Is the music industry killing physical copies?

Sometimes it will say one copy left when there are really more than just one copy left. It's a very common marketing tactic. Usually there is more than just one copy. 

I understand why this seems to be the only viable option for under-the-radar bands - especially the ones found under the prog moniker. There are sadly not enough fans of X band to make the venture successful. I've said this before, kinda tongue-in-cheek, but I fear it isn't that far from the truth, which is that we've reached a point where there actually are more prog bands and artists than there are fans.
The good thing about recent years is that we've seen a vast ocean of new and upcoming bands....the very same though constitutes a problem in and of itself in the sheer forest of trees one has to navigate before finding the gems. Back in the day there at least seemed to be some kind of quality control before a band was released onto the market. Nowadays it's wholly up to yourself and a variety of internet surfing tricks to weed out the riff raff from the bee's proverbial knees.

The only ones responsible for this trend though is not the music industry but rather the consumers who decide to download albums ilegally over supporting the artist. The music industry as such has nothing to do with it.

With that being said, I've never seen so many young folks shopping for vinyl. Pretty much every time I'm out and about looking for records I run into teens and folks my age rummaging trough stacks of vinyl.
Most dedicated music fans I know still buy physical copies.


Edited by Guldbamsen - October 01 2017 at 07:08

€10 directly from the label

Vompatti wrote: when you pay for a download you get nothing that you couldn't get for free.

Unfortunately the industry at all levels has been killing music itself for decades. The nature of the beast. At least there was some semblance quality control back in the day. There does seem to be a craze for vinyl but is it a novelty that will wear off? Whenever I am in Toronto I hit the record shops that deal with both new and used vinyl more out of interest than anything. Thing is that they are asking ridiculous prices which makes it virtually impossible for younger people to experience what we did back in the seventies when buying records.. It seems that quality vinyl is only meant for the rich conniosseur. I recently saw a Tom Waits Black Rider vinyl from 1993 on sale for a hundred and f**king seventy five dollars. I mean we're not dealing Faberge Eggs here. It's freaking music. I also came across a copy of Lark's Tongues In Aspic that they wanted $60 for that you could also hear at a listening station. Just for fun I asked for a listen. The quiet parts were scratched to hell and skipped in places. I told the guy at the counter that he was f**king insane.  Used Pink Floyd vinyl is through the roof same with David Bowie.

I spend half my income on physical specimens of music. If more human beings did the same it would create something called demand. It seems a majority of music lovers are happy with a digital download. Vinyl LPs are back in fashion however it seems that the big names of the past are more in the position to capitalize on this trend than the newbies of the world. Guldbumsen is right in that there are more musicians than fans these days! EVERYONE is in on the action. That is a great thing that anyone can make music but let's face it. Not everything is worth our precious time to hear ;)

Manuel wrote: For many small artists, that includes most of prog artists of today, is quite affordable to produce a digital copy of an album, rather that spending quite a lot of money to put out a CD, of which only a few copies might sell. You just upload it on bandcamp, or any other similar place, and hope for the best. Sad indeed, but unfortunately true.

chopper wrote: Sean Trane wrote: It's probably more the smaller artistes that are killing the physical medium, so they can shun away from investing in CD or vinyl pressings...   Surely that's because physical CDs and vinyl cost a lot of money to produce and distribute?

For me music is for the ears. I'm not sentimental about physical copies. Fair enough a vinyl copy can sound special, fair enough physical covers can look nice, but I have figured out that while being able to acknowledge this, I can easily do without. Keep the immaterial files coming! (I'll even pay.)

It's a good question. If downloading is killing physical copies then it's a slow death. Vinyl has actually increased in sales quite a bit over the past ten years or so. I admit cds are on the decline but I think it will be a while before they are phased out entirely(if that does even happen). I think there's always going to be some kind of demand for a physical copy of something. I think it's the collector mentality in many of us. For example books are still around also. Sure you now have kindle but people still like to read physical books. With music people like to see the artwork and hold it in their hands. Cds do have some advantages over vinyl and vice versa but both have advantages(and I suppose disadvantages too)over downloads. If physical copies were eradicated completely I think too many people would rebel and demand for their return.