nardes Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I just wanted to see what others thought about what seems to me, to be an overall rise in pricing of music (records being the main point here... but CDs are changing as well). It seems when new records are coming out they're normally around a $25-30 price point. I personally will listen to a decent mix of indie and "commercial" music... and everything in my music realm seems to be going up. Looking at Amazon for prices on new albums and I'm seeing prices such as: Young the Giant - Mind Over Matter $34.57 Lorde - Pure Heroine $39.99 Katy Perry - Prism $29.93 Lady Gaga - Artpop $27.83 Beck - Morning Phase $28.83 Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes $29.99 ($40 in FYE) Paul McCartney - New $31.70 (I won't even get into Disney charging $75 for Frozen, and Wicked $100 for their set) ...I think you get the point. I know not all prices have gone up, but (at least to me) it seems newer releases are seeing higher prices. I never had an issue with ordering vinyl, but now I'm having to pick and choose if I really want it, because I can't afford records at $25 a pop! CDs are also seeing a change in pricing. When CDs were released BestBuy, Target, Amazon almost always had them on sale for $9.99 and a decent amount would be introduced at $7.99! Now it seems $11.99 is the new normal. How much higher can we expect these prices to go before theres a new form of backlash (i.e. Napster) or the music industry falls apart because literally NO ONE can afford to buy music in large amounts (like what I do, and what I know most on this site do!)??? 2013 already had the lowest number of album sales ever... with prices going up, will album sales just continue to keep dropping and dropping? Opinions... GO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamalatapes Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Yup they're going up. I especially notice the indie electronic dance pop records going for 20$ +. Basically if it's cool enough to be at Urban Outfitters, it'll get sold and for about the 25$ price range and it will sell there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmhmm Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I've been noticing the increase in vinyl prices lately too. Not sure why that is...if it's the industry capitalizing on what is now known to be an increasing trend in vinyl sales, or what. With regards to CD prices, obviously not as many people are buying them. I bet they are producing fewer and fewer runs of albums on CD and perhaps that is contributing the price hike--they're starting to become somewhat of a "limited edition" type of thing. Just an idea of mine that I've had...probably due to something else I'm missing though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abovetheearth Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 the labels i mostly buy from havent raised their prices at all. i can still get a nice piece of wax, shipping for under $22-24 but popular music is priced higher because its...well...popular. tooclosetosee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpherson123 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Major label vinyl pricing makes me sick. Its totally disgusting but I did see an article that said there were more oil spills in 2013 than in the previous 3 or 4 decades total. Could have something to do with it. Who can honestly pay up to $40 for a new in print album? Its gross. You can't even try to justify it by saying its super rare and I'll probably never see it for a price this low again. $40 is the new $20. Its gross. My wages haven't risen to accommodate that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isavedlatin54 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 i like where your head is at OP. its a bit frustrating. when i bought the 2009 reissue of TTYG it was 12 bucks. what were the reissues last year for this? 21.99? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nivek87 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Young the Giant - Mind Over Matter $34.57 Lorde - Pure Heroine $39.99 Katy Perry - Prism $29.93 Lady Gaga - Artpop $27.83 Beck - Morning Phase $28.83 Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes $29.99 ($40 in FYE) Paul McCartney - New $31.70 (I won't even get into Disney charging $75 for Frozen, and Wicked $100 for their set) playing devils advocate, but just a quick search at best buy. not saying this is awesome prices by any means, but i feel like this is pretty deceiving. 9/10 people can do a simple google search and get a better price. Young the Giant - Mind Over Matter $34.57 -16.56 shipped Lorde - Pure Heroine $39.99 - 24.99 free shipping Katy Perry - Prism $29.93 - 24.99 free shipping Lady Gaga - Artpop $27.83 - 24.99 free shipping Beck - Morning Phase $28.83 - 24.99 free shipping Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes $29.99 ($40 in FYE) 20.16 shipped Paul McCartney - New $31.70 - 22.99 free shipping 222.84 maybe shipped? not sure if its including in your prices 160.69 shipped, 24 bucks a record including shipping -------- 62 dollars saved kamalatapes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamb117 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 jayteamanis, mcguirk, David The Gnome and 8 others 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicondevil Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 This is a definite problem. Simple solution is to stop buying those overpriced records. I have completely cut back and pretty much stopped buying anything in a ridiculous bundle that contains the most "rare" pressing. This first happened with the newest Make Do And Mend lp. I ended up not buying any version. The fact that we are finding it okay that a regular lp is priced at $20 is kind of disturbing to me. I don't expect the same prices as when I was a kid, but I tend to use the prices of Temporary Residence or Deathwish as a guide as to what is a reasonable price for the label/artist and the consumer. Lastly, I'm also getting tired of some labels who do fancy covers and colors of vinyl only as an excuse to completely jack up the price. There are many labels who do these cool things, but the price is only a bit higher than the regular stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nardes Posted January 23, 2014 Author Share Posted January 23, 2014 playing devils advocate, but just a quick search at best buy. not saying this is awesome prices by any means, but i feel like this is pretty deceiving. 