In chapter 8, Lanier continues the discussion about reinstating the monetary value of cultural expression and the potential strategic tactics that can be used to achieve that. What I found particularly interesting is his mention of songles, which he describes as ‘a dongle for a song.’ A dongle creates ‘an artificial scarcity for [the product].’ As an example, Lanier suggests that you might wear a special necklace songle to a party, and music enabled by the necklace would come on automatically after you arrived. The necklace communicates with the entertainment system, and so the musical mix at an event might be determined by the sum of the songles worn by everyone who shows up. Now there’s a neat idea!

As I personally see it, the novelty and level of the cool factor will override the fact that there are easier, virtually free ways of obtaining music over the internet. I can anticipate songle parties, if that becomes the case.  In my head, I’m beginning to picture crowds wearing layers upon layers of tacky Mardi Gras songle beads, but maybe that’s just me.

It’s a phenomenon similar to iTunes’ distribution of free music singles, either through the iTunes store or Starbucks Pick of the Week giveaway cards with unique codes on the back. This code, too, is a kind of dongle, creating a sense of scarcity and value. While I appreciate the work musicians do and believe they should be paid for it, I’m guilty of not always following this dogma. Having become so accustomed to being able to just listen to music, I find it quite amazing (in all sorts of good ways) that Apple has been able to reverse that trend. How, after giving people the knowledge they can have something for free, do you convince them to pay for it?

What is it about Apple that just makes me want to pay them instead of just continuing to…err, share? Sophistication and the cool factor of Apple products certainly gives it an edge on the market. Perhaps, too, it’s the way that Apple presents products on the iTunes storefront—buying a CD or a movie from iTunes feels almost as genuine an experience as going to a store, and having a credit card preregistered in the system makes it very easy to spend money before you get a second thought. The fact that it eliminates the risk of infecting your computer with a pesky Trojan virus is also always a plus.