Very interesting article by Mark Mulligan in "The Music Industry Blog" about the amount of tracks available digitally (16 millions tracks on offer seem to be rather average) and what forms this impressive number.

One would believe that original tracks and cover versions would cohabit in relative same numbers, or with a slight dip for covers but the situation is all different: the digital music services are filled up with cover versions, often really bad and unimaginative ones, and karaoke redditions of hits. Let's take Lady Gaga: only 6% of the Gaga songs being offered to you are from the actual lady we all love and cherish ! 94% are covers or karaoke tracks !

This doesn't pan out nicely for the offer actually as it seems obvious most of the offer is poor material...Aside the huge digital music services, what the industry, and the people, might need is quality above quantity: a real recommandation/discovery service that's as good as what you now sadly departed record shop would offer, not a giant mall with nothing but sub-level music...

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