Music at your fingertips

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

In the 1990s, CD players were the coolest accessories and a cutting edge way to play music.

Now, the newest must-have music player, the Apple iPod, has completely changed the face of music. "People don't have to carry around 20 different CDs and big CD players," said Emily Kerney, a sophomore at Western High.

MP3 music players such as the iPod have helped expand the music industry by making music more accessible.

The players are tiny and can be worn around your neck like a dog tag. They store hundreds of songs that are accessible at the touch of a button.

They also have fueled the digital music revolution. The iTunes Music Store, introduced with the iPod, gave consumers the option of legally buying music on the Internet. Many other providers have followed suit.

Beth Brodsky, a freshman at Cypress Bay High, said, "It has made it easier to access music, which is great because the radio only has a rotation of about 30 songs going on at the same time of day."

As years go by, the price of MP3 players is going down, further increasing accessibility. When first released, the iPod cost $399. Now a 1GB iPod Shuffle costs about a fifth of that.

Car manufacturers are paying attention, and many are including iPod integration, which allows drivers to plug their iPods into the car's sound system.

"Everyone wants to listen to music everywhere they go and to get all the music they want," said Blake Jackson, a North Broward Prep freshman.

The music industry is fulfilling that need.

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