9/10 people can do a simple google search and get a better price. Young the Giant - Mind Over Matter $34.57 - 23.88 free shipping Lorde - Pure Heroine $39.99 - 24.99 free shipping Katy Perry - Prism $29.93 - 24.99 free shipping Lady Gaga - Artpop $27.83 - 24.99 free shipping Beck - Morning Phase $28.83 - 24.99 free shipping Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes $29.99 ($40 in FYE) same price Paul McCartney - New $31.70 - 22.99 free shipping 222.84 maybe shipped? not sure if its including in your prices 176.82 shipped, averages 25 bucks a record including shipping -------- 46 dollars saved I will say one nice thing about it, is that prices for Amazon and BestBuy are much closer to prices for Indie Record Stores (I've been buying a lot from BullMoose lately, they've been much cheaper than other places!) And I know you're playing devil's advocate but still for those records (which none are a small/unique pressing) averaging $25 a pop even seems like a jump from just last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Quik Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Because people are willing to pay these high prices it's this way, and it's only going to get higher until people start voting with their wallets and stop buying them mmhmm and bobfrombob 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nivek87 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I will say one nice thing about it, is that prices for Amazon and BestBuy are much closer to prices for Indie Record Stores (I've been buying a lot from BullMoose lately, they've been much cheaper than other places!) And I know you're playing devil's advocate but still for those records (which none are a small/unique pressing) averaging $25 a pop even seems like a jump from just last year. went to another website and found a way to save an extra 20. i would say thats been pretty standard for awhile though for those artists. at least for paul, bruce, and katy perry because i have purchased prior albums of theres. Young the Giant - Mind Over Matter $34.57 -16.56 shipped Lorde - Pure Heroine $39.99 - 24.99 free shipping Katy Perry - Prism $29.93 - 24.99 free shipping Lady Gaga - Artpop $27.83 - 24.99 free shipping Beck - Morning Phase $28.83 - 24.99 free shipping Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes $29.99 ($40 in FYE) 20.16 shipped Paul McCartney - New $31.70 - 22.99 free shipping 222.84 maybe shipped? not sure if its including in your prices 160.69 shipped, 24 bucks a record including shipping -------- 62 dollars saved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nivek87 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Because people are willing to pay these high prices it's this way, and it's only going to get higher until people start voting with their wallets and stop buying them your sig is pretty cool. just spent the last couple minutes eyeing each album. DJ Quik 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackAlleyRiot Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Because people are willing to pay these high prices it's this way, and it's only going to get higher until people start voting with their wallets and stop buying them Well said and very true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eight1echo Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 The music industry as it once was has been dead for years at this point. The majority of people who used to regularly buy music now pirate or stream all their music. These people are of the mentality that "if I can get it for free on the internet, why should I pay for it?". Working in music stores for several years at this point, I have heard people literally say those exact words in the store more times than I can count. I have seen people browse the sections making lists, talking to their friends about how they are going to download all this stuff when they get home. I feel the price increases on vinyl is mostly the big records companies trying to capitalize on the (hopefully not but probable) temporary resurgence of vinyl because their profits from CDs is getting worse every year. Retail stores are reacting in a similar way. HMV Canada recently brought back their vinyl sections and if you walk inside an HMV it's laughable how little of the store is actually music these days compared to 5 or 10 years ago. bobfrombob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booyahachieved Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Hah! This guy/girl knows what's up! that there's a correlation between supply & demand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psus2h Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 As much as I hate to post it, Amazon is usually the best bang for your buck when buying new releases. I love to support my local shops, but 2 day free shipping (pre order guarantee on release day), no tax, auto rip, usually lower price, and quick customer service makes Amazon standout in my book. I always pick up used stuff from my local shops, but I just cant justify paying more and getting less on new releases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sacredheart Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes $29.99 ($40 in FYE) 20.16 shipped Show me the place that has this for 20.16 shipped, cause it sure isnt best buy, amazon, bullmoose, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filthyrich Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I feel the price increases on vinyl is mostly the big records companies trying to capitalize on the (hopefully not but probable) temporary resurgence of vinyl because their profits from CDs is getting worse every year. This. New vinyl was dirt cheap in the 90s and even into the 2000s, even though the runs were tiny, simply because CDs were driving all the sales and vinyl was just a tiny piece of the pie. (I'm pretty sure I balked at the "outrageous" price of Deloused by Mars Volta... The nerve of them charging $35 for a double album with extravagant packaging!!) Prices began to creep up a few years ago and now it's terrible. Case in point: Pearl Jam reissued Ten in 2009 as a double album. List price... $16.99. Last fall, the new Lightning Bolt was released as a single disc. List price... $34.99. (Similar story with the first MGMT record, aka "the good one," vs. the new one, aka "the second shitty one.") Or you could just compare the Amazon prices of the Pink Floyd reissues... Dark Side and WYWH retailed for $25 when they were released a few years back. Now Amazon is selling the EXACT SAME presses for $50?!? (Granted, secondary sellers are still offering those records for as low as $25, but that's mainly because they're trying to move old stock quickly.) Most of this is simple record label greed.... In the case of Pink Floyd, for instance, the base cost to retailers for those records has doubled in the past 3 years even though the actual pressings are unchanged. What else can a retailer do but raise their prices accordingly? The only (ONLY) tradeoff is that vinyl is a better investment than ever before... especially if you grab a particularly rare variant... or if your band decides they can't be bothered to do a repress. (Looking at you again, MGMT.) Whether you buy a new CD for $5 or $15, it will almost ALWAYS decline in value over time. With vinyl, there's a pretty good chance that you'll be able to sell most of your records for the same price (or more than) you paid for it down the line... especially if you keep them in nice condition and watch the market carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbruise Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Records are cheap underground. anthemforadoomed and controlthebleeding 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filthyrich Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Show me the place that has this for 20.16 shipped, cause it sure isnt best buy, amazon, bullmoose, etc. I have it on good authority that Sony's cost to retailers for that record is $23 per unit... with no returns. Whoever's selling it for $20.16 shipped is either losing their ass, or knows a guy who can make things "fall off trucks." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 The only (ONLY) tradeoff is that vinyl is a better investment than ever before... especially if you grab a particularly rare variant... or if your band decides they can't be bothered to do a repress. (Looking at you again, MGMT.) Whether you buy a new CD for $5 or $15, it will almost ALWAYS decline in value over time. With vinyl, there's a pretty good chance that you'll be able to sell most of your records for the same price (or more than) you paid for it down the line... especially if you keep them in nice condition and watch the market carefully. Sooner rather than later though I fear that record industry greed will kill this off as the market for vinyl drops when the fashion buyer falls out of love with the high prices and hype. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omik11303 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Records are cheap underground. This. I don't know about you, but I almost will never spend $20+ on a new record (except for double LPs for obvious reasons). Just to give a quick rundown: No Sleep: Record - $10-13 / Shipping: $4 Topshelf: Record - $12 all day every day / Shipping: $4.50 Run For Cover: Record - $12-15 / Shipping: $4.50ish Tiny Engines: Record - $12 / Shipping: $4.50 Robotic Empire: Record - $5-14 (except Denovali/overseas releases) / Shipping: $3-$4 Every Small Record Label in History That Uses BigCartel/Storenvy: Record - $9-15 / Shipping: $4.50 You get the idea. I guess for more mainstream music like Lorde, OneRepublic, Imagine Dragons, etc. it's more - as I'm now seeing on Amazon - but I don't think the big record labels like Interscope and Capitol are going to be making their big sales off of vinyl, so they have to make as much money back on it as they can as opposed to the runs of CDs that they do or through digital downloads. Tom Delonge's UFO and bigbruise 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weinerdog Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 CDs are also seeing a change in pricing. When CDs were released BestBuy, Target, Amazon almost always had them on sale for $9.99 and a decent amount would be introduced at $7.99! Now it seems $11.99 is the new normal. CD's have been around 10-15 years before Amazon ever existed, so I don't think that's a solid starting point. I'm old, so I remember vinyl and cassettes were approximately the same price before CD's entered the picture. New vinyl and cassette releases could be had for $4-5, but when CD's came out they were $10 and up, which was steep in the early 1980's. The sound difference was so great and the novelty factor so high that people paid it, but there was also some expectation that the price would come down as more people bought CD players and it became the standard. That never really happened(price correction that is) as far as I can remember, and I don't think it was until retailers like the ones listed above became very competitive that we started to see a correction to the pricing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick6ten Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 For a long time I've been very interested in "The decline of the music industry". It's not something new, but I think it really began in 2004. The class action lawsuit against the music industry based on the 5 major labels working together to inflate prices. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/03/29/class-action-cd-lawsuit-ends-in-refunds-1386/) I remember CD's running $19.99-$21.99 for a new release. In the late 90's and early 2000's it was commonplace for an album to go platinum or multi-platinum in the first weeks of release. I feel like that's when the music industry got really greedy and fixed the prices. The vinyl inflation now sucks, but unfortunately I don't see the trend changing anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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