It’s tough to see the bigger picture when you’re mired in the details.

The music industry, for instance, wants to continue making millions and millions of dollars off of CD sales. Why wouldn’t they, right? In their shoes, I’d love to be making majillions of dollars, too. They have, unfortunately, long ago lost track of their industry being all about the music.

Take the following two statements, for example:

MacNN | MacNN | The Macintosh News Network:
by Neo

Gary Stiffelman, a music attorney, cut to the chase with his comment that “No artist is immune to the reduction in sales. You have superstars that are creeping their way to a million units that used to sell 10 to 15 million.” To the question why, Peter Alexander [NBC’s lead reporter, for an NBC special aired before the Grammy awards] simply added, because “with 120 million iPods sold since 2001, digital downloads of individual songs are through the roof – Soaring 500% in the last three years. In that same period, CD’s sales of declined dramatically, as listeners prefer hits over to entire albums.

Ok. Nothing new here: digital media players and digital music sales are doing great. We knew that. The next quote, from a different person in the music industry highlights my point, though.

Tamara Conniff, Co-Executive, Billboard Magazine added that ”The music business has been completely turned on its head because of the advent of new technology – And it is not easy for anyone to adapt [to] new technology, especially when it’s been moving as quickly as it has been.“

Wait a sec, ”it is not easy“? Talk to Peter Alexander — he says that individual song sales are up 500% in the last THREE YEARS! That sounds like it’s not only EASY, but it’s what we want. It’s obvious that it’s easy, it’s just not easy for you because you’re only interested in making your bajillions of dollars.

You’re so focused on the fact that big-money days are over that you’re not keeping up with the times. Your customers are leaving you behind, music industry.

Get on board. The train left the station a few years ago.