Advertise on ChoralNet
Will the Apple "iPad" Revolutionize Music Publishing?Date: January 28, 2010 by John Brough  Views: 10907
After the much anticipated announcement of the release of the Apple tablet, the "iPad", yesterday - it got me thinking - will this finally be the step that makes digital music stands a reality? Perhaps with the price tag starting at $499 per iPad, maybe not just yet. However, I can't help but to think of the future application as it applies to our industry.
The most obvious use will be the practical application. A musician could scan in their scores, carry the iPad to their gig, set it on a music stand and just go - no need for stand lights, no losing music, quick clicking through repeat sings, da capos, digitally mark up scores the way you like, with as many colors as you like, and delete old markings with ease. Turn pages with the touch of a finger, or even by a foot pedal if your fingers are in use. These programs already do exist (see this youtube video), but the hardware is bulky, requires cables, and you need to find a way strap your laptop sideways on the stand, or own the old generation bulky tablets that have not succeeded. Not to mention, the cost!
The iPad is smaller, thinner, and lighter. The iPad boasts a 10 hour battery life (that's four union services) plus wireless and bluetooth networking. The screen is slighter smaller than letter sized paper, 1 inch thick, and 1 1/2 pounds (perhaps a bit heavy to hold for a long time in a black folder) and full of all the toys that many of us know and love in our iPod Touch's or iPhones - including an intuitive operating system based on simple icons and touches. It also has the capacity of 64 gigabytes of flash storage. That's a lot of scores - my rough calculation - nearly 15,000 pages of music at high quality resolution (10 mega pixels) - perhaps up to ten times that at a lower resolution. One could conceivably hold the entire printed works of Bach with room to spare.
If the iPad takes off, as Apple anticipates it will, and why wouldn't they - they designed it after all, I feel the real potential is in the field of music publication. Many iPod users are already quick to depart with $0.99 to buy a track of music they desire, I know I'm guilty. Wouldn't it be grand if major publishers like Carus and Barenreiter offered a similar service to download their scores into your iPad for small "paperless" fees? Downloading music is nothing new - we have CPDL, Handlo and Sheet Music Plus to name a few, However they are often unreliable, and full of errors. If Apple can get big name music publishers on board, the way we read music (and I mean that in a literal sense) could change. I feel it is inevitable.
When will this happen?
"Choir, please load up the Haydn, click to Rehearsal C and touch in these markings ... or, better yet - import MY markings"
James Janzen on January 28, 2010 12:40am
I hope it happens. So who will need to take the lead on something like this? Publishers I guess. It will be interesting to see if there is some software in the apps that allows for transfer of documents. Documents to Go exists for the iPhone and iTouch, so it will probably be available for the iPad as well. This will allow for a lot of existing music to be used. Thanks for you forward thinking.
James
on January 28, 2010 5:29am
The Technology for music already exists, please visit the Technology booth at ACDA Eastern in Philly. John Delorey and his students at WPI have done extensive research over the past several years, I believe about 14 research projects, and have developed and hand held music folder. Research shows that those who have tried it like it but publishers are scared and refuse to be a participant in the inevitable.
on January 28, 2010 7:31am
Yes - I do mention in the post that the technology exists - however, it is a "one use" application with no networking or choice between competing apps. I feel that this operating system could have a strong impact in this area, if done properly. A multi-use device like the iPad is a perfect way to get a wider public interest - outside of the rather narrow public scope of Music Conferece booths.
Apple has had much success getting book publishers on board for their new iBooks store (Barns and Noble etc) - that I think it's just a matter of time before Music publishers get on board as well. Perhaps not the "big" names for a while - but it will come. A company like Dover, who is already tied into Amazon, could move quickly, leaving no choice for the big names.
It will be interesting to watch!
on January 28, 2010 7:07am
And in church, community, and senior choirs ... No More Complaints about the print being too small! And don't think "older people" wouldn't love this. At least where I am, septuagenarians and older are more and more early adapters of technology.
on January 28, 2010 7:30am
John, I like your line of thought and am also excited about the possibilities the iPad presents. Our enthusiasm for downloading media- and content-rich scores directly from publishers will be tempered, however, with the significant impact on traditional paper-music distributors, especially the mom-and-pop niche stores that have become my friends over the years.
As a composer & arranger, I would pay $$$$ for a version of Sibelius that allowed me to write music on a tablet via my fingers or a stylus, *even if* it were a "dumbed-down" version for a portable OS that would sync with my desktop for more detailed editing later on a "full" version.
If someone is aware of an already-existing software & hardware combo that is this portable, please reply privately and let me know.
on January 28, 2010 1:47pm
Jason,
My hope would be that the mom-and-pop publishing stores would actually embrace, and significantly benefit from this. As a comparison, my choir recorded a CD last year with only local distribution, but limited national or international distribution. The cost incurred on shipping prevents people from buying from us. (we are not available in stores outside of our city). However, reducing our price, and making the product available online, through iTunes and the like, there is little overhead, and every time someone clicks to buy a track, or the album, we make an instant profit - no matter where in the world it is bought.
Where it could hurt the small publishers, is also by this very example. Self-publishing would become rampant. Buying scores directly from composers would be very attractive.
