| Author | Message | ||
     Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3692 Registered: 05-2005 |
Guess how many copies were sold of the No 1 record in Australia two weeks ago? A miniscule 3600. And it was some English metal band I'd never heard of before. If that's all it takes to ge to No 1 in a country with a population of 22 million then record shops, and CDs, are doomed. It's a depressing thought, isn't it? | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1985 Registered: 01-2005 |
Padraig, That is real depressing. About the only thing that is keeping CD's viable and record stores open in the US are country albums, 80% of which are hard disc sales and only 20% downloaded. I would guess that jazz albums have a similiar split and are reliable catalog sellers for lables like Blue Note, but they don't move the huge numbers like country albums do. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 897 Registered: 10-2008 |
yes its depressing, but its just a sign that life is constantly about change. my kids have no interest in cd's even though i've tried. the eldest even plays her ipod through one of those micro hifi's that i had years ago, effectively using it as an amp to drive the speakers. the cd player in the unit is never used. she has thousands of songs at her fingertips, a physical cd or the artwork isnt important. given that vinyl still hasnt died, i reckon cd's have another 20/30 years of life at least given that people who are in their 30's now and upwards will still prefer this format for the rest of their music playing life. ultimately though "the man" will dictate how this pans out. if they stop manufacturing the equipment, or the replacement parts to play vinyl/cd's we will all be condemned to digital music. personally i'm happy to play cd's, vinyl and mp3's (in that order), most of my mp3 listening is via napster. its a great preview service. i reckon they have 70-80% of the stuff i search for and if i like it i'll buy the physical format. however, more often than not i save myself money cos i hear for myself that its crap and would have been a waste of money had i forked out for it. how many albums have we bought "blind" over the years only to find out when we played it that it was a big pile of doggy doo!!?? | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1517 Registered: 08-2006 |
Kinda funny this thread popped up. While I still buy CDs - I'm an old fart, I guess - I almost always buy them online. Yesterday, while down buying my vehicle sticker in Wicker Park, I stopped at one of the last Chicago record stores still making a good go of it: Reckless Records. It was an odd sight. When I walked in, the vinyl section was mobbed. The much larger, or at least equally large, CD section was pretty much left to me and a couple other guys. I wonder what percentage of Reckless's sales are vinyl? Their new CD prices are crazy - $14.99 U.S. But the used stuff is okay. I got "Pirate's Choice" by Orchestra Baobab, two CDs, for $15. I think vinyl must be keeping these stores afloat. Which is ironic, if you think about it. | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 1917 Registered: 09-2006 |
'Tis funny about the vinyl resurgence thing. My first choice is definitely to have the original CD/artwork/case, but beginning with the advent of CD-Rs and continuing into this time when, due to choice of occupation, I don't have as much disposable income as I used to, I'm much more willing to "settle" for a CD-R recording. Especially due to having lost a bunch of my music awhile back I don't think I could ever go to a purely digital collection - your computer or Ipod suddenly breaks down (as happens all the time) and there goes all your music. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 898 Registered: 10-2008 |
rob, i find the price of vinyl these days is at least 2 or 3 pounds dearer than the equivalent cd, and in a lot of cases the vinyl even costs twice as much. at a recent wilco gig the merchandising stall was selling wilco albums on vinyl for £20!!!. if vinyl was the same price as cd's i would buy a lot more. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 899 Registered: 10-2008 |
good point about the digital stuff allen, thats when an external hard drive comes in handy though. what happens if that malfunctions right enough? :-) | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 1919 Registered: 09-2006 |
Yeah, no foolproof method...though my wife was saying if I just made a copy or two of the drive. Again, I don't think I'm ready for that... | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3695 Registered: 05-2005 |
