Record Stores Blame RIAA for Decline in Sales

[Theory?]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/opinion/05sachsnunziato.html?ei=5090&en=4e2f9295623fb736&ex=1333425600&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

Very interesting read indeed.

[kurisu7885]

Exactly where the blame should lie. The RIAA completely took the fun out of owning CDs, or any other form of Audio.

[Cecil475]

Very interesting read. I hadn't thought of the record stores before. It looks like the music industry isn't doing so well.

- Warren Lewis

[kurisu7885]

I was just on Second Life, and in just about every club there were anti RIAA posters.

[steelcobra]

And the thing is, I prefer buying the original CD. This gives me a high-grade original copy I can use on any device. I can rip it at whatever quality I have space for, or any format I wish.

But modern record stores are overpriced because they can't do the bulk-purchase deals Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy et al., can do. Which, for a 10 cent piece of plastic, and another 5 cents for the case costing more than the more costly tape cassettes, is a great way to screw over the consumer. Which drives them to big-box retailers with less choices in terms of what to buy. Further spurring sales of crappy pop or generic bands.

[kurisu7885]

And the thing is, I prefer buying the original CD. This gives me a high-grade original copy I can use on any device. I can rip it at whatever quality I have space for, or any format I wish.

But modern record stores are overpriced because they can't do the bulk-purchase deals Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy et al., can do. Which, for a 10 cent piece of plastic, and another 5 cents for the case costing more than the more costly tape cassettes, is a great way to screw over the consumer. Which drives them to big-box retailers with less choices in terms of what to buy. Further spurring sales of crappy pop or generic bands.

Most of the content on the Cds at such store, the big box ones I mean, are worth less than the Cds themselves.

[steelcobra]

Which is why I end up buying online.

[Theory?]

I just pirate FLAC's. I do buy CD's though, I like having the packaging. Unfortunately, I'm also a college student, and thus, broke as a joke.

I buy vinyl more often than CD's though. Vinyl is making a whirlwind comeback because kids are starting to see the tangible novelty of having a big platter to listen to. That, and vinyl just sounds like perfection.

[KN]

I never understood why. Essentially, the storage concept is the same. Is there any paticular reason vinyl sounds better?

[steelcobra]

It's a constant analogue duplicate, rather than a digital rebuild. Which creates a "warmer" sound.

[Theory?]

I never understood why. Essentially, the storage concept is the same. Is there any paticular reason vinyl sounds better?

The storage concept isn't the same. Vinyl is strictly magnetic. It contains an electrical charge that increases and decreases in amplitude sympathetically with the waveform it's generating (makes sense right)?

CD's contain a series of 0's and 1's and while I COULD tell you the entire process for decoding digital audio, I have NO desire to because it requires a ****ing novel just for a layman's explanation. I'll gladly tell you in detail, it'll help me study to do so, but not now.

[Thefremen]

How does plastic store an electrical charge?

[Theory?]

How does plastic store an electrical charge?

****...What I meant to say was the amplitude is controlled by the relative pressure detent in the material...or something like that.

Well, I guess here's as good a place as any where I'm going to announce that I will be starting the world's first ever Web 2.0 record label.

That is, if I don't kill myself during the coding process.

[KN]

Would that be a MySpace Records that isn't controlled by the same people the bands tried to escape by going to MySpace in the first place?

[Demontestament]

Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch, that is all I got from this article. I love how they make it sound like anyone who used Napster or any other Downloading tool was a criminal and "Not a true fan of music" Yeah RIAA did **** things up big time for them but also people don't want to buy a whole ****ing CD for maybe one or two songs. Lets face it alot of the CDs now have one or two really great songs, four to five moderate ones and the rest is filler. I very rarely buy CDs anymore, it is better for me and my pocket to buy something off iTunes.

[Theory?]

Would that be a MySpace Records that isn't controlled by the same people the bands tried to escape by going to MySpace in the first place?

