The end of the CD?

[Geoff]

Downloads have been around for ages and its hardly affected cds imo.

 

 

You serious, my man? I've seen 99% of the CD shops from my youth close down in the last 5-10 years; I cannot sell a CD on ebay anymore at all because no one wants them; and I'd bet my ass that when I go to concerts that less than 5% of those kids have the physical CDs, when I'd bet those same concerts 20 years ago, everyone had the CDs!!

 

Sorry mate, totally disagree with that observation.

[Fat Freddy]

Peeps have been proclaiming the death of the CD ever since the Internet became a thing but it's still hangin' on all these years later. I don't think they'll ever go away completely, but they'll probaby end up morphing into a niche/collectors-only deal like vinyl.

[nyoilers]

I hope I'm long gone before they go away !But Like Sammy Hagar said about doing another Chickenfoot CD-it would cost a half million dollars to make a new record and if it sells only 100,000 copies ,is it worth it?

[Fat Freddy]

I hope I'm long gone before they go away !But Like Sammy Hagar said about doing another Chickenfoot CD-it would cost a half million dollars to make a new record and if it sells only 100,000 copies ,is it worth it?

You dont need half a million bucks to do an album in this day and age. Hagar is still hung up on that aging rock star shit.

[Nightrain]

 

I hope I'm long gone before they go away !But Like Sammy Hagar said about doing another Chickenfoot CD-it would cost a half million dollars to make a new record and if it sells only 100,000 copies ,is it worth it?

You dont need half a million bucks to do an album in this day and age. Hagar is still hung up on that aging rock star shit.

 

 

lol yeah agree but probably what he meant by half million dollars is his fee and not the production cost

 

i always think that to boost CD sales, try cutting down the sales price of CD, say to $5 or $6 / album instead of $10 or $15 and if the physical thing cost less than the whole download, people will start to realize that it's better to invest in good audio set at home and own the copy of CD. I believe by mass-production, a CD should cost less than $1 or $2 so it's still a good profit. Another fine idea is to start recording new album through Kickstarter so artist gets money in advance and fans get a limited collectible copy that's worth keeping

 

And beside, artist also should realize that selling through digital didn't help them a bit, you can always get the digital for free instead of paying and even if you pay, the company makes much more than the artist. I read somewhere than an artist only paid couple thousand bucks for 7 millions hits/streams, lol that's a joke considering how much many the company makes from ads.

 

Selling CD through a store is not feasible anymore and the reason many are shutting down because of amazon and ebay. Its much more convenient to spend 15 minutes online and buy than to drive 2 hours through traffic to the store and back, only to find a CD or two worth $10, and you have to pay for gas, park, etc for that.

[Geoff]

Yeah, simple truth is that CDs are just way too expensive and for me that the biggest problem with the whole thing. In Europe and to a degree even America where you can pay $1 to have a CD shipped to your house, or it's free, it's probably a bit nicer, but elsewhere it costs me as much to get a CD shipped as the cost of the actual CD itself... or close enough anyway.

 

Just too much of an investment for me to really think about buying CDs anymore with the cost of shipping combined with an unusable exchange rate.

[Nightrain]

Yeah, simple truth is that CDs are just way too expensive and for me that the biggest problem with the whole thing. In Europe and to a degree even America where you can pay $1 to have a CD shipped to your house, or it's free, it's probably a bit nicer, but elsewhere it costs me as much to get a CD shipped as the cost of the actual CD itself... or close enough anyway.

 

Just too much of an investment for me to really think about buying CDs anymore with the cost of shipping combined with an unusable exchange rate.

 

yeah I understand that, I believe shipping a single CD from US or Europe will cost you around $8 and if a CD is around $12, that'll be $20 alone. That's why sometimes I prefer to go all the way for Japan CD because it costs around $25 and you get a far superior product + bonus track.

 

Will be totally nice if you can get $10/CD including shipment because now you have to buy at least 10 discounted/sale CDs shipped without jewel cases to get that average price from place like AOR Heaven but you can't buy all the new releases you want for that price, kinda sad

[kourosofsteel3]

 

 

I hope I'm long gone before they go away !But Like Sammy Hagar said about doing another Chickenfoot CD-it would cost a half million dollars to make a new record and if it sells only 100,000 copies ,is it worth it?

You dont need half a million bucks to do an album in this day and age. Hagar is still hung up on that aging rock star shit.

