THE PLUNGING PRICE OF THE CD
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 at 5:53pm by Vince Neilstein
The neverending feedback loop that is the decline of physical retail and the falling price of CDs has reached a new frenzy, with Walmart — the #1 chain for physical CD sales in the U.S. — announcing that most of its titles will now sell for less than $10, with some new releases going for as low as $5.
That sound you hear? The dying gasps of physical retail as we know it.
So what’s next? Will consumers a year or two down the line be willing to pay for recorded music at all? Will some kind of a la carte subscription service arise?
-VN
Wal-Mart has always been exploiting a lot of people.Those making the clothes they sell,the artists working on the music and the movies that they sell,and also their customers (some people have become fucking addicted to shopping there,quite frankly I think they should be tied up and fucking quarantined for a while so all the Wal-Marts can close down).
The best way to stay faithful to your music is to purchase it via the internet (official band websites and/or MySpaces) and receive the records and DVDs by mail.Depending on the bands,it’s their personnal choice wether they bill you or not and if they do,they decide of the pricing and that’s how it always should be.
Noch
You know that really blows too! I mean, I’m one of those people that still appreciates the thought and hardwork that the artists/bands put into creating art (visual and audio). I’m one of those guys that actually would rather pay for a CD than download, these crazy times.
I agree Cisco. On one hand, I’m glad to see big biz getting what they deserve, but on the other hand, I’m not a fan of the disappearance of physical media.
Holy fuck. Retail outlets in the UK regularly charge up to £20 ($40!!) for new releases. It’s madness when there are online retailers selling the exact same CDs for less than half that.
Personally, I just download now. I *love* having a new CD in my hands for the first time, with the lyrics sheet and work that goes into the packaging. But as I don’t actually have a house any more and I move around a lot with work… a laptop and a spare hard drive are a lot more portable.
I’ve haven’t bought any mp3s yet; I only buy CDs. I like the art, etc. and having the actual CD. Buying CDs from the band is the best way if possible, like Noch says.
As for Wal-Mart, they don’t sell real music anyway.
What, are you fucking new? iTunes is the largest retailer of music now. That’s going to be the near future. As for the distant future (nowadays that’s 18 months tops), who knows?
I’m on the same boat with Cisco and canea. The only MP3’s I’ve ever purchased were the two Protest the Hero albums on Amazon and they were free! I still went out and bought the CD’s because I actually wanted the artwork and lyrics. As for iTunes, I’ve never even visited the site or have an iPod (I prefer the Creative line better).
I used to think I was supporting the bands I listen to by actually purchasing a disc, but from what Dallas said on his last blog that the bands don’t even see the money from retail sales I was wrong.
Maybe I’m a little late on jumping on the MP3 wagon here, but it just feels… I don’t know impersonal?
saddly were all fucked …. musicians that is … online download sites are both a saint and a devil at the same time ..wal mart (even though i hate them for general purposes but still shop there becuase the local stores are even worse) are just trying to get the last little bit of money out of the cds befor they dissapear for ever and online downloading is the only thing left for music . sucks …hell yeah it sucks … and what can we do about it ? …watch as the thigs we love get forgot like the 8 tracks of the past …. remember those ???? probably not .. soon music cds will be the same way ….. with the all time lows of music sells the companies are strting to freak out …and they know its a matter of time befor they all die out … and for usunsigned bands that struggle every day to make $5 off of our cds at a local bar …. online is a great way to get your name out there ….but who the fuck cares ??? there are littlerally billions of bands all doing the same thing right now …. and all going nowhere fast ..saddly were one of those bands ..lol… trying to get noticed …trying to sell our cds ..tryign to become somthing more than a shitty little weekend worrior band …. the major lables are going down …and they are on fire burning everything with them …. the little lablesare all on the same level fighting like dogs to survive …and with cds going away it puts everyone on on the same page …. and then bends us over and puts it in our asses…. hopfully bands can still get people to buy the cdsoff line instead of just stealing it from a share program …. support the bands buy the cds right from them …. that might just end up being the last chance to accualy own a real cd in the near future …..well thats my nove on the subect ….greed = bad …. help shitty local bands and maybe we canmake it thought this mess of shit ..who knows …
(4)
It is about time! CDs are way overpriced. They cost peanuts to manufacture. The margins on those things is outrageous. The RIAA has already lost a class action lawsuit on this. Finally. This might be the thing that actually saves CDs.
$10.00 is still a rip off. I can make cds for under $1.00 with all the goodies that go with em. 100 cds @ $3.00 each = $200.00 toward bigger amps and drums.
$5 is an improvement in CD prices. Too bad Wal-Mart sells crappy music.
I prefer the independent record store to get the physical disc. No matter what the cost(it can be a couple dollars or do more sometimes), the support is what counts because they help the local scene and artists as much as they can, and often bring in bands for signings and shows and such. I hate the idea of getting stuff like that from chain-stores. I actually worked for an FYE for 1 1/2 months. I hated the place before I even started there, I just needed a convenient job. got out quick. This works for me as I have this kick-ass store Loony Tunes a couple towns over. What Dallas said about seeing no money from CD sales really bugs me, and honestly i feel that legitimizes downloading a lot. I understand the label gets the money and funds the band for whatever they need, but still! I wonder what they even get, like whether Merch sold at say hot-topic and record stores profits the band. At least I get to show my support by showing up to gigs and buying whatever I can afford at the time.
