Rick Rubin proclaims "the iPod will be obsolete"

It may not just be a simple coincidence that Rick Rubin, famed Columbia Records head and music producer (Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash, Slayer, Jay-Z, Danzig, Weezer, etc.) has been growing that long beard and wearing flowing, white robes: the man is prophesizin'. According to a recent interview with the eccentric music-maven, Rubin believes that iTunes and similar music-download services are going the way of the Rolling Stones... er, we mean dinosaurs. The Rubinator thinks that the future of music distribution will be some type of subscription service that is accessible at any time, from just about any point of entry. As the Rick-man puts it, "You'd pay, say, $19.95 a month, and the music will come anywhere you'd like. In this new world, there will be a virtual library that will be accessible from your car, from your cellphone, from your computer, from your television. Anywhere. The iPod will be obsolete, but there would be a Walkman-like device you could plug into speakers at home." Additionally, the majestic light of the future that is Rick Rubin feels that, "Either all the record companies will get together or the industry will fall apart and someone like Microsoft will come in and buy one of the companies at wholesale and do what needs to be done." Whatever you say, Rick, just as long as you don't make another Mars Volta record. [Warning: read link requires subscription]

[Via Wired, thanks, Laura]

[Doogs @ Sep 4th 2007 11:17PM]

Err...because subscription services have been doing gangbusters to date?

[modified @ Sep 5th 2007 12:07AM]

"Either all the record companies will get together or the industry will fall apart..."

That being a major part of why current subscription services fail.

[johnny ryall @ Sep 5th 2007 7:22AM]

"are you kiddin me? Rick Ruben made the Beastie Boys the greatness the y are today."

umm, where are the beastie boys today? they have to resort to releasing instrumental albums because no one wants to hear old men rap as if they were still in 1986. Yes, they were great at one time, but that time has come & gone.
Rick is also an old man, his cutting edge ideas are about as gone as his chin.

[Adam @ Sep 5th 2007 12:00PM]

To johnny ryall

Are you kidding me?!? You obviously have no clue what you're talking about. If you believe that the Beastie Boys "have to resort" to instrumentals, then you obviously don't know what you're talking about, nor do you have any clue as to what you are missing... which is good because the Beasties wouldn't want you to listen to their music anyway.

[Dustin Leiblein @ Sep 4th 2007 11:18PM]

Rick ruined Linkin Park's new album, why the hell should I take his opinion.

[paloooz @ Sep 4th 2007 11:27PM]

No, I believe it was Linkin Park who did that...

[o rly @ Sep 4th 2007 11:29PM]

Incorrect, Linkin Park ruined Linkin Park's new album; by simply being on it.

[Greg R @ Sep 4th 2007 11:57PM]

Thats why i listen to bands who dont use producers eg. cartel. They recorded their new album locked in a giant plastic bubble without producers and it is an amazing CD.

[Ocelot13 @ Sep 5th 2007 12:26AM]

yes, theyre new cd is all emo unlike theyre old stuff...which was good.

[Zach @ Sep 5th 2007 12:44AM]

are you kiddin me? Rick Ruben made the Beastie Boys the greatness the y are today.

[MrWhite @ Sep 4th 2007 11:20PM]

HAHAHAHA no kidding, he obviously is "SO" in touch with today. /sarcasm

[mikey @ Sep 4th 2007 11:58PM]

Rick, keep to producing great records.






Nothing else.

[justin @ Sep 4th 2007 11:20PM]

yeah... and if that music gets accessed anywhere then a mobile player such as an ipod will be needed to play music on the go.. meaning ipods are going to stay put, and maybe itunes will just turn into a subscription based service. So the ipod won't be obsolete.. just paying per song will be.

[Frankenstein Black @ Sep 5th 2007 11:44AM]

Exactly! Hey Rick, guess what? You just invented an iPod with WiFi and streaming music you genius you ;^)...

[Claus Christensen @ Sep 4th 2007 11:21PM]

ZZ TOP called.......they invited you to Bingo

[Billy Fiul @ Sep 4th 2007 11:33PM]

Oh yeah?! Well, the jerk store called; they're running out of you!

[John @ Sep 4th 2007 11:40PM]

@ Billy: F A I L !

[thetinguy @ Sep 5th 2007 3:45AM]

LOL. great reference to a great comedy show.

[remf @ Sep 4th 2007 11:21PM]

Show me the article where Rubin predicted the iPod back in the 80's and maybe I'll listen. Otherwise, just another ZZ-top burnout.

[pablo m @ Sep 4th 2007 11:23PM]

The hell is wrong with the Mars Volta??
I'm saddened by that last ownage comment towards them, oh well.

[Intellectualdiot @ Sep 4th 2007 11:34PM]

Absolutely nothing in my opinion. I love them quite fervidly, actually. Rubin produced De-Loused, which is my favorite effort by the band. They've gotten a bit heavy with the sonic meanderings in recent releases, which, while having a certain charm, is largely uninteresting for me.

