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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "josh chasin" <jchasin@nyc.rr.com> |
| Subject | Re: the death of the CD |
| Date | Fri, 5 Sep 2003 11:43:55 -0400 |
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Ryan Williams" <ryan@headphonetreats.com>
> Well, this isn't really the case. Once the industry moved to only
> Cassette and CD formats, it was nearly impossible to get consumers to
> buy Cassette and CD singles. Consumers found them generally inconvenient
> as car listening became the primary focus. Even before this, there was a
> huge decline in the sell of 45s in the final days of mainstream vinyl
> after blank cassettes hit the market. People just started taping the
> songs off the radio (anyone remember the stink the majors made about
> cassettes back in the day? This was a big reason!). Finally, the labels
> had to cut bait because the cost of production and promotion far
> outweighed any sales income. They would have loved to continue producing
> singles if they made money or even just broke even. They could be
> released quickly and they really helped to secure chart positions.
> People were more likely to buy them on impulse, and it often led to them
> buying the full album for which the label received the highest return.
Nevertheless, eliminating the single was a major boner.
What singles did-- cheap, accessible ways for the purchase of instant
gratification-- was they turn kids into music buyers. Must we go through
the "what was the first record you bought?" thread again? Even as loss
leaders, the format of the single served to make youngsters into music
purchasers-- it was behavior learned at an early age that stayed with them
(as in, us) for life.
The problem with the industry today isn't piracy (blaming the consumer.) It
is that today's younger consumers were never taught to buy music, never had
that experience (marketing blunder). If my 10-year-old nephew could buy the
new Avril Lavigne single on the way out of the toy store or drug store or
wherever he buys his Yugio cards, for a measly $2 of allowance, he would.
But $17 for an album he hasn't the attention span to sit through? Never
happen.
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