There was a spike in publicity for home recording enthusiasts and the software and hardware industries which serve them when a little over a year ago Apple released its Garage Band software. What may not be obvious to many people is that this is not a flash in the pan. Consumer purchases for musical instruments and related goods are an extremely strong market, giving life to retailers from super-stores (online and off) like Guitar Center to eBay mavericks. Hobbyist musicians are the largest purchasers. Several software companies are flourishing in this niche market, including Apple (Logic Audio), Cakewalk (Sonar), and Native Instruments, an example of the strong German presence here. Hardware companies include such old-school diehards as Mark of the Unicorn, as well as newer (more vigorous?) players such as M-Audio who are attempting to brand the whole spectrum of necessary hardware from microphones to the analog/digital converters required to bring audio into your computer.
The significance of this burgeoning market for technology companies is the factor of convergence. The equipment and techniques of professionals are being used by non-professionals and hobbyists. This is the convergence of people and ideas. Then there is the M-Audio phenomenon of digital and non-digital hardware all produced (or at least branded) by one company which could have as easily (it seems) been producing cell phones or MP3 players. The skills of programming and UI design required for digital audio are the same as for any application development. The realm of digital signal processing is well understood across several industries. The chips are the same. Welcome to the somewhat hidden world of garage bands and back bedroom Elvises.
The release of Garage Band signaled the year of the hobbyist. Apple blazed the trail and the rest of us can sit back and survey a whole industry just coming into its maturity. It is possible now to have to the potentials of a multi-million dollar studio in your PC or Mac. It’s not clear yet how that will work out for the recording industry, but in terms of purchases by consumer hobbyists, it’s the best thing since the Fender Stratocaster made a professional guitar affordable for you and me and Jimi Hendrix.
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