The online record store has changed the way DJ’s shop for their records. The impact of this change has been felt through out the underground music industry. In the past Disc Jockeys ( DJ’s) used to dig through bins of dusty records in a communal environment at their local record store. This environment helped facilitate socialization between the various aspects of the music community. Allowing the local promoters, record store owners and dj’s to communicate with one another. The introduction of the internet and the acceptance of online commerce slowly began to change that. The deployment of broadband and well developed websites started to have an impact on local record stores. DJ’s began to discover that they could more easily select songs online. Another benefit was there was no middle man to deal with, if they want a record they can just order it themselves rather than wait on the merchant. Now most DJ’s use online record stores for at least some if not all of their purchases.Effects of the online record storeThe undeniable effect of the online record store has been a steep decline in sales for the older model of record stores. This is causing a crisis in amongst record store owners. With their once virtual monopoly on local music declining they are seeing their influence and sales whither. There is a large divide in opinion on how this will impact local music scenes. Some people believe that online record stores hurt local music culture. Others believe that local record stores provide little to local music culture, beyond the obvious distribution of music. However with out this central meeting place much of the discourse and community amongst locals is in danger of being lost. Regardless of how you feel, without local record stores much of the flavor will be lost in local culture. The overall effect of the online record store though is allowing more people to enjoy good music. By providing access to music to more people it encourages the proliferation of music culture. In America the locations with local record stores that cater to subcultures with are few. Fewer still are store owners that can operate on a professional level and move beyond the “cool factor” of having their own record store. Many, with no business plan and little to no business acumen, fail shortly after opening or barely survive. The short supply and unsure future of most local record stores causes their long term cultural benefit in to question. While there will always be die hard dj’s who have to touch the wax before purchase, the majority of purchases in the future will be at a online record store. Businesses that fail to adjust for that and move to the online record store space or develop a unique marketing strategy will find they have a very hard time succeeding. For those that despair the eventual lose of local record stores remember this:The electric light didn’t end the candle business, it just changed the way candles were marketed.On Site Links:How to DjHow to advertise onlineAccepting Online Paymentsonline record stores