I got this off the net after reading the same in my recent issue of Rolling Stone. Seems like the current music scene is dragging. The #1 album in 2007 was a Christmas album by Josh Groban. Wow. In addition, the top 10 concerts from 2007 contained a TON of old (pre 1990) acts... The Police, Van Halen, Bruce Springstein, etc... what's going on with current music??
From the web...
Nielsen SoundScan says music CD sales are down 20 percent in the first quarter of 2007: digital album sales also dropped, while digital singles sales climbed.
New figures from media research group Nielsen SoundScan claim that U.S. sales of music CDs declinedby 20 percent in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the sale period a year ago, underscoring the music industry's sentiment that digital music downloads are undermining their business. SoundScan also offered figures for digital music sales, noting that while sales of digital albums fell during the same period, the sales of digital music singles actually rose. The numbers may indicate a fundamental shift in the music industry away from album-based sales to a singles-driven, digital market.
According to SoundScan, from January 1 through March 18, 2007, the music industry managed to sell 89 million music CDs to U.S. consumers, compared to 112 million CDs sold during the same period of 2006. Digital album sales were also down year over year, from 119 million in 2006 to 99 million during the first quarter of 2007. However, digital sales of individual tracks actually increased year-on-year, cloing from 242 million tracks during the first quarter of 2006 to 288 million tracks during the first quarter of 2007.
Music industry figures have shown a steady decline in music CD sales over the last several years; however, music CDs still account for more than 90 percent of all album purchases. Nielsen's combined CD and digital album sales figures (which the company estimates by considering every 10 digital tracks to be an album) show overall album sales down 10 percent during the first quarter of 2007.
The drop in album sales and rise in the purchase of individual tracks highlights the popularity of a la carte music selection, whereby music fans can choose to purchase just to two or three songs from an entire album rather than buying every track. From the perspective of the music industry, however, these track-by-track purchases create a significant revenue shortfall: where in the past those consumers would have generated revenue equivalent to an entire album's worth of sales, now they only offer a small percentage of that revenue. The trend may signal a fundamental shift for the music industry, away from album-based marketing and sales and into a system driven by the sales of individual tracks, promoted aggressively in online communities and services.
-=- Steve
"If the moon were made of ribs, would you eat it?"
I'm going to despise that "promoted aggressively in online communities and services" part. I already hate the fake posts by record company or band shills (or in some cases the performers themselves) making their first post, trying to appear to be some enthusiastic fan hyping the latest release.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
I don't find that unusual. I think technology is moving faster than the music industry can figure out how to monopolize it. It's not just about free downloads I really don't think that hurts the industry as much as they claim it does. There are just so many more ways to get music now that CD's are on their way out.
As soon as we find a viable option to fossil fuels you'll hear the Exxon's of the world crying about how the sale of gasoline is dropping significantly and they aren't making $11 billion/quarter.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
As soon as we find a viable option to fossil fuels you'll hear the Exxon's of the world crying about how the sale of gasoline is dropping significantly and they aren't making $11 billion/quarter.
Great analogy, Cnev !
I really hope that day comes soon...
Considering that most teenagers these days seem to have the attention span of a Mayfly with ADHD, CD's aren't going to do much business in that particular demographic group - all you can actually do with a CD is listen to some music. Boring, huh? Let's wait for the interactive virual reality mega DVD.........
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Funny you should mention guitars... I read an article in the New Yorker a while back ( an interview with Parker, of Parker guitars ) and the article stated that guitar sales outnumber ALL OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENT SALES COMBINED. Wow!
-=- Steve
"If the moon were made of ribs, would you eat it?"
I think it's got a lot to do with how music is being made these days too. Not just quality, but frequency. When album rock hit the world, bands were releasing albums every year. Nowadays, even the new popular bands wait years between albums. For example, one of the 70's hottest bands, Led Zep did 8 albums in 11 years. One of the hottest bands in the last decade, Linkin Park, released 3 in 8 years. (plus one live one) Heck, the Stones released something like 5 albums in 2 or 3 years early on when they first started. My point? Good acts made a lot more music back then. Hence, as Dali Lama pointed out, a Christmas album headlines the year's sales. Whoopie!
