The Album is Dead

In DJ Spooky's interview in Designing Media, the main topic of conversation was the change in ways music is being used by society.  He covers the movement from albums, to CD's, to iPods.  He remarks that the CD and album days are ending, even making  a CD displaying his prediction of the death of CD's.  He talks about how music is changing back to vinyl because it can be changed to fit what he wants, splicing it and changing it's speed.  This reflects the overarching message of music and media becoming more user controlled and changeable.  Every person with an iPod can make their own playlist rather than have a whole CD by one artist.  With iTunes giving the option of downloading one song by an artist at a time, the users are in control of everything they listen to, and now everyone is their own DJ. Media has gone from owning single track vinyl albums, to a compilation of songs by an artist on a CD, to digital playlists, to the user controlling even the songs they have and changing it to fit their personality.  You can't change a CD and slow it down, splice it, or anything you can do on an album. 
If I had to summarize what DJ Spooky was saying in just one sentence, I would say that people's desire to be in control of their music is growing, and that media is changing in order to fit this desire.