Universal Reduces CD Prices

[kishkash]

So i just heard in the news that Universal Records Canada is planning on reducing their CD prices in an attempt to stave off the download crazy Eminem and Mary J Blige Fans.

What's ur take on this. Do you really think that by reducing the CD prices by probably whats going to be 20%, this will reduce/eliminate the number of music downloaders out there and save the Record Industry?

*clasps hands* discuss

Peace and Cheescake
Kish

[haku]

Well, people who download illegal copies don't want to pay anything. Any price -20% is still a price. They will continue to download for free.

The CD is dead anyway, record companies need to get over it. In a few years most legal copies will be bought and directly downloaded from music web stores. Today you can already download an album legally (with CD quality) for less than Ђ10, why would you spend Ђ15 in a store?

[cirrus]

YA

cheap = good


I don't know about other people, but if I can find a CD I want easily and purchase it cheaply, I'll buy it. I like CDs more than mp3s. all the artwork and stuff. But I still download music, especially foreign stuff.

[rivierakid]

Hmm...I guess it will help a bit. But like haku said, most people who download songs do it because it's free. Even if CDs cost 20% less, downloading is still free, and people looking to save a few bucks will go for that instead.

[thegurgi]

Being a horribly possesive person, i would hate if the CD ceased to be. There's something about having it in your hands and seeing it, feeling it, knowing that you OWN it. You know? I don't own that many CDs though and so i only buy them when i really like the band or artist.

[iluvjulia84]

Last time i counted i had a little over 400 cd's and i've bought every single one. I agree with thegurgi how theres just something about owning it and knowing that its yours and that u bought it.

[ypsidan04]

400 CD's??? I only have 11. And only 4 of those are albums, the rest are mixes. I do have a list of about 10 or so. From the first one in summer 2000 to Christmas 2002, I only got 5 CDs in over 2 years. But since and including Christmas last year, I've gotten 6 CDs in less than a year.

You're right about buying a CD at a store, and knowing it's yours. That's a good feeling. When I bought the Tatu CD on Wednesday June 25, (yes I know exactly what day it was, lol) it felt really good to finally have it.

I'm glad that the CD price are going down. But at least at the places I go to, the pricing can be a little funny sometimes. When I went to get 200 KM/h, it cost $18.99, full price. But at the same time in the same store, they had the new Michelle Branch Hotel Paper album - Which was released the DAY BEFORE! - at $14.99. What's up with that? Why do they always have the new CDs cheap, but then they go back up after they've been around awhile? Hopefully all the record labels will adopt this, cause pretty much all of my favorite stuff (inc. Tatu) is not Universal.

[0newinged]

this makes me happy It should help to boost sales a bit, but overall people will not stop the downloading... it's just so easy for people to do... but I hope it will give people a bit more of a choice as to where they spend that spare few bucks at the mall. And as ypsidan04 said, I hope the other labels will follow in the footsteps.

[Kappa]

It won't stop people from downloading (I'm a mad downloader... I mean, up to know I have 253 songs downloaded in my winamp list ^^;; ), but I think that CD buying is for those truly honest and loyal to their bands. Who else has four versions of 200 KM/H In the Wrong Lane, all different? :P I do.

[XtremeHollywood]

Originally posted by ypsidan04
When I went to get 200 KM/h, it cost $18.99, full price. But at the same time in the same store, they had the new Michelle Branch Hotel Paper album - Which was released the DAY BEFORE! - at $14.99.

$19?!? When I bought it it was like $6.99 at Best Buy. Usually most of the new CDs I buy are not over $10.

I do hope that the CDs of established bands and or groups come down in price.

[teeny]

I mean, up to know I have 253 songs downloaded in my winamp list

I have 238, and thats just because I made a mp3-disc some time ago.

I think that CD buying is for those truly honest and loyal to their bands

Yep.. must be the reason I have about 300 cds (singles included). About half is from the same 5 artists or so.

Who else has four versions of 200 KM/H In the Wrong Lane, all different?

Basic release and Speciel Edition. Then I have the russian album aswell

[freddie]

253? 238? *looks at his winamp playlist* 7546!!! *cough,cough*

Well OK my riped CD's are included in this playlist but still... there's a whole lot of songs LOL.

