Sad news on physical media

https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/02/best-buy-will-cease-selling-cds-later-this-year/

I'm sure that your local independent stores, and Amazon will boost their sales because of it. It was so convenient to stop buy Best Buy on new release day and pick up the latest. I only use Amazon or E-Bay if needed hate getting cracked jewel cases due to their inferior packing practices.I guess Barnes and Noble and the independent stores in town will get my business when this takes effect.
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Comments

  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,474
    That sucks!!
    I agree that Amazon needs to step up their packaging procedure. The last six i bought i sent back. They were all smashed to bits in the oversized floppy envelope. I asked why they didn't use a box and was told they are too expensive. I laughed at the CS rep and said i guess the last item i ordered that came in an oversized box with 40.00 worth of packing bubbles was not then....
    Geesh if secondspin can send out used CD's in the proper sized box i will start giving them more business.
    I then asked for a return label
  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,124
    Although to be fair I haven't been able to find a CD I actually wanted to buy inside a best Buy in years.

    Exactly...I collect a list every few months of my next CD purchases. I had a list of about 20 CDs and I went out shopping. I hit 7 stores in the areas ranging from a mom and pop music store, 2 Best Buys,Chain store etc....came home with 2 CDs on my list

    Had to hit online, but most came from Amazon.
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  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,056
    edited February 2018
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    That sucks!!
    I agree that Amazon needs to step up their packaging procedure. The last six i bought i sent back. They were all smashed to bits in the oversized floppy envelope. I asked why they didn't use a box and was told they are too expensive. I laughed at the CS rep and said i guess the last item i ordered that came in an oversized box with 40.00 worth of packing bubbles was not then....
    Geesh if secondspin can send out used CD's in the proper sized box i will start giving them more business.
    I then asked for a return label

    It don't matter I got a package from Amazon yesterday they threw em in a box with enough space in it to allow them to slap up against one another 1 out of the 3 made it with out the cases being damaged. I have had luck on Club Polk and the Hoffman forum you guys and the Hoffmanites Know how to pack stuff.
    Although to be fair I haven't been able to find a CD I actually wanted to buy inside a best Buy in years.
    Although to be fair I haven't been able to find a CD I actually wanted to buy inside a best Buy in years.

    I agree their selection has dwindled down to nothing, I only count on them for new releases. If you have a Barnes and Noble check them out, the one in our town has a pretty good selection of CD's and Vinyl at reasonable Price's.
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    I bought a few hundred replacement CD cases years ago from sleevecity to replace worn cases, ones that broke in shipment, or to replace the cases for used CDs. Worked out to less than 30 cents a piece at the time. Figured it was more cost effective to just replace a worn or broken case than make a trip to return something.

    I have returned broken SACD or Super Jewel Cases since those would be expensive to source and buy as replacements.
  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,707
    I haven't bought a CD from Best Buy in over a decade.

    I get stuff online anymore, often straight from the artist now too.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,474
    Where are you finding the super jewel cases. All the places I purchased from in the past no longer stock them.
    The other cases hard to find are the thin line double CD cases that are same size as a regular CD case
    I have probably 300 reg CD cases that work was going to toss i scarfed those right up :D
  • Msabot1
    Msabot1 Posts: 2,098
    That store ceased being what their name implies quite a few years ago...
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    I think the Super Jewel cases are still more popular in Europe than in the US, I suspect because there is no SACD manufacturing plant in the US anymore. There are overseas sources on Ebay for them. Doesn't make sense to me to buy them given the cost plus shipping.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

    Although to be fair I haven't been able to find a CD I actually wanted to buy inside a best Buy in years.


    Amen to that...
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    I remember when Best Buy used to be the big player in selling music back in the 1990s. When other stores were trying to sell CDs for $15, Best Buy stores came in and undercut them by $2 to $3 and drove them under. Their selection back then was big, but a tiny fraction of what is still available online these days.

    Word is, Target will also start to limit stocks of CDs this summer. Both WalMart and Target stores near me have cut back their floor space for CDs to about 1/5th of what it used to be a few years ago.

    All of my digital music except for SACD these days is immediately ripped from CD to WAV files, but I am not into any of the streaming services because of quality and portable data streaming cost issues.

    I have actually become really impressed with the quality of streaming technology for even 4K video content at home. Of course it requires high speed internet, but I think physical discs are finally on the way out. The cloud infrastructure seems to be in place now to go fully that direction.
  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,505
    Nooooooo
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  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    I'm glad I have a couple of hundred Cds on hand in the cave. I still want to get that Stapleton' "The Traveler" CD sometime.
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,704
    The demise of physical media is exactly what the labels want and there's a ton of suckers falling for it.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,474
    F1nut wrote: »
    The demise of physical media is exactly what the labels want and there's a ton of suckers falling for it.

