We all know the digital age is amazing and efficient, yet at the same time it's crippling the music industry we knew.

Music labels (even the big ones) are retrenching employees, streamlining, cutting costs and biting the bullet by going more digital. Some of my friends are being touched by pirated music and have also lost their jobs. It's real people and it's here.

I was really impressed and surprised when I came across this little invention that is incorporating the act of buying "physical" music while remaining digital and trendy. 

I really think they're stepping in the right direction with this one and there's a massive market for it, provided they keep the price lower than a normal CD or album. I'd like to see them at festivals and concerts as a cheaper version of buying the album and being able to listen to it straight away without needing a music playing device. You can have all your cds and downloads(legal) as you do now and then get the badge version of the album that you got at the concert. ie Kings of Leon :)

Basically, it's a badge that has an album stored in it digitally. You pin the badge on (displaying the pic your artist has chosen to represent themselves with) plug in your head phones and Voilà! You're listening to your fav artist while showing the masses who you're bopping to.

I hope the labels and genii that run the music industry come up with some solution for the drastic decline in album sales and exponential increase in pirating. I'm not perfect. I have CD's that were copied, but I've made a vow to get the originals and buy (ESPECIALLY LOCAL). We can't complain about the quality of music in SA when we never bother to show support. That said, I am ridiculously proud of our artists and constantly blown away by the content, videos and quality that Mzanzi is churning out.

I'll attach the link to the Playbutton (the MP3 badge seen above) so you can check it out for yourself, but in the mean time ask yourself: How much do I like my music...? Enough to rip it from the web or enough to support the art and artists I say I love. Just asking

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11948391

Ciao for now!

Nix

xx