 

 

 

 

And beside, artist also should realize that selling through digital didn't help them a bit, you can always get the digital for free instead of paying and even if you pay, the company makes much more than the artist. I read somewhere than an artist only paid couple thousand bucks for 7 millions hits/streams, lol that's a joke considering how much many the company makes from ads.

 

 

 

 

So, it was you killing the ads, not the mood, in Spotify....

 

[DaHun72]

 

Disagree Nightrain. The future isn't in better sounding CDs, its in hi def music which again is in digital format.

Movies might have 1 more generation in some type of format eg. 4k but that's it. Everything will be digital as its cheaper, the property owners can go direct to market without the need for manufacturing and distribution etc. Most of all its convenient for the consumer.

 

if you're right then there's no way vinyl is coming back, right ? because why people should go back to analog or older type of format if there are new better thing around? but it happened and based on a data I read somewhere on the net, 2014 shows a 30% increase in vinyl sales.

 

I think music is a kinda unique thing, for instance, I love downloading MP3 because it's much faster to hear new albums as a sample and portable, I can pick any songs I like and discard the rest and it's handy to bring it anywhere when you're on a plane, on a boat, camping etc, but don't forget that for some, also for me, owning CD is a far better experience than just having something on the hard drive that we can't see or hold.

 

sometimes we dedicated an hour or two at home to really focus, concentrate, and enjoy our music, by pulling out CD from the shelf, putting it on a player, pulling the booklet and enjoy the band's photo, the artwork, maybe read the lyrics or some bio there, and put it back again, it's sort of like a ritual and maybe that what makes vinyl is back on track again.

 

The newer generation who were born with Apple and Android technology might not experience this, that I'll agree, but usually collectors like to share this kind of ritualistic experience to their children or families and someday they'll inherit this legacy and also share it to their friends etc. Also don't forget, for a man or woman to really love a band, they won't hesitate to buy a single album in several different formats. I have a friend who really loves Helloween, and believe me man, he just bought 7 CDs of their new album in every format and from different countries

 

 

I agree with everything you are saying and I want CDs, vinyl etc. to be around as long as I am and I am sure, even with a niche market (that's us, until we drop dead) there will be someone who will manufacture CDs and vinyl. However, that said here are the reasons the generations following us are not interested in music or even movies for that matter in physical format:

- on demand: everything is readily available, all the time. No waiting for imports, stock to come in, calling around to check stores etc. Current generation are not conditioned to wait for anything in terms of entertainment.

- cost of being online is plummeting. People have big limits not only on their home accounts but also on their phones. Add a small subscription fee on top and you get to watch and listen to whatever you want.

- change is being driven by cost and technology. Its the kids who are telling the labels how they want to consume and the labels (music and movies) are still fighting to stay relevant. Their model has barely changed in the past 20 years since the internet took off so everyone else is taking the opportunity to step in eg. Spotify, Netflix etc. Look how much change there's been in the past 5 years, amazing!

 

Note that there will be fans and collectors as there always are, I am talking about mainstream and making some massive generalisations.

 

For the record I think Spotify sucks! Artists need to make money. These days even the labels suck as there is no longer a model of growing or nurturing an artist - plus our style of music is out and not relevant to the major labels anyway.

 

Even I am needing to move my collection to digital format as the days/ritual of pulling out a CD and reading the lyrics etc. are long gone thanks to 3 young children. We're all suckers for convenience! It's that or I won't get to listen to anything at home anymore!

 

Long live the CD!!!!

[Nick C]

I think for people who love music then actually owning some kind of link to the artist in the form of CD/Vinyl, even a limited band usb stick (I've seen a couple come with customized designs and accompanying packaging) e.t.c. is intrinsic to their nature and all part of the experience. For people who simply like music and don't take it quite to the same extremes, then I guess downloads will do them - they're not really interested in the "whole pacakge" thing.​

[Glen]

 

Downloads have been around for ages and its hardly affected cds imo.

 

You serious, my man? I've seen 99% of the CD shops from my youth close down in the last 5-10 years; I cannot sell a CD on ebay anymore at all because no one wants them; and I'd bet my ass that when I go to concerts that less than 5% of those kids have the physical CDs, when I'd bet those same concerts 20 years ago, everyone had the CDs!!

 

Sorry mate, totally disagree with that observation.

Most shops have closed down cos they charge too much for cds.

 

They cannot compete with the likes of Amazon.

 

You might be right about kids downloading more but theres still a hell of a lot of people who buy cds and there is no way they will not around in say 10 years.

 

I would hazard a guess that 90% of people over 30 would still buy a cd over downloading music

[zacharyamelie]

Apart from people here on HH, I might know around 50 people well enough to know if they listen to music and what type they listen to.

