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Digital Versus Analog Debate Continues, Ten Years After iTunes Release

by Ian Bush

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Ten years ago this week, Apple released iTunes. We've since bought more than 25 billion songs from the music store, but the digital-versus-analog debate still rages. Here's KYW tech editor Ian Bush.

U2 had the biggest track when iTunes first hit computers.

It took just three years for Coldplay's 'Speed of Sound' to be the billionth song sold.

By 2008, iTunes was the biggest music retailer in the country.

But just this past week - during Record Store Day - there was a new vinyl sales record: Nielsen SoundScan says it's the largest number of such albums to move in a week since they started tracking sales in 1991.

"It sounds better," said Dan Matherson, who owns Repo Records on South Street.

"When the artist makes the record, they make it as a whole package - the liner notes, the artwork. It's a waste when people just download songs. They're missing the whole point of it," said Matherson.

Though he says many artists who put out LPs understand we like our music to be portable, and include download vouchers:

"You can still get the digital edition, but it's just nice to sit home and have that record playing. The sound -- it fills the room," said Matherson.

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