The fat lady has already belted out her tune...

So, revenue for LP sales in the mid 70's is almost double the amount being made on ALL formats now.

Sh*t

Makes me sad to see this, musical has become disposable.

and Eyesore is responsible for most of the sales currently

I think the final nail in the cd coffin is about to be hit...

One thing has changed however (goodbye albums). Sales of "singles" have shot through the roof in the digital era. Which is actually more bad news for the concept of entire albums.

I fear it...but wonder if there might always be a small market for our niche, which tends to like whole albums. The bands we like aren't going gold anyhow. They might sell 30,000 or so, tour, and then go back to teach guitar and producing in the off season (or whatever their "real" job is). I think there will always be some folks who put out entire albums.

You ladies are being overly dramatic. People will ALWAYS make music, be it rock, metal, jazz, blues, classical, tribal, whatever. Yes, the music BUSINESS is changing, but humans have been making music since they learned to bang 2 rocks together and they aren't stopping anytime soon. True musicians make music because they can. Nothing will stop that.

And as long as someone, somewhere is making music, that person will find a way to distribute it. And if they are distributing their music, someone else will find a way to make a profit from it. It's human nature.

Quote:

One thing has changed however (goodbye albums). Sales of "singles" have shot through the roof in the digital era. Which is actually more bad news for the concept of entire albums.

The WHOLE basis of the music industry was based on radio singles since the 50's, if not before. Then the Beatles, Zeppelin and others came along and said "Bollocks. Here's an album. Take it or leave it". And it will happen again. It's all cyclical. People will tire of bland singles and look for something more. Might take some time and we might be old and dead before it happens but it will happen again. Artists are out there writing the greatest concept album the world has never heard. Yet. But someday they will.

I so hope your right MG. I'm waiting for some 14 year old to rave about more then just one song by some fly by night artist.

While I can only speak for the 3 young'ns I'm raising, I'll make sure they have a decent music appreciation. It's a start.

Believe me, I'm not preaching doom and gloom for "music", just the current state of the industry as MG stated eloquently as always. The only thing that's really changing right now is the delivery method of said entertainment. The old model has been broken since around 2000, the record companies started paying attention almost a decade too late.

Remember, it was the record labels that forced digital down our throats in the first place. They wanted to do away with vinyl, make everyone purchase their entire collection again...they really didn't give us a choice, they just started pulling the LPs from the stores and you either adapted or were left behind.

However, what the labels never counted on was the rise of the personal computer...and the realization that digital music is just "data", data that can be stored, copied and accessed in a myriad of ways. When the LP was king, the record labels didn't need to worry about their masters...they were safe in the vault and all people could do was make cassette copies, which were a generational loss from the master. But with digital, there is no such thing as generational loss, the 1000th copy of a file is identical to the original.

The labels essentially "gave their masters away", then they ignored the internet until way too late...now all they can do is sit around and cry about the ship that sailed a decade ago. I feel no remorse for the labels, I feel sorry for the artists. The labels opened the bottle and let the digital genie out...he ain't going back in.

Okay in all honesty I don't think it's as bad as its made out to be. CD's are only declining because now there are other options, newer options. Within their market they are still alive and well, and will be for a long time. Whole albums are still being released, and will continue to be probably forever. And hey, even if I'm wrong, digital media is still music. It's not some kind of evil entity coming to rip traditional values from everybody, it's just progress. Mediums change, and frankly there's not much of a difference if you ask me. Don't get me wrong, I like having a physical product as much as the next guy, but if the only way for me to get some new music is downloading it then so be it. No matter the medium, people are still, and always will be, buying and creating music. And frankly, CD's have lasted a long time, and hell even vinyl is still doing decently. These things have staying power.

Eh, Opus was already rich and famous before he picked up the tuba. And anyone that brings up John Philip Sousa is getting a swift shot in the applebag.

Opus Croakus is the best. Despite the hairspray, spandex etc he's still manly.

I said that before the picture loaded. Really.

Love the classic teen anthem "Let's Roll Over Lionel Ritche With A Tank" - that willl keep him from dancing on the ceiling!!!!!

Rap and Pop music will not be as affected by the digital age as real musicians that record real instruments. It's like Metal Church's song "The Human Factor"...

Recording pre-programed samples will be the norm while real musicians struggle to be heard.

Who knew how prophetic that song would be? Need to go play that album now.