I think that CD buying is for those truly honest and loyal to their bands

Indeed. I agree with this. If you truly like the band and feel the connection towards it you will support their effort by buying the CD. I have a big collection of CD's but only by the artists I really love - the ones that are actualy capable of puting togerher a whole great album bot just a couple of good songs. Why on earth should I buy an album if I like only one or two songs?! And unfortunately most artists today work in that good old capitalist way - release a good single and have another 20 tracks on the album as a filler. It's more obvious this days then it was in the past as the concept albums aren't being made anymore. It's just a collection of uneven songs with modern production on top of it.

I think that not only the prices have to be lowered, but also the quality of mainstream music has to be improved in order to stop the downloading. Or at least limit it.

Another thing: record labels are whining that they're losing billions of $ with the downloading trend. But is this really so? They are assuming that a person from China who downloaded 5 albums and has them on his computer would buy those albums if he didn't download them. But it's a fact that if he wouldn't download them he would buy NONE of them anyway, as the price of one CD is probably the amount of his monthly wage. So the record compay has nothing from him eather way. The same could be said for half of the eastern block (Russia, Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine...) - if they wouldn't download they wouldn't buy it eather.

And the huge eastern market is infact the one that's really bothering the big labels. The trend of downloading isn't as high in the EU or the US where the standards are high enough for people to buy the original CDs. I even read that there was a record amount of album sales in the UK this year, so thigs can't be that bad in the west.

[thegurgi]

Originally posted by darje
Who else has four versions of 200 KM/H In the Wrong Lane, all different?

I DO! I DO! except I own SIX :P!

[EeZeReal]

*Enters thread....Reads all the thought provoking replies and feels like a villain*

My winamp playlist consists of almost 5 digits...

I think that CD buying is for those truly honest and loyal to their bands

And thats how I live...I do only buy the CD's of the artists im highly interesting in...I have over 700 CD's and the amount of burnt ones is also quite near to that number..

Beside's I only d/l because im lazy and can't be bothered to travel and purchass just a single CD...I'd normally buy in bulk or something. Im sure I'd buy alot more if the CD's were cheaper though....

[QueenBee]

THEvolkovaADDICT, how rich ARE you? I have like 5 CD's.. 2 Eminem's, Destiny's Child, Tatu single and .. S Club 7 *hides in shame*

I download all songs.. I was just about to say that at least I don't steal them from the store like a couple of my friends, but then I figured it IS kinda like stealing..

[EeZeReal]

how rich ARE you?

Not very.....

I only own 150 odd actual CD's... I can buy 50 blank CD-R's for Ј20 which is *cough* pretty cheap...

Anyway thats enough criminal talk..

[ypsidan04]

Originally posted by freddie
the ones that are actualy capable of puting togerher a whole great album bot just a couple of good songs. Why on earth should I buy an album if I like only one or two songs?!

I agree with that. I know people who will buy an album just because of 1 or 2 favorite songs, but I won't do that. You can take Californication by RHCP as an example. The song Californication is definitely my *favorite* song. And the video is real cool as well. But I don't really care for the rest of the album, so I doubt that I'll buy that.

[thegurgi]

I have a process to buying a CD, first i download all the songs, then i listen to each song at least twice. Sometimes i don't even have to get that far [i bought Dvesti Po Vstrechnoi after only hearing up to Ya Tvoi Vrag, and back then it was hard finding a non remix version of YSSU in full qual]. Then i burn the downloaded songs and i listen to them in earphones [i listen to music in earphones a lot because i like to keep music private]. and if i need something to click, i need hear something that makes me go, I NEED THIS. If not, i don't buy it, and i rarely listen to it. Music is too personal for me to listen to things i KIND OF like [it's probably why I only own 15 Cds].

Downloading the CD is an integral part of my process but, i still want to buy it, show my support and all that jazz.

[QueenBee]

I show my support by attending concerts that get cancelled..
Okay that was very mean and untrue
But you get my point...

[Mossopp]

I've never burned a CD in my life. I plan to be a professional musician myself one day and I'd be pretty p#ssed if people were taking my work for free! Making an album costs a hell of a lot of money and it comes out of the bands pocket - you're effectively stealing from the band when you burn a CD.
I've bought many albums upon hearing only one song - on a few occasions I've never heard any of the tracks and I just bought an album out of curiousity - and I've never ended up with any stinkers that I didn't enjoy. I guess I just have a good ear!