players is the storage capacity. Most flash and digital players have a 1GB memory, but there are those that have more storage like Samsung’s YP-Z5QB 2GB and the iPod Nano with 4GB of storage. The exterior design of a music player is also important. Color and style of the players make people interested in them, but I think that players that have interesting functions (like those that double as FM tuners and movie players) and those that are very convenient to use are the ones that get people’s attention.
I came across a number of music players that I think are really interesting because of their features. The Creative Zen Touch MP3 player is worth a look (even if its priced over $200) because it has a 20GB memory, and also the Philips HDD1630 player because of its 6GB memory. I’ve also seen the MP3 Knob-View Player which is still a concept for a player in another website (www.plusminus.ru) but looks very promising. As the name suggests, it’s like a knob and it has eliminated the need for a screen. This is ideal since one can use the player without having to look at it (this is important if you’re using this while walking or driving). It can also be attached to different surfaces by using a magnet or a Velcro strap.
Okay, these might not be the best kinds of music players at present, but I like them. I have been using SanDisk‘s 1GB MP3 player for the longest time. (Don’t laugh, I like it.) It plays all my favorite songs, and – believe it or not – I use this so I can think and write. Emotions are important when you’re thinking and writing, and I have various emotional responses to music which are very important if I’m going to write.
So, no. I don’t think acquiring music players is just a trend.