The whole cribbing thing about being able to buy singles is also a crock of poop. We bought 45's out the ying-yang for two decades AND bought albums. Let's see. 99 cents for Disco Duck or $7.99 for the crappy Rick Dees album? Gee, what do you think? :roll:
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
For most of human history, and in most of the rest of the world today, for that matter, music wasn't something "professionals" did and made a living doing. Everyone could sing or dance or play something well enough to be part of the "music scene" of wherever they happened to be.
It is really only for the last 100 years or so that the idea of owning a song, and trying to make money off of it and having professional musicians separate and apart from regular people has arisen.
Personally, I think we're simply seeing a reversion to normalcy. Music for the masses has failed and we are going to go back to music from the masses. There will still be a little money to be made in music, but the great equalizing force of everyone being able to record "professional" sounding tracks will mean the end of corporate music monopolies. It might take 50 more years, but we're going to return to the idea that songs are for everyone.
Maybe in my lifetime a waiter can sing "Happy Birthday" to a kid without having to pay a royalty check.
And that, imho, is a good thing.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
Funny you should mention guitars... I read an article in the New Yorker a while back ( an interview with Parker, of Parker guitars ) and the article stated that guitar sales outnumber ALL OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENT SALES COMBINED. Wow!
That's why us guitarists rock ! :twisted:
I got 4 concert DVDs for Crimbo, the article didn't seem to cover that side of things.
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
into a system driven by the sales of individual tracks
Seems to me that it's come full circle again. For the 50+ crowd, isn't that what we grew up with in that we could buy 45's? There are very few albums in the past twenty years or so that I would say I enjoyed all of the songs. At least with singles you get the songs you want and not a bunch of fillers
into a system driven by the sales of individual tracks
Seems to me that it's come full circle again. For the 50+ crowd, isn't that what we grew up with in that we could buy 45's? There are very few albums in the past twenty years or so that I would say I enjoyed all of the songs. At least with singles you get the songs you want and not a bunch of fillers
Yup, and singles are older than that, too.
I have my grandfather's singles, and the gramophone to listen to them on.
The original 12 inch single...78RPM :D
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
The largest Dutch musicstore-chain just announced they sold 6% more records then the same period last year.
To shamelessly pull a famous quote from MLK, Jr., I have a dream...
I have a dream... that somewhere out there in middle America, or England, or even somewhere else, 4 young kids have started a band and are playing in a garage.
I have a dream... that these kids are talented and dedicated to their craft of music.
I have a dream... that at least one, and maybe two, of them are excelent songwriters - maybe they even have an important message to write about.
I have a dream... that these kids have solid personalities and will not succomb to a music producer or manager's "great ideas" when they first get signed.
I have a dream... that it will be about the music, not the video image or haircuts or clothes.
I have a dream... that their record company will allow them the time to mature as musicians and not expect a #1 hit with their first recording.
I have a dream... that the fact that they might not look like models will not slow their career.
I have a dream... that they will tour their butts off and learn what they need to know.
I have a dream... that they are good kids and will not get detoured by drugs, alcohol, dating moive stars, etc.
I have a dream... that the music consuming public will recognize their good music, and understand that it is better than songs by artists with little talent, but lots of PR.
And, if they get by all of these things, perhaps there will be another music revolution. I have been telling people for more than 5 years that the next revolution, like punk rock, is coming. No signs of it yet.
I watch the kids in our neighborhood, listening to music recorded before they were even born?!? I ask them why they listen to it and they say its because it is better than the junk coming out now. Don't misunderstand me - my dream ISN'T to have a repeat of the music scene from 2-4 decades ago. I would love to see THIS generation come up with something of their own. Perhaps some day, a visionary of a music producer will fill the void and create his version, for example, of what Motown was in its day.
But, it's only a dream...
At least Darwin is doing his part to weed out the idiots :mrgreen:
#4491....