[alexo05 @ Sep 5th 2007 9:59AM]

I second that, nothing wrong with the Mars Volta. I an see how Rubin stuck his beard in their Cotton Candy machine with Deloused, but their last record is amazing.

[Jonny Rock @ Sep 5th 2007 12:20AM]

That's right! TMV are an amazing band, and that shot was misplaced. And De-Loused is TMV's best album to date in my opinion.

I don't plan on paying for any subscription based service in the foreseeable future. Keep to the production Rick.

[rlh82 @ Sep 5th 2007 12:50AM]

Seriously Engadget, don't eff with TMV. They're better musicians (even if you don't like their style) than any of those other hacks he's produced could ever dream of being. Weezer? Come the hell on . . .

[nowhere @ Sep 5th 2007 1:31AM]

De-Loused in the Comatorium is one of my favorite albums and the Tremulant EP was amazing but Frances the Mute was horrid.

[Andrew @ Sep 5th 2007 2:52AM]

I was wondering if I was the only TMV fan in here, but lo and behold, a bunch of people. Awesome.


Sparta?

[alek @ Sep 5th 2007 3:56AM]

seriously, wtf engadget. i like tmv somewhat (not a HUGE fan or anything) but i fucking respect them, and deloused is a good album.

[Joe @ Sep 5th 2007 8:32AM]

"The hell is wrong with the Mars Volta??"

They are no At The Drive In, that's for sure ;)

[krellish @ Sep 5th 2007 9:52AM]

While De-loused was great, Frances the Mute is my favorite TMV album.

[sowcow50 @ Sep 5th 2007 9:53AM]

Another TMV fan here... that last line of the article really made me question my RSS subscription to Engadget. Don't F with fans of good music.

[xraycat @ Sep 5th 2007 10:32AM]

Ya!

[mi_canuck @ Sep 7th 2007 11:26AM]

i would agree with this... TMV are very cutting edge, experimental... i'm a huge fan (saw them open for System of a down couple years ago)... and Sparta - yes very cool... and of course At the Drive-in which started it all (Relation of Command is one of my favourite albums)

nice to see some fans that share the love for TMV/S/ATDI...

peace

[Shane @ Sep 4th 2007 11:23PM]

If you think about what he said about microsoft coming in and changing things, Apple has already come into the industry and changed the way we listen to music, so really next up for apple is to start buying up labels so they can do whatever they want with the music and sell them however they want through itunes. This will eventually lead to Apple taking over the world and turning us into zombies(kinda like that commercial back in 1984).

[Pete @ Sep 4th 2007 11:24PM]

A walkman device? Isn't that what the iPod is?

[TMLC @ Sep 5th 2007 4:13AM]

Sony wishes

[Happy Launchcast User @ Sep 4th 2007 11:25PM]

Yahoo`s Launchcast works well for me and lets me watch great music videos and tailors "radio stations" to my tastes in high quality mode.
Who needs iToons ?

[Reginald @ Sep 5th 2007 2:04AM]

I just signed up with Launchcast today to use with the Sansa Connect.

As long as FaiUse4WM continues to work, these subscription based services are great! :)

[NOTASOCCERSTAR09 @ Sep 4th 2007 11:27PM]

so it would be like zune's service only you can dl from anywhere

[Zorque @ Sep 4th 2007 11:29PM]

Basically, sounds to me like an iPod with wireless capabilities, which could very well be coming out tomorrow.

[bob e @ Sep 4th 2007 11:29PM]

I agree, iPod is so 2001...


Subscription is the future!

[randy @ Sep 4th 2007 11:29PM]

Pffft. Is this the genius who invented the $25 CD?

[LordFarkward @ Sep 4th 2007 11:31PM]

and i proclaim that the beard will be obsolete

[Kevin @ Sep 4th 2007 11:32PM]

Interesting.

[Boris @ Sep 4th 2007 11:32PM]

=D

[Adoniteking @ Sep 4th 2007 11:33PM]

At first glance, one might think Rick Rubin might be one of those wacko prophets you see on the streets that preach about God's revelations and all the biblical stuff because of the word "proclaims" used in the heading and him(in the pic) looking like a Moses or Noah look-a-like with funky beads around his neck. Amen somebody!!! LOL!

[matt t @ Sep 4th 2007 11:33PM]

you guys are crazy!
de-loused was the best album the mars volta has made to date!

[Chris @ Sep 4th 2007 11:42PM]

Mars Volta is one of the the best bands around today.... Just my opinion though........ Coooooo....

[injate @ Sep 5th 2007 11:15AM]

true, and to whoever said "they're no at the drive in". Yeah, they're an improved at the drive in. Same core members as ATDI and an IMPROVED SOUND. ATDI kicks ass in their own right but De-Louced totally kills relationship in command.

[FourStringPhunk @ Sep 5th 2007 11:31AM]

Core members? Wouldn't the core member be the one who wrote all their music? Oh yeah...that'd be Jim.

[Herbert Neal @ Sep 4th 2007 11:34PM]

Oh boo hoo someone said something bad about ipods. Go dry your eyes.