RIP iPod, you changed the way we listen to music

It’s not just the iPhone that killed the iPod, music streaming was the body blow.

“Here lies the iPod that changed the way we listen to music and altered the music industry forever. It will be missed by music lovers across the world, particularly millennials. You were a trailblazer and made significant contributions to the legitimate music industry; you also reversed the fortunes of our parent – Apple. You began your journey with a promise – of 1000 songs in your pocket and you did better than that. Thank you for being the big brother that I could look up to. I owe a lot of my success to your hard work and will continue to bring this family more glory and fortunes.”

Your kid brother – the iPhone.

In many ways this obituary was set in motion on January 9, 2007, when Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone (it was officially launched in June that year). Many of us still remember the moment when he referred to Apple’s new iPhone as an “iPod, a phone and an internet communicator”.

The iPhone started as the understudy, the little brother but those sales worms finally crossed paths during Q4 2010 when the iPhone became the favourite during the Christmas season worldwide and eventually overtook the iPod in 2011. In Q4 2013, the iPhone was outselling the iPod 10: 1 (Source: Statista). The iPod’s days were clearly numbered.

The #RIPiPod hashtag began to trend when Apple officially announced that it was discontinuing the last of the iPods still on the market – the iPod Touch (7th Gen). You can still buy it on the Apple India website, but only as long as stocks last.

It’s also brought back a flood of memories as a whole generation of music aficionados reminisces about a gadget that was an extension of their personality. I still remember tossing my stamp-sized iPod Shuffle into the washing machine (I forgot to remove it from the tiny watch pocket from my jeans). It survived and I was able to use it for my workout the next day. I looked for it this week after nearly seven years and it still works just as well.

These days, I leave my phone behind and use my LTE Apple Watch at the gym. The world of music and my own music/podcast consumption pattern has changed in this period. It’s this change that has hastened the iPod’s demise.

It was a different planet in 2001. The music industry was still reeling from the Napster effect. Napster ushered in the P2P music industry when it debuted in 1999. It was an instant sensation and acquired millions of users in weeks. Back then you’d pay $15 or around Rs 500 for an Audio CD. Suddenly you could grab all your favourite music tracks in an MP3 format and save these songs on your computer. The challenge was unchaining that music from your desktop. This sparked a wave of portable MP3 players and everyone from Intel to Sony threw their hat in the ring. Just like the iPhone, the iPod wasn’t the first portable music player, it just had a better plan.

iPod Nano (2006)

The new iTunes Music Store was launched in 2003 with digital rights management protection to the songs. This was the precursor to the App Store as we know it, except it only had music for sale. It wasn’t an easy sell, but Steve Jobs convinced the music industry, starting with Warner Music, about his vision – songs at 99 cents a download. The iTunes clocked 1 million downloads in week one, the rest is history. That was until the next wave came along.

It was Johnny Ive who scripted the design vision for the first iPod. It reflected Steve Jobs’ philosophy – “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works”. The first iPod sought design inspiration from the 1958 Braun T3 radio, and yet was rooted in the future. The standout design element was the click wheel, now a design legend and a reference point as the iPod began to add more product lines that included the Nano, the Shuffle, the Mini and the Touch.

iPod Touch seventh generation

The last iPod Touch (that can pass off for an iPhone from the 2010s) was launched in 2019 and the questions around the relevance of the iPod began to get shriller.

Spotify (that launched in 2008 and came to India in 2019) ushered in the music streaming wave at a time when podcasts also became more popular. Apple Music has upped its game too. It’s done away with the need to store music unless you’re on a long flight. It’s not just the iPhone that killed the iPod, music streaming was the body blow.

As for iPod fans, we knew this was coming but Apple just officially confirmed that this is the end. This announcement is likely to spark a mini rush for the last available iPods - especially among iPod diehards who are not just looking for a piece of history but also a slice of their life, of simpler times. The music lives on.

iPod Mini