The (de)EVOLUTION of Records and CDs

[lexicondevil]

It is interesting that "bigger" bands are completely jumping back into the vinyl game. It is starting to become like when CDs were first introduced and the major labels priced them at double the price of albums citing higher production costs which turned out to be bullshit.

Now we are seeing the opposite happen with these $25 records sold by majors and small labels that should be $15 or less. Will greed once again suck the life out of collecting physical media? Or will the resurgence of vinyl actually save the music industry and ensure future generations appreciate what we already know about records?

[sjb2k1]

i am a perennial pessimist, but i really hope that the resurgence of vinyl gets kids back into physical media and not paying $10 for bits and bytes that you are just licensing to your various machines

[saxonviolons]

I've always believed the better way to support a band is by going to their shows with a bunch of friends and buying their merchandise directly whether it be records or shirts, because what I've understood is that is where they make a majority of their money.

I understand the hate for record companies who I remember used to charge $18 for a CD which would feature one good single and bunch of garbage tracks surrounding it. In fact, that has to be the reason pirating music became so prevalent. Once you get screwed 4 or 5 times paying that much for a CD that a) Is ridiculously marked up compared to the actual cost of making it and b ) Was not even worth the price, I could see people being pissed and saying "f*** it, I'm not paying that much but I still want the tunes." Downloading it for free came to surface. It was around this time that new released CD's at Best Buy would be $10 and instead of pirating (which I never cared for the MP3 format myself) I decided that was the most I'd ever pay for a new CD again. If it was more than that, I'd go to a used CD store and find what I could there. Amazon started coming around, CD's are selling for pennies with $2.99 S&H and here we are, spending big money on Vinyl.

However, to play devils advocate, I find it hilarious that it's called "greed" when a company overprices their products. What do you expect them to do? Go through all the trouble of recording costs, printing costs, then sell it at a price low enough so they just break even? I mean, these guys are in it for the money and to make a profit. Do people hate on Nike because it costs them dollars to make a shoe that they sell for upwards of $100?

Personally (and this may just be me) I have always found the vinyl format much more "intimate" to the listeners ears than the CD format where you just hit next track, next track, etc. And the CD format I've found much more "personal" than the MP3 format, which is why I was never a downloader. Also the quality of the CD sounds (especially at high volumes) over the MP3 format is noticeably obvious to an audiophile like myself. I have always preferred physical copies of the music itself. Vinyl and CD are without a doubt my favorite format, both favorites in different ways.

[ronniegwilliams]

I get the fear that overpricing of physical media, or vinyl, will ultimately force people away from such as it has in the past. But like any trend, majors will get wise to marketing and will begin to adapt to the market by either lowering the price or just jumping away from the bandwagon. Vinyl will live through such things, as it has throughout the years, and labels that truly care about the music, art, and consumer will continue to provide physical media. Take for example, do you think labels like No Idea, Fat, Bridge Nine, Equal Vision, etc would move away from something their core base loves simply because it lacked considerable profit? Doubtful. Books will exist while Kindle prices drop, records will continue to be pressed as iTunes sells singles to the.masses.

[lexicondevil]

However, to play devils advocate, I find it hilarious that it's called "greed" when a company overprices their products. What do you expect them to do? Go through all the trouble of recording costs, printing costs, then sell it at a price low enough so they just break even? I mean, these guys are in it for the money and to make a profit. Do people hate on Nike because it costs them dollars to make a shoe that they sell for upwards of $100?

To answer your question, I expect them to sell it at a "reasonable" price. Major labels press in bigger quantities and therefore their actual price would be less than a company like say Temporary Residence, who manages to sell a double record with a quality sleeve and download code for $15. I don't expect labels to give their music away, but it is stupid for them to charge so much. They need to think long term rather than let's cash in and burn out this whole vinyl trend. And yeah, fuck Nike.

Like you mentioned earlier about why music pirating became so prevalent, it was because of the major label greed, overpricing CDs, that drove people to look for cheaper/free alternatives.

I am just really happy that many kids are discovering vinyl instead of being mindless top 40 singles mp3 morons without any appreciation for the art of a complete album. This board shows me that there is hope for music(though I can't back any Taylor Swift love ).

[shamrocks]

at least with most of the vinyl I buy, I feel like we know there isnt that much profit margin in it. if a band or label makes 1000 copies of a record and sells it for $20 a piece, I dont feel like they are laughing all the way to the bank. CDs are so cheap to produce and package, ship and stock that the margin is really huge, and they make hundreds of thousands, frequently. Vinyl records are inconvenient in almost every way, are really hard to ship safely, scratch if you look at them sideways, and dont weather elements at all. Their impermanence is one of the most endearing things to me.

I got back into vinyl after about 20 years out of the game, with only my 5000 CDs and 100,000 MP3s to keep me company. The vinyl collection has become like an amazingly useful piece of art. I wish labels and bands made more money off of it, and Im thrilled that a groundswell of support from a largely indie-centric group essentially brought this medium back to life.