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Former Apple CEO and Co-Founder Steve Jobs will be remembered for bringing the world iPods, iPhones, iTunes, iPads, Mac computers, and many other products, but he also made an impact on hip-hop and the entire music industry. Apple hardware and software tend to be user friendly and intuitive, and the products look really good. But more importantly, Apple has products that have helped artists market themselves on a global level.

iTunes

Apple’s digital music store iTunes provided artists a national platform to expose their music and videos, but it also allowed them to sell their songs without having a record label take a major portion of the profits. iTunes spawned the App Store, and artists like Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg and Robin Thicke are a few of the artists who have extended their brand via apps. Record labels tried unsuccessfully to shut down iTunes because they felt it hurt business, but the model Jobs innovated benefitted the consumer by allowing us to buy the songs we wanted, instead of being forced to purchase overpriced full-length CDs.

Mac For The Pros

The 17-inch MacBook Pro has become a favorite for many producers because of its large hard drive and music-making features. GarageBand is heavily used, and it comes standard with the Mac.

One-Man Band

GarageBand is a program designed for making music, and T-Pain utilized it for some of his vocals on his hit “I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper).” Erykah Badu creates on this Apple software even though she has much more advanced software. About recording an album, she told Apple.com, “I have a home studio, but I didn’t use it that much, because I was able to maneuver things by myself on the Mac.”

Go DJ

If you go to a club and see a DJ spinning, you’ll probably see them selecting music straight from a Mac. Serato wasn’t invented by Apple, but this software for digital mixing is primarily used on their computers by DJs of all genres. Why do DJs choose Macs over PCs? Because it integrates seamlessly, allows them easy access to their music libraries, and many DJs already prefer Macs over PCs.

Web Star

Apple’s film editing software programs iMovie and Final Cut has helped artists create their own music videos and visuals for other digital projects. Wyclef Jean’s DVD for “Vibe Session: The Preacher’s Son” is just one of the many projects that came to fruition by using Final Cut.

Steve Jobs’ will be missed by those who knew him, and his legacy will live on as those from the music community continue to consume the products he invented and conceived. Thank you for making our lives easier, Steve Jobs. May you rest in peace.

Take a look at the music tribute set to Jay-Z’s “What More Can I Say” in the video below.

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