They will be around for a lot longer yet because MP3's intervened the progression to Mini Disc's. I remember HMV were starting to stock Mini Discs around the year 2000 and they had their own designated area like DVD's. However, as we know DVD's remained but Mini Disc's did not due to the Internet and MP3 revolution. Many will remember that Napster was at the forefront of that revolution.
Here's the numbers for the US, according to Nielsen's SoundScan:
CD sales: 43% of the market
Digital sales: 56% of the market.
CD sales were down 13.5%, digital albums were up 14.1%. CDs are definitely dying here.
dying very slowly then looking at those figures and considering record shops have mostly vanished from US cities. At Christmas CDs made up 8 in ten album sales in the UK I read in the trade mag.
The thing is, that it won't be the public that decides, except indirectly. Cassettes didn't die when they did because people stopped buying them, it was because shops stopped selling them, which isn't quite the same thing...
The same thing happened with vinyl. I remember Virgin and HMV dropping it from their stock which probably led people who didn't have independent record shops near them, to believe that it was no longer available. Which is why I don't lament the loss of the music chain-stores.
Digital downloads for me. Some of the artists I listen to are unsigned and release music through Bandcamp website; they're not available on CDs. I like hip hop; there are lots of free mixtapes around only available on download (e.g. Dizzee Rascal released two in 2012). And I don't have space to store CDs in my tiny flat.
Saying that, last music that I bought was on CDs. I got all three albums of the British rapper Blak Twang on CDs; for some reason the downloads were more expensive. I predict those will probably be my last ones.
Blak Twang has five albums. The second one is hard to find and the first one remains unreleased. Good artist.
Here's the numbers for the US, according to Nielsen's SoundScan:
CD sales: 43% of the market
Digital sales: 56% of the market.
What I wonder is how much digital downloading is paid for. I suspect the majority is illicit. I know people who think it's totally crazy to pay for music (a view I don't respect) and I say that as someone who just took a package of 14 CDs out of the postman's hand this morning.
As I prefer to have the physical media I buy mostly CDs and then rip my favourite tracks to disc but download MP3s to infill my collection with tracks that are otherwise difficult to find. Also with CDs the inlays can be very informative with all the track information and artist bios.
All CDs are in a database so any track can quickly be located.
Favourites are used CDs - I've had double CDs for 1p plus postage and otherwise brand new CDs can still be cheaper than the MP3 version - the only advantage seems to be that you can get MP3s instantly.
Here's the numbers for the US, according to Nielsen's SoundScan:
CD sales: 43% of the market
Digital sales: 56% of the market.
CD sales were down 13.5%, digital albums were up 14.1%. CDs are definitely dying here.
I am not sure what "Jesus" has to do with it.
I don't live in America I live in the UK and here in the UK CDs still account for @ 70% of music sales.
Yes that number is declining but that doesn't mean to say the format is going to be dumped any time soon.
In the article I linked to in a previous post Paul Smernicki, the director of digital at Universal Music UK, says that he doesn't believe CDs will disappear in his lifetime and it could be argued it is his job to try to make that happen!!
Whilst there is enough of a demand to justify production CDs will survive, vinyl is proof of that. As I have said before, they may disappear in terms of mainstream artists but the mainstream isn't the "be-all and end-all" of music, it never has been and it never will be, and for those who listen to other genres, for example Classical, Jazz, and non-commercial Rock music, it is very likely the CD will be the medium of choice for a long time to come.
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Jesus.
Here's the numbers for the US, according to Nielsen's SoundScan:
CD sales: 43% of the market
Digital sales: 56% of the market.
CD sales were down 13.5%, digital albums were up 14.1%. CDs are definitely dying here.
dying very slowly then looking at those figures and considering record shops have mostly vanished from US cities. At Christmas CDs made up 8 in ten album sales in the UK I read in the trade mag.
The same thing happened with vinyl. I remember Virgin and HMV dropping it from their stock which probably led people who didn't have independent record shops near them, to believe that it was no longer available. Which is why I don't lament the loss of the music chain-stores.
Blak Twang has five albums. The second one is hard to find and the first one remains unreleased. Good artist.
What I wonder is how much digital downloading is paid for. I suspect the majority is illicit. I know people who think it's totally crazy to pay for music (a view I don't respect) and I say that as someone who just took a package of 14 CDs out of the postman's hand this morning.
As I prefer to have the physical media I buy mostly CDs and then rip my favourite tracks to disc but download MP3s to infill my collection with tracks that are otherwise difficult to find. Also with CDs the inlays can be very informative with all the track information and artist bios.
All CDs are in a database so any track can quickly be located.
Favourites are used CDs - I've had double CDs for 1p plus postage and otherwise brand new CDs can still be cheaper than the MP3 version - the only advantage seems to be that you can get MP3s instantly.
Accepted CD storage can be space consuming.
I am not sure what "Jesus" has to do with it.
I don't live in America I live in the UK and here in the UK CDs still account for @ 70% of music sales.
Yes that number is declining but that doesn't mean to say the format is going to be dumped any time soon.
In the article I linked to in a previous post Paul Smernicki, the director of digital at Universal Music UK, says that he doesn't believe CDs will disappear in his lifetime and it could be argued it is his job to try to make that happen!!
Whilst there is enough of a demand to justify production CDs will survive, vinyl is proof of that. As I have said before, they may disappear in terms of mainstream artists but the mainstream isn't the "be-all and end-all" of music, it never has been and it never will be, and for those who listen to other genres, for example Classical, Jazz, and non-commercial Rock music, it is very likely the CD will be the medium of choice for a long time to come.