They'll live.

But yes, CD sales do pick up towards the end of the year.

Sales are down again, but should pick up around October due to Christmas shopping.

Regardless, I think it'll be a long time before sales hit the highs they had around 1999-2000.

There just aren't a lot of great releases coming out, at least from what I see. No big names and even those with big names aren't selling like they used to. I have an idea that this will be a really good fall and/or fourth quarter though.

Unrelated, I know that Alanis Morriesette's unplugged "Jagged Little Pill" comes out to all stores this week but not one of the stores has it in their ads. Are they holding a grudge becuase it was a available so long at Starbucks first? I know it won't be the biggest seller but it wouldn't hurt to put it in the ads and put it at a good sale price.

VinnyM27 said:

2005 hasn't had too many worthwile releases. '03 & '04 were better album years than this one, IMHO.

Also, it seems like all the really good albums ("the keepers") tend to come out in fourth quarter. So I'm looking forward to the fall. I already have in mind some of my purchases.

.
[Edited 7/25/05 10:51am]

Hopefully this signals that the entire music bizz will collapse soon. A man can dream....

I could care less about cd sale's



Bubba :"Give me back my daddy's records" - Sanford & Son

2freaky4church1 said:

The music industry is horrible right now.

mrwigglesdaw1rm said:

Today's music sucks!!


Give the people what they want, when they want and they'll want it all the time.

the "majors" have only themselves to blame. they have run the industry into the ground by spending millions of dollars on product that fades with the changing fads, and ignore bands and artists with true talent that could end up being the next REM, U2, Prince, etc.. if given a chance.

The music industry as we have known it is changing. With digital music becoming more and more prevelant, and so many people walking around w/ ipods, it is going to change. It already is. The industry will need to adapt.

asg said:

Maybe, like me, too many times they've bought albums and then been disappointed when it turned out that the single was the only good song on it!

Maybe we'll move away from the whole "album" paradigm, and artists will just put out individual tracks (songs)?

JonSnow said:

Very well said. It's true that other forms of entertainment are successfully competing for consumer $$$. But the industry will never be healthy unless the execs stop focusing on making a quick buck off the latest manufactured sensation.

Axchi696 said:

The same year the Police get back together.

yeah but they are making money off downloads and ringtones.
EG Gwen Stefani is close to selling 1 million downloads of "Hollaback girl" in the U.S alone at $1. that's a million dollars profit and they cut out the middle man, retail, distrubution and so on. They'll always find a way to make money

twink69 said:

They make some money but remeber aftrer so many yrs itunes just sold 500mil song
so the record companies made less then 400mil in couple of yrs which isnt much

apple only pays 70cent for the song to the record company

i know gwen paid dr dre 250k-300k for the rich gal song for production cost only
( Dr dre gives a discount to artist on his label only 75k plus share of profit)
cost of video
cost of promotion


they is nothing left after u add up all the costs
[Edited 7/26/05 0:02am]
[Edited 7/26/05 0:03am]

asg said:

But they are making more money than they would had they sold actuall CD singles in stores. also that money they otherwise wouldn't have seen in the age of downloading. 400 million in a couple of years of total profit, with no work on their behalf required.

mrwigglesdaw1rm said:

So you're somewhere in the middle on this, huh?

asg said:

The good news is that I don't feel that the drop in CD sales in any way demonstrates that ppl are bored of music or looking elsewhere (such as video games, which has been the case in the past).
It just shows that ppl are buying music in new ways - cell phones and downloads being the main ones which have accelerated massively since 2000.

Also, music DVD's are selling very well - with certain titles (Eagles, Led Zep) selling absolutely shitloads. Again, ppl enjoying music in a new way - they have their 5.1 systems and want the whole experience not just the audio. This maintains the interest in music and bands and the whole history and iconography of the experience, which is good, but doesn't necessarily involve the humble old CD.



I think it is a good time to be a music fan, with more options that ever, cheaper CD's, competition from internet sites and supermarkets bringing the prices down to a reasonable level, and the record companies for once having to stretch themselves and catch up with the consumer with new ideas.









typo edit
[Edited 7/26/05 3:49am]

CandaceS said:

exactly. the execs need to focus on what got the industry started in the first place: good music.

PurpleKnight said:

"Yes"
With all due respect to the true artists for the work they need to get paid. It's the record companies i have beef with. For the bullshit they're marketing now.



I Wax

I haven't bought a current release cd for over 2 years (White stripes - Elephant was the last Brand new CD I bought).

New music really sucks...seriously, if the quality of music was better, i'd buy more cds new...but since all of the music I listen to generally predates 1995...I never buy new cds.I end up buying most of my CDs at used CD stores or I buy used discs online on amazon or half.com. Actually about half of my music purchases (give or take) are vinyl...so that doesn't help the music industry either.

So, I buy tons of music, and none of that contributes to new CD sales.