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Yesterday's New York Times ran an interesting article in the Arts section, found at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/28/arts/music/28musi.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin titled "Plunge in CD Sales Shakes Up Big Labels".
An excerpt: CD sales have plunged more than 20 percent this year, far outweighing any gains made by digital sales at iTunes and similar services. Aram Sinnreich, a media industry consultant at Radar Research in Los Angeles, said the CD format, introduced in the United States 24 years ago, is in its death throes. "Everyone in the industry thinks of this Christmas as the last big holiday season for CD sales," Mr. Sinnreich said, "and then everything goes kaput."
Is the CD format truly dying out? What do SOTW member think?
Personally, I do buy a lot fewer CDs these days, primarily because I already have a huge basic collection. I live outside the US, don't have the selection of new music CDs I'd like where I live, and find it painful to buy on the Web due to payment and import hassles. I do download - legally - but find the fidelity of downloads lacking compared to CDs, don't really find listening on my iPod pleasurable, and also miss the track information, musician listing, dates of recording, photos, etc. that you get with a CD. I can't imagine the CD format dying out to a format with lower sound fidelity and less information.
I guess I don't fit anyone's demographic. The technology these days makes downloading very convenient but I am interested in the music content, not the delivery mechanism.
An excerpt: CD sales have plunged more than 20 percent this year, far outweighing any gains made by digital sales at iTunes and similar services. Aram Sinnreich, a media industry consultant at Radar Research in Los Angeles, said the CD format, introduced in the United States 24 years ago, is in its death throes. "Everyone in the industry thinks of this Christmas as the last big holiday season for CD sales," Mr. Sinnreich said, "and then everything goes kaput."
Is the CD format truly dying out? What do SOTW member think?
Personally, I do buy a lot fewer CDs these days, primarily because I already have a huge basic collection. I live outside the US, don't have the selection of new music CDs I'd like where I live, and find it painful to buy on the Web due to payment and import hassles. I do download - legally - but find the fidelity of downloads lacking compared to CDs, don't really find listening on my iPod pleasurable, and also miss the track information, musician listing, dates of recording, photos, etc. that you get with a CD. I can't imagine the CD format dying out to a format with lower sound fidelity and less information.
I guess I don't fit anyone's demographic. The technology these days makes downloading very convenient but I am interested in the music content, not the delivery mechanism.