It has nothing to do with MySpace, I assure you. This will be something the likes of you've never seen before.

[Thefremen]

Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch, that is all I got from this article. I love how they make it sound like anyone who used Napster or any other Downloading tool was a criminal and "Not a true fan of music" Yeah RIAA did **** things up big time for them but also people don't want to buy a whole ****ing CD for maybe one or two songs. Lets face it alot of the CDs now have one or two really great songs, four to five moderate ones and the rest is filler. I very rarely buy CDs anymore, it is better for me and my pocket to buy something off iTunes.

i wonder if thats why concept albums are coming back? I really like "the black parade" even tho i haet that band usually. Year Zero should be sweeeeeeeeeeeeet even tho im now a viral marketer for mentioning it.

[PyroHazard]

i wonder if thats why concept albums are coming back? I really like "the black parade" even tho i haet that band usually. Year Zero should be sweeeeeeeeeeeeet even tho im now a viral marketer for mentioning it.

Mother told you to stop drinking the damn water.

Like everyone else, I rarely buy CDs anymore. Mostly because there is nowhere close by where I can buy CDs at a decent price. Plus, RIAA's notoriety is reaching the masses which in turn, is deterring people from buying their Top 40 bull****.

[Tollwutig]

I have never really bought much in the way of CDs. I recently subscribed to Rhapsody which for $24 every 3 months gives me unlimited downloads, and I can burn stuff to a CD on my own.

[Theory?]

I have never really bought much in the way of CDs. I recently subscribed to Rhapsody which for $24 every 3 months gives me unlimited downloads, and I can burn stuff to a CD on my own.

BUT ITS LOSSY AUDIO!!!!!

Schmucks like you demean my job!

[steelcobra]

I have never really bought much in the way of CDs. I recently subscribed to Rhapsody which for $24 every 3 months gives me unlimited downloads, and I can burn stuff to a CD on my own.

I just don't like the concept that I don't own the music on my system. And since I already love iTunes as my playback medium, that lead to buying on iTunes, and buying an iPod (which, like it or not, is still the best digital audio player out there).

[KN]

If Apple were to embrace Paypal, iTunes sales would shoot through the roof.

These people just don't realize Europeans don't like credit cards. Let alone that it's hard to get one.

[beemoh]

These people just don't realize Europeans don't like credit cards. Let alone that it's hard to get one.

Not an issue in the UK- in fact, we have far too many.

That said, if they'd do swipe cards like the pre-pay mobile phones...

[steelcobra]

If Apple were to embrace Paypal, iTunes sales would shoot through the roof.

These people just don't realize Europeans don't like credit cards. Let alone that it's hard to get one.

The reason they don't is that paypal is evil, poorly managed, and barely works.

[KN]

The reason they don't is that paypal is evil, poorly managed, and barely works.

Hey, it's the only thing we can use to buy things online T_T


This is why Google needs to buy eBay =/

[Theory?]

Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch, that is all I got from this article. I love how they make it sound like anyone who used Napster or any other Downloading tool was a criminal and "Not a true fan of music" Yeah RIAA did **** things up big time for them but also people don't want to buy a whole ****ing CD for maybe one or two songs. Lets face it alot of the CDs now have one or two really great songs, four to five moderate ones and the rest is filler. I very rarely buy CDs anymore, it is better for me and my pocket to buy something off iTunes.

Yeah, that may have been a valid comment like, a year or two ago, but Tower Records just closed. I don't know if you really understand the fantastic magnitude such an event signifies. It pretty much means CD's are dead. This massive medium that no one thought was going down just crashed and burned.

[ZippyDSMlee]

the film indutry is making record profits again (http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/9284.cfm),its funny how thigns work out.

[beemoh]

Hey, it's the only thing we can use to buy things online T_T


This is why Google needs to buy eBay =/

Google does have its own payment system, which, as you might have noticed, nobody seems to have heard of.

I think it's limited to the US, though, too, which doesn't help.