    Agree 100%
  • maximillian
    maximillian Posts: 2,142
    Vinyl didn't go away so CD's might not entirely disappear either. But it will be online or niche market only.
  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,707
    Tony M wrote: »
    I'm glad I have a couple of hundred Cds on hand in the cave. I still want to get that Stapleton' "The Traveler" CD sometime.

    I bought that on vinyl.
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  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    F1nut wrote: »
    The demise of physical media is exactly what the labels want and there's a ton of suckers falling for it.

    Please explain.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    rooftop59 wrote: »
    F1nut wrote: »
    The demise of physical media is exactly what the labels want and there's a ton of suckers falling for it.

    Please explain.

    I won't answer for him, but I'm guessing because it's cheaper for the labels to sell digital files than bear the costs of producing physical media. Plus they can actually charge more than what they were getting selling a cd.

    CD'S won't completely go away. They may become a niche market though. People still want cd's, even if it's to download them on their own server to stream.

    I think both worlds can coexist, but that doesn't translate to more profits for the labels. There seems to be a lost art, this generation never knew. That's the art of cruising vinyl/cd stores and looking at the cover art. It was sort of a romantic experience....a connection with the music that has been lost these past few generations. If your a book reader, the same thing has happened. Cruising the book store and glancing over the book art, scanning the prologue, and the feel of a real book in your hands can also be a religious experience. Now you have to read books on a screen, ereader, tablet/phone etc.
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  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    But streaming is what is killing music profits, not physical media production costs. I guess ending physical media frees up $$$ to fight Spotify et al for better royalties...
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited February 2018
    Streaming with proprietary codecs enabling content "control" are (perhaps!) poised to make the music industry great again (from a profitability standpoint, that is).

    F1nut is right -- as far as I am concerned (i.e., as I interpret his post).
    But then again, we're old guys, who (and, as Tony said, I can only speak for myself) kind of like the idea of owning things rather than borrowing/renting them.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    It's the buying of music online. To stream music, you have 2 choices.....buy your music online/subscribe to a music service online....or rip your own cd's and stream those.

    Ripping your own cd's may be beneficial to the consumer, not so much for the profits of the physical media makers. They would much prefer to sell you a digital file, than a cd. Their profits are larger with digital files. The trends are, for all consumer goods, is online shopping.

    This is part of the reason why online prices are much cheaper than a brick and mortar store. CD's are no different. You'll wind up eventually with a handful of cd stores online for physical cd's, much like we do today for SACD's.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited February 2018
    tonyb wrote: »
    ...

    Ripping your own cd's may be beneficial to the consumer, not so much for the profits of the physical media makers. They would much prefer to sell you a digital file, than a cd. Their profits are larger with digital files. The trends are, for all consumer goods, is online shopping...

    You're exactly right (I kind of twisted up my previous reply)... but the piece that really has "the industry" salivating is the potential to control redistribution.

    ahem... MQA... ahem, cough-cough

    ;)


  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    I think you're missing the fact that I can stream a virtually unlimited library at cd quality for 20 bucks a month, and the labels are not making much from this model. So Unless there is a connection between the end of physical media and the increase royalties from streaming companies (or the end of streaming as we know it which I don't see happening), then I don't see why the labels would want to end physical media.

    Put it this way, I guarantee labels make more money off selling a physical cd (even at a discounted rate on amazon) than they make from me streaming the same album on Tidal. So why get rid of CDs???
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  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    tonyb wrote: »
    There seems to be a lost art, this generation never knew. That's the art of cruising vinyl/cd stores and looking at the cover art. It was sort of a romantic experience....a connection with the music that has been lost these past few generations. If your a book reader, the same thing has happened. Cruising the book store and glancing over the book art, scanning the prologue, and the feel of a real book in your hands can also be a religious experience. Now you have to read books on a screen, ereader, tablet/phone etc.
    As odd as it may sound, I have to add "smell" to the look and feel of physical media. Particularly with books. Smell can give a powerful feeling of deja vu, too. :)

    CD's have (some) of the excitement that vinyl had. There are plenty of titles that have extensive gatefold inserts and pages of lyrics and pictures. Whether new or used, it can be as fun as opening a Christmas present is to a child. :p

    And then there are the used record store "holy grail" finds. In 1985, I found a copy of Black Sabbath's "Master of Reality" with the original poster inside for $3. B)

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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    I think music is a product like any other product. If it has a value it will bring in money, and if it doesn't it won't and will be removed from the market. The music labels and vendors will choose to make money however they can. If someone wants to buy an old Black Sabbath album on vinyl--check! If someone wants to buy a remastered CD--check! If someone wants to buy an mp3 resolution download--check! If someone wants to buy a high resolution download--check! If someone wants to see an old video on Youtube--check! If someone wants to stream a song--check!

