In the last few years the sales of music has tailed off dramatically.

The interesting thing is, almost every single artist that I'm really into a dropped a new cd in the last 12-18 months. I love the fact that releases haven't neccesarily been impacted by sales.

This is just a small sample of artists I really dig and will spend money on that have released new material in the past few months.

Prince

Van Hunt

Jill Scott

Dangelo

P-Funk

Meshell

Avery Sunshine

Vivian Green

Bilal

Mint Condition (October 2015)

Prince (Sept 2015)

Teedra Moses

Miguel

[Edited 8/14/15 13:33pm]

Graycap23 said:

Sunshine Anderson

I agree with your whole list!!! Except this one, I didn't know she had a new one?

Cinny said:

Graycap23 said:

Sunshine Anderson

I agree with your whole list!!! Except this one, I didn't know she had a new one?

Opps.................that may have been Avery Sunshine.

I've only bought 2 cd's this year. Tamia and Boney James. Everything else I've heard just

hasn't been enought to move me to buy it. I don't count DAngelo since his came out in

December. I will give Vivian Green a listen. I'm sure to pick up Mint Condition although it's

a Xmas release with 5 new tracks and Prince.

phunkdaddy said:

I've only bought 2 cd's this year. Tamia and Boney James. Everything else I've heard just

hasn't been enought to move me to buy it. I don't count DAngelo since his came out in

December. I will give Vivian Green a listen. I'm sure to pick up Mint Condition although it's

a Xmas release with 5 new tracks and Prince.

I was filling in some gaps in my collection.

I've picked up about 200 cd's this past year.

I can count the number of new releases I've purchased over the last 2 years on one hand. Waiting on promised new music from many artists that haven't surfaced yet. 99% of my music purchases have been reissues.

If you're an artist,you will find a way to release a new album somehow.You just have to realize that your album probably won't sell alot of copies.This isn't the 80s or 90s anymore.

The Artists realize it, the problem is that MANY fans and music consumers (many on this forum) don't get it. We have been talking about sales going down for 2 decades pretty much and yet people are just now realizing that aritsts get it, the public doesnt.

Artists have still been putting out albums and most artists have been doing great work, NO sales and the attention they get don't reflect their work and even critical acclaim, but that SHIP has sailed!

Duran Duran has an album coming out in a few weeks getting stellar reviews already most from critics that blasted them through the 80's and on, but lets be real this album is NOT going to sell at all, it will be lucky if it sells more than the last one did, but who cares, it is what it is. I want my artists to record good work, i dont care where they chart I havent looked at a chart since my job was to look at charts a decade ago, and even then I DIDNT GIVE A SHIT what was HOT!

So artists still putting out albums is not a new concept, they have been doing it, maybe WE are waking up.

Talib Quele just gave his album free, hoping there are other ways to make money.

Today's music sucks. They may release new music, but how long does it hang around? Here today, gone tomorrow.

True, many of those listed are also artists I've bought from in the last year as well (I wish Me'Shell would pick up the pace a bit, but that's for another thread).

IMO, there is a difference between music audiences and music patrons.

Music audiences want the content delivered to them and choose from the content offered by mainstream outlets. Before, music audiences had to purchase product to have it on demand. No longer. But they'll generally give their money to mainstream acts, but now, like generations ago, the business is single-driven.

Music patrons enjoy artists or kinds of music and are willing to support the artists they love, or support new artists they like. They don't depend on content being delivered to them. They do more of their own homework. Music patrons realize their support is essential for their favorite artists and types of music to survive.

One is not better than the other, but the artists that continue to make a living in 2015 rely more and more on music patrons to donate towards production costs with pre-orders, buy their albums, attend their shows, and get the word out. Some, like Prince, need less help than others.

But only a select few artists, period, can depend on music audiences for continued success.

1contessa said:

Today's music sucks. They may release new music, but how long does it hang around? Here today, gone tomorrow.