[KN]

Google does have its own payment system, which, as you might have noticed, nobody seems to have heard of.

I think it's limited to the US, though, too, which doesn't help.

Yah, CheckOut. That would be wonderful.. if it was supported at all.


I've never had problems with Paypal before. It's the only way for me to buy anything off Steam, eBay and the intarweb in general.

[Thefremen]

Google does have its own payment system, which, as you might have noticed, nobody seems to have heard of.

I think it's limited to the US, though, too, which doesn't help.

too bad it completely sucks. I tried to cancel a transaction through them and got confirmation that it was cancelled only to be charged for the item etc...

[Tollwutig]

BUT ITS LOSSY AUDIO!!!!!

Schmucks like you demean my job!

Considering it's installed on my laptop, and coming through laptop speakers I don't think it can make much worse Audio. Also I don't need perfect clarity when I am listening to music to clean and such, which is about the only time I listen to music, when I am doing something else and want some background noise.
If I had the intentions of listening to music and nothing else, I'd go to a symphony concert where I could enjoy the music, in awesome complexity.

Also if you want people who demean you job you need to start gutting nightclub DJs who play everything at full volume with maximum bass. These people are ruining the term audio.

[Theory?]

Considering it's installed on my laptop, and coming through laptop speakers I don't think it can make much worse Audio. Also I don't need perfect clarity when I am listening to music to clean and such, which is about the only time I listen to music, when I am doing something else and want some background noise.
If I had the intentions of listening to music and nothing else, I'd go to a symphony concert where I could enjoy the music, in awesome complexity.

Also if you want people who demean you job you need to start gutting nightclub DJs who play everything at full volume with maximum bass. These people are ruining the term audio.

Not really. It's when those same imbeciles go into the studio and request to mix their stuff and all they do is boot the bass and treble because that's how they're used to hearing things. It sounds great in the studio, but then they bring it into their system and wonder for hours why it sounds like mud.

[georox]

I'll toss a few things in:

On the google buying eBay thing, if google bought eBay and Microsoft then bought Google, the world would be ruled by their iron fists. It would be like an old 80s B-SciFi film.

I used GoogleCheckout, only for the 10$ off thing though =P

On Music:

I've bought around 2 CDs in the past 5 years. One was the Waynes World soundtrack, because it kicked ass. The other was the collectors edition of the Pick of Destiny soundtrack, because it looked cool and caught my eye. I'm planning on buying two more CDs in the near future though, as soon as KMFDM re-release the Symbols CD, I'll buy that whole set. Honestly, I refuse to buy music for the most part though. Modern stuff is pure filth half the time, stores sell crap and there is no way in hell your getting me to buy a disc for 18$. I pay enough for DVDs which I use over and over, and I get 2 hours per use, most CDs have 1 to 3 songs worth listening to and the rest is no-talent crapfest just tossed on to fill space, most not filling even an hour. If the music industry learned consumers don't like unlubed buttsecks from large hairy men, they might get our money. Until then I give them the bird.

[Nightfire]

I agree about modern music being crap. The last time I bough an album was about two years ago and that was for the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack box set because I liked the music off of that game and also a Beastie Boys Greatest Hits album that I ended up to re-record it using my computer, Nero Wave Editor (MP3Pro format FTW), a pair of studio headphones and a mic because of bullcrap DRM that was on the album because I could not place the songs on my MP3 player easily enough.

For the most part I use "alternative ways" to find new music to discover. My "My Music" folder has a lot of albums of discovered music from what I hear in video games, movies and on Much More Music (Canada's version of VH1). I do have some music from today but not much compared to music I have from the 80's back.

[Thefremen]

I just don't like the concept that I don't own the music on my system. And since I already love iTunes as my playback medium, that lead to buying on iTunes, and buying an iPod (which, like it or not, is still the best digital audio player out there).

Do either have FLAC files? no? Then why would i pay them?