Over the past decade, CD sales have simply plummeted. A decade ago, it would have taken well over 100,000 sales just to crack the top 10, but today, some weeks a mere 65K will get you a #1 slot. And yet, the industry continues to charge exhorbitant rates for their products. CD's are still commonly sold @ 15-20 bucks a pop.
Will the industry simply switch over to 99 cents a song downloads? Well, while I expect the download business to increase for some years to come, I still expect that some will still prefer to own a "hard copy" of the music. Not to mention, to the more "audiophile" types, and some who just plain care aboutthe sound, CD is still a superior sounding format to MP3. Eventually, however, MP3's technology will match or even surpass the CD format. And eventually, the CD will go away, as did the cassette, 8 track and vynyl record album.
In the meantime, it's time that the industry perhaps did consider doing some price lowering. And that is for both formats. At 99 cents a downloaded song, it's still no bargain. And when you consider that offering a download is in the long run a cheaper investment for the company, it could be viewed as downright price gouging. With their declining sales, the industry should seriouly consider at least dropping CD's to a more reasonable price, under 10 dollars. If folks either buy more CD's or download more MP3's, they still win, the artists win, and the consumers win as well.
And if the industry is unwilling to budge, what about the artists themselves? While minor and unsigned artists have embraced the idea of selling their music online, It would be nice to see more major artists simply bypass the recording industry giants and just set up shop on their own. Certainly the technology is there, the expenses are minimal and might even be less overall than dealing with the "system." A few artists, like Chuck D, Phish, Grateful Dead and Amiee Mann have had some success in the past. It would be nice to see more of that.
In fact, with technologies already here, and what is on the horizon, home based recording could replace the traditional studio in a very short time down the road. In fact, it will be possible for a group of musicians to collaborate and record online, while sitting in the comfort of their own home.
Artists have long complained about the restraints and other negative factors the "corporate" side of music brings to the table. But for a long time, they were considered a necessary evil for anyone who wanted any measure of fame. Now, in this "flat world," with the tools available to simply bypass the corporate world of music and present one's "art" directly to their audience. Who will be the 1st acts to "take the plunge, outisde of the forementioned unsigned and minor acts?
This "future world" of online, real time, professional level collaboration and being able to inexpensively market your music to your audience is here. I believe the smart artists will embrace these new tools, while the rest let their $17.99 CD's sit on the shelf.
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