What do you mean by "hang around"? Just curious.

missfee said:

I see on iTunes that The Foreign Exchange is coming out with a new album on Aug. 21st. Can't listen to snippets yet though. I'm wondering when my man Raphael Saadiq going to drop some new music.....I've been feenin' for some new tunes from him. And what about Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)?????

Bey dropped some new single on SoundCloud I think.

Talk about a cat that could be a Top 5 MC if he'd set his mind to it.

missfee said:

I see on iTunes that The Foreign Exchange is coming out with a new album on Aug. 21st. Can't listen to snippets yet though. I'm wondering when my man Raphael Saadiq going to drop some new music.....I've been feenin' for some new tunes from him. And what about Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)?????

.

Thanks for sharing the info about The Foreign Exchange!

TheGoldStandard said:

missfee said:

I see on iTunes that The Foreign Exchange is coming out with a new album on Aug. 21st. Can't listen to snippets yet though. I'm wondering when my man Raphael Saadiq going to drop some new music.....I've been feenin' for some new tunes from him. And what about Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)?????

.

Thanks for sharing the info about The Foreign Exchange!

I saw that on SoulBounce a few weeks back but thanks for the reminder!

TheGoldStandard said:

missfee said:

I see on iTunes that The Foreign Exchange is coming out with a new album on Aug. 21st. Can't listen to snippets yet though. I'm wondering when my man Raphael Saadiq going to drop some new music.....I've been feenin' for some new tunes from him. And what about Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)?????

.

Thanks for sharing the info about The Foreign Exchange!

I am sure you can get that information at Okayplayer, the place that bore and cares about Foreign Exchange.

truly curious about how many copies the new Iron Maiden album (sept) will sell until Xmas...

I'm sayin' this cuz metal is one of the few genres STILL supported by the fans (old and new), and Iron Maiden are like the Rolling Stones of metal

namepeace said:

JoeTyler said:

truly curious about how many copies the new Iron Maiden album (sept) will sell until Xmas...

I'm sayin' this cuz metal is one of the few genres STILL supported by the fans (old and new), and Iron Maiden are like the Rolling Stones of metal

This is true, especially in used records and even cassettes.

1contessa said:

Today's music sucks. They may release new music, but how long does it hang around? Here today, gone tomorrow.

Are you saying it sucks because it actually suck or because there dont seem to be any longevity? I agree this is an era of microwave music, but there is some good music hidden out there.As a huge music fan i dont let first week sales or charts control what i listen to, if you really enjoy a song/album you determine how long it 'hands around'.

SoulAlive said:

If you're an artist,you will find a way to release a new album somehow.You just have to realize that your album probably won't sell alot of copies.This isn't the 80s or 90s anymore.

exactly. And as fans we cant complain about artists not making music and then when they do and it dont sell turn around and call them flops.

lowkey said:

1contessa said:

Today's music sucks. They may release new music, but how long does it hang around? Here today, gone tomorrow.

Are you saying it sucks because it actually suck or because there dont seem to be any longevity? I agree this is an era of microwave music, but there is some good music hidden out there.As a huge music fan i dont let first week sales or charts control what i listen to, if you really enjoy a song/album you determine how long it 'hands around'.

I think today's music sucks period, and by "hang around"...I mean it doesn't stay around long before it disappears. I'm from the old school, when music was fantastic, and artists were naturally talented. When they created a good song, it stayed on the charts forever......those days are long gone. Entertainers make a song today, and people listen to it for maybe a few weeks, and then it's gone, and they're looking for the next one. Also, it's the same entertainers over and over, and that's boring, repetitve, and annoying.

lowkey said:

SoulAlive said:

If you're an artist,you will find a way to release a new album somehow.You just have to realize that your album probably won't sell alot of copies.This isn't the 80s or 90s anymore.

exactly. And as fans we cant complain about artists not making music and then when they do and it dont sell turn around and call them flops.

EXACTLY!! Prince puts out a record i hear about everything he is doing and not doing for SALES, who cares you are getting new music, sales should not enter the equation, People just can not rap their head around this sales thing, artists can consumers can't or fans can't, deal with it!! The artists that you love who used to sell are NEVER GONNA SELL AGAIN just accept that and move on.