The Microsoft and Intel sponsored report, “The Energy and Climate Change Impacts of Different Music Delivery Methods,” (PDF download), reveals that, not surprisingly, digital music is less energy intensive than the traditional retail bought CD.
Considering music downloads are set to over take CD sales by later this year, the results of the report indicate a carbon healthy future for the music industry.
The report found that purchasing music digitally reduced energy output and carbon dioxide emissions by between 40-80% compared with retail or online purchases of CDs. This was mainly due to the dematerialization of music that digital purchases allow for. The physical reproduction of music, producing the CD and CD packaging, is energy taxing and the additional factors of storage and retail space also raise the carbon footprint. As stated in the report, “moving bits instead of atoms is always less energy intensive and environmentally damaging”.
The study also analyzed how file size and the time spent online would affect emissions. The amount of energy the Internet consumes has become an environmental worry as of late but the report reveals that even using the most energy-draining computer for over a period of five hours to download music is still more efficient than retail purchasing.
The study was limited to a purchase-for-download system that is found on Amazon’s MP3 service and the iTunes store. However there are other digital systems such as subscription fees where the user pays a set amount per month to download a certain number of songs. The study suggests further research is needed into these different systems in the future and the energy effectiveness of each system be widely available for the consumer.
The report does provide some good news for those who want to purchase their music the old-fashioned way. Walking to the CD retailer will reduce carbon emissions to about the same level as purchasing music digitally and burning it onto a CD. A good option for those who want to build up their CD collection without the carbon guilt.
Hopefully the study will spur other industries to develop new ways to deliver their products and services. Dematerialization has been the key to reducing carbon emissions in the music industry and has been warmly welcomed by consumers. The potential exists in other industries for dematerialization and greater digitalization that will make products more accessible and less environmentally taxing. The future of the music industry looks environmentally sustainable thanks to the results of the report and the ongoing trend of increased digital sales.
This article was contributed to Celsias by Katherine Irvine.
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Eric Lancaster says:
As a music lover and a person who is very active in protecting the environment, this article hits home!
Great post.
Eric