In the old days of the late 1960’s through the 1980’s, audiophiles and even mainstream music consumers would listen to music predominantly on albums. For years we all reached for our trusty CD or LP copy of Dark Side of the Moon or Electric Ladyland and played the sucker from start to finish. For me hunting down albums to listen to from my collection of CDs is part of the fun of owning a top audio-video system. Some albums demand the attention that comes from a serious listening session however new technology is interjecting itself into the way we listen to music, and things have changed in terms of how we listen to music.

NetStreams has announced that its DigiLinX IP-based distributed audio system easily interfaces with ReQuest MultiMedia’s AudioReQuest Music Servers. The result is a fusion of two systems, with added audio and control features, increased system efficiency, and greater ease of installation. ReQuest MultiMedia is currently working on new firmware for their AudioReQuest music servers for dealers to upgrade their products for this integration.

Apple is offering a U2 iPod special edition to coincide with the release of U2's upcoming album, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb."

Gracenote announced that the new Russound SMS3 “Smart Media Server” will enable people to quickly identify any song, artist or album in their entire music collection or link to cover art and related content, using the Gracenote Music Management System.

Apple was shocked by the recent release of software by RealNetworks that allows users to download tracks from RealNetworks’ RealPlayer store that can be played on iPods. Before RealNetworks’ RealPlayer, the only portable MP3 player that could play music purchased from iTunes was the Apple iPod. Apple refused to license its technology to other companies, which forced consumers to purchase iPods if they wanted to play songs downloaded off iTunes on a portable player. This move could be pointed to as one of the many things that contributed to iPod’s popularity as iPods sales have matched Macintosh sales in the last year.