 

Of those 50 people over the age of 30, including myself, I know 3 people who still regularly buy cd's. Me, Koogles (he used to be on HH years ago) and my buddy up North.

 

Of those 50 people, more than 75% don't give a shit about buying music in any format and the rest download popular songs on the net...like my wife.

 

Buying cd's is a niche market.

 

Think of the last 10 cd's you bought, I bet most if not all were purchased online and only people on HH and websites of the sorts would have any idea what it was.

 

On Ebay, I used to have dozens if not hundreds of regulars who would buy from me. Now I can count them on both my hands and most only come out for the really rare and sought after titles.

 

CD's aren't dead but nowhere near as popular as they used to be.

[Glen]

I know loads of people who still buy cds - all genres pop through metal

 

Anyone under 20 tho will download for sure.

[DaHun72]

I actually don't know anyone besides the missus and I, apart from die hards who buy CDs.

All my friends and family have cabinets of CDs that have not been added to in an age, or even put one on for that matter. Most don't even have CD players or even know that their DVD, bluray or games machine will play them!

 

Surely we all agree as a market that physical media is on a downwards spiral?

[Geoff]

I know loads of people who still buy cds - all genres pop through metal

 

Anyone under 20 tho will download for sure.

 

Based on other threads too, you know some odd people. I can honestly say that of every single person I personally know in any way shape or form, only my youngest brother and I still buy any CDs at all. No one else I know at all still buys any CDs. People see me at work pulling 9 CDs out of my bag every day to put in my car and they're all like 'zomfg what the fuck are they and why do you still have them??!!' In general the people I work with are about anywhere from 25-55 years old.

 

In my daily life, I see 0 existence of interest in CDs anymore. In fact, the only CDs I've seen outside of my own in recent years are huge bags of crappy CDs that people bring in to work to give away. Not sell (because they can't) but they just want to get rid of them as they only download music now.

[Chisel Chin]

I'll agree with Geoff.

 

I don't know anyone else who buys CDs any more. However those that do listen to music probably aren't as "into" their music as some of us who cherish our collections, post on discussion forums, and give % ratings to all our albums!!

 

Casual listeners of music probably don't care what format something is on, since they just want to hear the music.

 

I will also add that the people I know who listen to digital files on their mp3 players etc. these days don't actually buy any of their music, they just acquire whatever they listen to from wherever they can get it without paying. At least people used to pay for CDs.

[Glen]

Sounds like u know a bunch of crooks.

 

I know plenty of people who download from amazon or itunes - i also know plenty of people who still buy cds.

 

Live with it.

[Chisel Chin]

Nope, just ordinary work colleagues.

 

One even commented I was daft still buying CDs!!

[AlphaMale]

I was looking at what the artists make from Spotify and the like. It's downright criminal.

 

4,000,000 plays of a particular song nets the artist about $1,700.00

[Glen]

Nope, just ordinary work colleagues.

 

One even commented I was daft still buying CDs!!

Theft, pure and simple.

 

They should be ashamed.

[Geoff]

One even commented I was daft still buying CDs!!

 

That is the current norm as far as I can see it. Whenever someone I know finds out that I own and buy CDs (well, did up until very recently) the first response is always an astonished "Why?"

 

It's something that most people not only don't do any more, but they can't even comprehend that there are still people out there who are actually still interested in an actual CD.

[simo]

Yeah, they try and make you feel bad about actually buying CDs. I got no problem with them downloading or not listening to music at all so just leave me be. I remember a guy who I went to school with years ago saw me with a CD once and was surprised, he said he didn't remember when he had bought a CD the last time, so must have been a few years already and this happened in 2006! The guy was around 18 years old at that time...

[Chisel Chin]

Sales figures have dropped considerably over the years, with big albums now considered successful if they sell in the hundreds of thousands as opposed to when they used to sell in the millions.

 

I wonder how they will measure sales figures when everyone is streaming? Will they count Spotify "listens", even though they still come under your same monthly subscription fee? That would be strange; a bit like counting how many times I listen to each CD in relation to the others.

[Glen]

Nope, just ordinary work colleagues.

 

One even commented I was daft still buying CDs!!

You should ask these people if they would shoplift or just steal in general...cos that is what they are doing.

[simo]

Taking everything into account, what's surprising and frustrating is the album that DID sell very well (even for past standards) is the fat bitch Adele's CD (released in 2011 or 12) which sold over 20 million copies! Her, out of all singers and bands...