Rob, you refer to new CD prices of $14.99 as "crazy", but new releases in Australia are generally $21.99 (in indie shops such as Red Eye) or $19.99 (in JB Hi-fi - the sole remaining chain shop with a good selection). That's Aussie dollars, but the Aussie is pretty much at parity with the US dollar at the moment. I met up with Austin McLean, who posts here occasionally, recently in Brisbane and he said he found CD prices very expensive here. (He lives in Michigan). | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1987 Registered: 01-2005 |
Rob, I'm glad Reckless Records is still making a go of it. I was at the N. Milwaukee location a couple of times during a weekend road trip in late October of 2002 to see The Soft Boys at the Double Door. I also took in the SOFA (Sculpture Objects & Functinal Art) Exposition at The Navy Pier Festival Hall and had a great time. We had a pre-show gathering of a couple dozen Robyn Hitchcock fans at the Piece Pizza-Brewery on W.North close to the Double Door. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1518 Registered: 08-2006 |
I live just a little north of that area, Michael, so it's kind of my stomping ground. Piece then Reckless is a pretty good two-fer on a weekend afternoon. I say Piece then Reckless because a couple beers always grease the CD-purchasing process. And Padraig, yeah, I've always been surprised how expensive CDs are outside the US. But I've gotten very accustomed to getting new releases on Amazon for as low as $8.99 US, so seeing the same CDs for $14.99 at a record store is kind of shocking, even though I'm sympathetic to the expenses that come with a physical space. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 283 Registered: 03-2007 |
Padraig, I am buying less an less new music by Australian artists/bands these days due to the high pricing/exchange rate. A lot of the stuff I enjoy is not available here in the U.K. so I need to add another AU$9.00 or so for shipping and a single disc ends up costing me round AU$30.00 ( £18.50/US$30.00.) If I import any more than one disc at a time, I am hit with Duty/VAT/Handling charges which adds considerably to the cost. Hardly surprising to learn that cd sales are dropping as even people like me are cutting back on purchases. | ||
| peter ward Member Username: Peter_ward Post Number: 129 Registered: 06-2005 |
Rob/Michael, I was in Reckless Records last Friday week and there must have been twenty people inside, mostly going through the vinyl. It was the one close to Millenium Park, a great little shop, i had a quick flick thru the vinyl to tease myself as I was travelling with the family and would be unable to carry any but there seemed to be great value. I did buy a bunch of cds there though including the new ones from Deerhunter, ra ra riot, Pernice Bros and Eels and some second hand bargains from 2.99 upwards. The most expensive was the Ra Ra Riot one at $18 but it was a ltd edition with a DVD the rest I was happy enough with pricewise. I was in another great little shop called Square Records in Akron last week also, lots of keenly priced vinyl there also. Whenever I'm taking a trip I'll always do a search on record shops beforehand and look forward to a browse and generally leave a lot of money behind too. I'm sure stores like Reckless in Chicago or Ground Zero in Paris or wherever do benefit from a decent tourist trade. The best one in Dublin, Road Records, closed at the end of the Summer after a struggle with falling sales and they had an online store too, the general downturn leaving less disposable income is probably having a greater effect right now than changes in purchasing trends. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3700 Registered: 05-2005 |
I got the debut album by Tasmanian power poppers Sole Stickers in Red Eye the other day and it was $26. Luckily it's a great album. I don't think it's the kind of record that will be widely available so I just thought I should get it rather than hoping to find it cheaper elsewhere. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1520 Registered: 08-2006 |
Peter, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I didn't even know there was a Reckless near Millennium Park. Makes sense, though. There are tourists, but also the downtown office crowd and some college students, and most of the old record stores are gone. Seems like a smart move. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 916 Registered: 10-2008 |
99% of my buying is done online. there are a few reasons for this. mainly because there is only one "old school" record shop in my area - and he is a robbing so and so!! a real shady character who would sell his grandmother for the correct price secondly, because the hmv in my town is more interested in selling dvd's and ipod accessories, and apart from new releases which are between £8-10 initially, the remainder of their cd's are £12-17. who in their right mind would buy at that price unless on a whim. thirdly most of the stuff i buy is not available in these two shops. i order this stuff online, it normally arrives within a few days and is invariably pretty cheap. |