    Streaming is supported by both subscriber fees and attached advertising.

    Interestingly, Justin Bieber's first album apparently sold 7 million units worldwide in CD and digital download form. Just one official song on Youtube (Baby) has 1.8 billion views. All of those means of distribution make money for the music label, vendors, advertisers, and Mr. Bieber.

    It's also available on vinyl for $10.83 if anyone is interested...

    https://www.amazon.com/My-World-2-0-Justin-Bieber/dp/B019PXKQJW/ref=sr_1_3_twi_lp__1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517850154&sr=8-3&keywords=justin+bieber+vinyl
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    rooftop59 wrote: »
    I think you're missing the fact that I can stream a virtually unlimited library at cd quality for 20 bucks a month, and the labels are not making much from this model. So Unless there is a connection between the end of physical media and the increase royalties from streaming companies (or the end of streaming as we know it which I don't see happening), then I don't see why the labels would want to end physical media.

    Put it this way, I guarantee labels make more money off selling a physical cd (even at a discounted rate on amazon) than they make from me streaming the same album on Tidal. So why get rid of CDs???


    Your kinda making my point. If you can stream cd quality for 20 bucks a month, what does that do for physical media ? Royalties wise, the artists get screwed.

    If you buy a physical cd, royalties get paid once, the label gets paid once. I can then download that cd and SHARE it with others with no further royalties being paid....and as many times and with as many people as I wish.

    The artists get screwed on music services, which is why most are touring again....even the old timers. The artists would love to sell cd's and albums, That's not the trend though. Some will produce their own cd's and bypass the labels, but not too many have the coin to do so. Aside from production costs, art, you have marketing and distribution. How many bands/singers are proficient in these areas ? Sure, they can farm out these tasks, but you have to pay along the way to each entity eating up profits.

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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    Emlyn wrote: »
    I think music is a product like any other product. If it has a value it will bring in money, and if it doesn't it won't and will be removed from the market. The music labels and vendors will choose to make money however they can. If someone wants to buy an old Black Sabbath album on vinyl--check! If someone wants to buy a remastered CD--check! If someone wants to buy an mp3 resolution download--check! If someone wants to buy a high resolution download--check! If someone wants to see an old video on Youtube--check! If someone wants to stream a song--check!

    Streaming is supported by both subscriber fees and attached advertising.

    Interestingly, Justin Bieber's first album apparently sold 7 million units worldwide in CD and digital download form. Just one official song on Youtube (Baby) has 1.8 billion views. All of those means of distribution make money for the music label, vendors, advertisers, and Mr. Bieber.

    It's also available on vinyl for $10.83 if anyone is interested...

    https://www.amazon.com/My-World-2-0-Justin-Bieber/dp/B019PXKQJW/ref=sr_1_3_twi_lp__1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517850154&sr=8-3&keywords=justin+bieber+vinyl

    Wow, $10.83 on rekkid ain't bad! Is that 200 gram?

    ;)
  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    Emlyn wrote: »
    I think music is a product like any other product. If it has a value it will bring in money, and if it doesn't it won't and will be removed from the market. The music labels and vendors will choose to make money however they can. If someone wants to buy an old Black Sabbath album on vinyl--check! If someone wants to buy a remastered CD--check! If someone wants to buy an mp3 resolution download--check! If someone wants to buy a high resolution download--check! If someone wants to see an old video on Youtube--check! If someone wants to stream a song--check!

    Streaming is supported by both subscriber fees and attached advertising.

    Interestingly, Justin Bieber's first album apparently sold 7 million units worldwide in CD and digital download form. Just one official song on Youtube (Baby) has 1.8 billion views. All of those means of distribution make money for the music label, vendors, advertisers, and Mr. Bieber.

    It's also available on vinyl for $10.83 if anyone is interested...

    https://www.amazon.com/My-World-2-0-Justin-Bieber/dp/B019PXKQJW/ref=sr_1_3_twi_lp__1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517850154&sr=8-3&keywords=justin+bieber+vinyl

    It would appear that neither Mr. Bieber nor his record label profit much from all those views:

    http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-stars-actually-make-2014-2
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