You Are In Control, part 2: The Rise of the MP3 Machines.

MP3 MachineLast June I was in a sorry state. The cars I use to drive around making hospital visits each had a radio and a non-working tape player (and no CD). I don’t listen to music that much, but I like to learn while I’m in the car (sermons, audio books, news, etc.) I looked into buying a CD player but balked at the expense. Then my wife got me an MP3 player for my birthday (”MP3″ is simply the name of a popular type of audio file), and I discovered that with a few inexpensive accessories (and an Internet connection) it was the answer I needed. The inexpensive accessories include a low-power transmitter and/or an adapter to enable me play it through my old car stereos, my 1980s home stereo, or whatever. Of course the little headphones and 12-hour battery life make it possible to listen everywhere else.

My little player is about the size of a pack of cards, but it holds more than 400 CDs or about 14 days worth of audio content. I have loaded it up with all my worthwhile CDs from home, and I occasionally buy a new song online (for 99 cents) and I am constantly adding podcasts - free content such as sermons from great preachers, feature stories from National Public Radio and Public Radio International, talk shows featuring technology, movies, NASCAR and other things of interest. (I delete the podcasts after I listen to them but the music stays put). With all of this, my player has about 3.7 days of content, and it looks like it may never be half-full.

Until recently, MP3 players were popular only among college kids and techies. Now they’re exploding. MHCC GLOW kids are getting them for Christmas and birthdays. I’ll know that they have truly penetrated the market the same way I knew the personal computer had arrived…when my Mom gets one. The cell phone saturated the market a few years ago and changed the century-old concept of calling someone at a specific location. Now the MP3 player is unhinging music and personal education from any particular place (and the latest players allow you to take TV shows and movies with you too). Now the reason I raise this topic of You Are In Control: Do you think this has any implications for the church?

January 25, 2006 · Filed Under Culture, Music, The Church

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