Hello guys, the writing has been on the wall for Cd’s for a while. I like having a product in my hand as much as the next guy. but just having your massive collection of an external hard drive sure beats having a big shelf taking up space in your house. besides, the death of the CD means that for those who like having artwork, etc, can rejoice: its the return of vinyl, baby:)
just let go, slide already.
this much first time that a medium change has been so fought against, no one cried when they gave up their tapes, or vinyl (even though that found its way back onto the market) There is money to be made, this just cuts out a shit load of middlemen.
Not all downloaded content is stolen content, if security were a little tighter and a few people paid a little more attention all the leaks n shit could come to an end, where do most leaks come from anyways? shithead employees of record and production companies that steal it for a chance to be cool with their buddies. Protest gave their cd away for free, but it never leaked (trust me i looked), neither did Ashes divide.
I guarantee that all the DIY kids that started hardcore like black flag, circle jerks, minor threat, ect. would have killed to have a tool like the internet. Everything from that era was handmade. . . everything. It was about the music, not the money.
Everyone who is embracing this change is making something positive out of it, NIN, horse the band, doing it on their own, still making money, having a lot more fun.
Everyone who is holding back is crying outrage and shitting their pants, Musexpo is going on right now in LA, its a weeklong conference for music industry moguls. there are very few artists here and the stuff that i’ve seen so far has made me sick, overproduced, overmarketed, undertalented money making shtick crap music. I actually got suspended from the bar i work at (who was sponsoring an event) for being overheard making snide comments about the rockabilly band from Estonia that was playing our place.
We don’t need these fake ass fascist shoving crap in our face for bands to succeed and “make it”, they severely underestimate the power and intelligence of the fans, if you like certain music you will find a way to go out and get it. Sites like this one introduce me to new bands all the time, and i buy their shit. yeah it’s cheaper and i buy it straight from them, not from wal-goody, or suck-topic.
Music written from devotion not ambition, not for fame. zero people are exploited, may the dinosaurs die
Also consider: if CDs cost peanuts to produce, mp3s cost less than peanuts to produce and they’re not free either (or aren’t supposed to be, heh). The cheaper mp3 you’re buying is also an inferior audio file that comes with no physical backup. I’ll buy music in whatever format I can in the end. I’m sure we’re all the same in that regard. Though maybe vinyl is the answer after all…
[...] the bald eagle, add compact discs to the endangered species list. According to a post by Metal Sucks’ Vince Neilstein, CD sales are not only slumping beyond belief, but are also [...]
Hey Vince, great article! I love what you and Axl write on here and have been visiting and reading your blog for the past few days. I can’t get enough. Keep up the great work man!
I cited you on Consequence Of Sound as I posted this article on our page. Thanks for the story, and yeah CD death is not a matter of if, but when.
I just saved up enough Pepsi caps to download Testament’s new album for free. If the price of the downloads was a bit lower it would make it a more viable solution as I am not in the habit of doing it illegally but the price of most CD’s is making our musical acquisitioning cost prohibitive and if the rest of you guys are like most metal fans I’ve ever known YOU ALL BUY A WHOLE LOT OF SHIT!!!
@muttweiler;
Yea, it seems like every week I’m buying like two or three CD’s! I mean there’s the new stuff from bands I already like coming out on Tuesdays, then there’s old stuff from bands that I didn’t have but have now, for instance this week already I just got ‘Still Life’ from Opeth, ‘The Fiancee’ from the Chariot and then the new Arsis (just got around to getting that one). It’s not an uncommon thing for me to buy a minimum of ten CD’s a month!
Amen to that, brother.
I still buy CDs, but what’s the first thing I do? Rip them to my computer, download them to my iPod, put the CD jewel box in a rack with hundreds of other CDs that don’t get played. Yeah, I read the liners and admire (or scoff at) the artwork for a day or two. But the mp3 player is one of the greatest inventions of all time!
Shit, when I was a kid if you’d told me I could have every fucking song I own at my finger tips, in my car, in my pocket? Are you kidding me? So we lose cover art. Big deal. I can carry thousands of songs with me and play them anywhere I want.
@Sammy;
Same here, rip ‘em to my hard drive, to my PDA, then in the CD rack. As long as I have the hard copy somewhere I’m fine with that. I had to get a new computer sometime last year because of a system crash or something along the lines of never working again. I lost everything! But at least I still had the CD’s to rip into a new hard drive when I got one. Plus I’m pretty proud of my collection on the wall. Regardless if
I still listen to a certain band or not it’s a pretty impressive and always a conversation starter or a trip down memory lane when guests are visiting.
Amen Sammy…I couldn’t agree more.
Anyone who can’t afford to buy a cd for $10 is a loser. The problem with the music industry is that the customers are bums. Cds should be atleast $15.
I don’t know where people get their information, but cd’s are very expensive to make, especially with all the packaging the labels include.
Vinyl sucks, it’ll be a shame when cd’s get phased out. Thanks losers.
thanks ERiK for all your infinite wisdom on the music industry.
sarcasm aside, i really have a hard time believing CDs still cost that much to make. and if they do, then hey WHY NOT COME UP WITH A FORMAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD TO PRODUCE???
i’d buy CDs for $10. not from wal-mart of course because they’re simply the devil in his department store form. but i buy CDs online or at local stores as long as they’re under $15.
i download too, but mostly to check artists out before i blow my money on a CD with a handful of good songs. i don’t see the point in paying for somehting that can be erased forever with the stroke of a key or a crash.
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