Of course - this is all dependent on the success of the iPad - as Apple has shown in the past - they've had marvelous successes (Macintosh, iPhone)- and also catastrophic failures (the Lisa, and the Newton...)
I know of no transportable app for Sibelius - but I would imagine there is some techy in the business developing it.
on January 28, 2010 8:01am
Reg Unterseher wrote an interesting take on this recently. I think it might be found on the NW ACDA website? Or Washington (state) ACDA website?
on January 28, 2010 1:36pm
If you're interested in this technology, check out the musicpad. http://corporate.freehandmusic.com/ Unlike some of the tablets shown in the youtube video, it doesn't require an external hookup to a laptop. Freehand music carries more than 130,000 titles of music (including choral music) that can be downloaded and used with the musicpad.
on January 28, 2010 4:03pm
This is official !!!
The iPhone developer Muzibook Publishing announces music sheets for iPad at www.iphonesheetmusic.com
Their apps are from correct editions but I think iPad will offer a better satisfaction to play.
on January 28, 2010 6:19pm
The article Paul Carey referred to (hi, Paul!) can be found at:
www.nwacda.org
It is in the section called "R&S Leaders Write"
The direct link is:
Reg
on January 29, 2010 6:54am
iPad not for musicians!
We’ve all seen the iPad now. It’s an impressive piece of kit and has been immaculately produced, as usual by Apple.
However, for musicians a 9.7” diagonal screen is too small for reading a score.
The 12.1" diagonal touchscreen MusicPad still represents the only dedicated practical music reader on the market which is already being used by amateur and professional musicians worldwide. It has a custom built stand which allows the audience to see the musican performing more easily and cables are only required if the foot pedal is being used for hands free page turning.
Take a look at http://www.musicpad.co.uk/ for a genuine electronic sheet music display unit.
on January 29, 2010 3:48pm
I've conducted my share of Haydn masses from mini-scores ... the size of the iPad would be a luxury there.
Also, few choral folios are no where near as big as standard letter-sized paper - and the page size from compilations like the Church Anthem Book, Oxford Book of Carols and Carols for Choirs etc - the iPad screen fairs much larger per page. Probably not the best device for pianists or for desk-sharing instruments. But for choral musicians and conductors - this size would more than suffice.
Plus - for a "one function" music score reader at over $1,200 per unit before accessories, without wireless networking, an "app" store for downloading music directly for publishers, or the backing of a mass-marketing company like Apple - I'm not sure if it has the power to take over the industry. It is pretty fancy though, I have to admit.
on February 7, 2010 9:29pm
Piano music sheets are incredibly easy to read on the iPhone 3.5'' diagonal screen and the iPad optimization seems to be really satisfying.
You can see Muzibook iPad video at http://www.youtube.com/user/Muzibook
Thanks John to bring up such interesting subjects.
on January 29, 2010 9:19am
Not to mention the classroom implications:
"Altos, let's fix the rhythm in that measure. Sopranos, the diction is still a little clumsy. Use your headphones to listen to that youtube video of the native speakers one more time, please."
No more "can you play that Ab for me again?" or "Are we doing this rhythm right?"-- "Check it yourself! We're busy rehearsing here!" ;-)
on January 30, 2010 12:56pm
In no time flat, (sorry about that) we will have music stands manufactured with built-in screens and piano/keyboard racks with video displays installed at the factory.
on January 31, 2010 7:24pm
I am very excited about using iPads in my classroom. I teach middle school choir, and I imagine students doing theory assignments, learning piano skills, using ear training software that listens to you sing and evaluates your accuracy, as well as singing from scores on the iPad. The size is a little smaller than a choral octavo, but who says we have to keep the same format as the paper music? Either in landscape or portrait, I think music optimized for the iPad will come soon. I also love the lack of any keys to lose or break, as well as the lack of card inputs that might be an invitation to load up pictures or whatever.
I think this is the piece of tech classrooms have been waiting for... Especially at the "low" $500 price. I can't wait to hold one in my hands.
Dave
on February 5, 2010 8:50pm
My understanding is that Harry Conic (sp?) Jr.'s band is already playing from e-music stands. Perhaps someone can confirm this . I'm thinking that for my (until recently) church choir, which always ordered 60 copiees of octavos, the financial burden would probably be beyond reach.
Dean
on February 11, 2010 10:53am
This software is already available for Tablet PCs and any other PC/Mac.
on June 27, 2010 1:00am
This is the most promising. But there are so much more they can do to this.
The display of the sheets can be completly revolutionised. They have yet to take full advantage of yet.
The scores can be animated and be continous, autoscrolling as you play from right to left. There is no need to continue the SHEET metaphor. the scores are infintely flexible in how they are displayed, can be customised to each individual (think Word - layout view, draft view etc etc)
The device can listen to the actual music being played and follow on the scoresheet and guide the autoscroll, or page turn, if desired.
There can be space for note taking, annotations.
I look forward for these and much more innovations.
on April 1, 2010 9:54am
Interactive Blueprints has released: "Sheet Music Live" for iPad
demonstration video available here: http://www.interactiveblueprints.com
on April 4, 2010 7:22pm
eScore App from virtuosi.us has been available for download at iPad App Store from day one:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/escore/id364907245?mt=8 |
Help support ChoralNet by buying via these links
|
Reply
