cd sales, the future of cds, etc...

[amitface]

So yesterday I was talking with a friend and he brought up that he thinks CDs are on the verge of becoming obsolete. He compared buying a cd now to buying a VHS 5 years ago. Personally, I don't agree, since there really isn't an alternative. There is downloadable music, but there is no album art, or anything physical really. I think CDs are here to stay as long as there are people who buy them, and as long as there isn't anything comparably better.

This led to talk about CD sales and file sharing and things. He said he has no problem with file sharing since the amount of money made from CD sales is minimal anyway. (so he says .. i have no idea) He said that 'stealing' music from an artist is like stealing a penny from a "take a penny, leave a penny" cup, espescially for small artists, since they don't make much from CDs anyway.

I really have no idea. I don't know any facts or figures, or how the music industry really works. I've been under the impression that CD sales play a big part in a band's success, and I try to support the band as much as I can, espescially if they are just starting out.

Shed some light. How do CD sales really effect a band? How does the music industry work? I'm sure there are a lot of people, myself included, who really don't know much about it.

[Knifeboy]

If you buy a cd from a band on a major label.. They get $0.05.. Tops. If you want to support them go to their shows... But of course, cd sales also have a say in how much the label is going to support the band and such things.. So I'm not saying it isn't supporting the band.

Cd's aren't going anywhere... DVD's might start rivalling cd's one day, but not quite yet.. There will always be people who want their music in "real form"

[BentTwig]

Well if it is 5 cents for every c.d. that is rediculous to me. They should get more. I do know that artists do make most of their money touring.

It is possible that c.d.s could be replaced by minidiscs... but very unlikely. I think CD's will be around until we find a median to listen to 24 bit music and have people mass distribute them. (Cd's are 16, and casette are 8 ). Ive listened to recordings on 24 bit and its surreal how crisp the sound is.

[Knifeboy]

DVD-A.. Or SACD's

[jsbedlam]

as knifeboy said, seems like the number of cd's sold is more benificial to the artist than the actual amount they make directly from the cd . . . the more cd's a band sells, the more the record company promotes them, funds tours, videos, radio play, blah blah blah . . .

but i'd be ok with cd's going away in favor of dvd-a . . .

wait, dvda . . . anyone see orgasmo? haha . . .

[kata rokkar]

we're coming to a time where everyone has an ipod and music is more of a passion then ever before. with wide spread genres and a national obsession with the way our music sounds.

i believe it'll be a battle with those who don't care and with those who do care about the physical aspect of owning music. it won't be for a while though.

[hooBus2]

re: cd sales, the future of cds, etc...

Vinyls are still being made and people are still buying vinyls (I am one of them). Cds won't be going anywhere for a long time, even if DVDs become more prevelant.

[BentTwig]

I think putting stuff on cd's that you can't get through like itunes helps a c.d. Like videos, pictures, interviews and that. Kindof like dvd vs vhs where on dvds you get all the bonus material. If cd's had more special things to them like that and they didnt raise the price more people would prob buy them.

wait, dvda . . . anyone see orgasmo? haha . . .

"I don't mean to sound gay or nothin, but that scene was totally hot"

[Ventrio]

If 0.05$ for a 12$ album isn't much, think how much the artist makes from a 0.99$ song.