Death of the Music Industry... :(

[stonecutter]

In mid December, I was out shopping for two of the three Christmas gifts left on my list. Most of the shopping this year was done by my wife, and involved ordering things on the internet.

In a large electronics and entertainment store, I decided to pick up two of them. When I found what I wanted, I was on the way to the cash register when I decided to nip into the CD aisles and have a look for a CD I've been wanting for some time. I went down the first aisle, and found I was in a Wii game aisle. Nipped into the next aisle, and found I was in an aisle of Xbox and PSP games. Another two aisles came and went before I finally found the CD section, which has now been reduced to ONE HALF OF ONE SIDE of ONE AISLE. You read that correctly. There's a sign over the section entitled "Music CDs A-Z".

Is THIS what it's come to? One half of one side of one aisle is to encompass all genres and all artists who are producing CDs today. Is this going to be the way that CDs go out? Is this what iTunes and illegal music downloads have done to the actual 'hard copy' music media?

Cuz I gots to say folks - that's just crazy.

When I was growing up, I used to enjoy sitting in my room, with the latest cassette tape and the 'book' out from the inside reading lyrics, examining artwork and even reading the odd messages that can be found in the "Special Thanks" section. The quality of a cassette was bettered by a CD, and the larger book inserts brought a lot to the table. I found that listening to music while not doing much of anything else (homework, was the usual thing I was supposed to be doing when I was listening to music) really familiarized me to the structure of a song, the styles of bands, the unique sounds of bands... Sitting next to my stereo with a set of headphones on reading the CD liner book facilitated that.

Now - a digital file - usually of shifty quality, no graphics, no liner book, hastily downloaded in today's 'need it right now or never' society, of the latest hit single which will be on the charts for just a few days and then never to be heard from again from some manufactured artist who doesn't need to sing, because the record company can make it sound like they can sing using Protunes.

There's no coming back from this. I'm told we can't bring back the guitar solo. If that's the case, we'll never come back from the demise of CDs - and that's the way electronic files will kill the music industry...

Call me old-fashioned, but I just don't think an electronic file is as tangible as a hold-in-your hand CD.

[cherylm]

Stonecutter, I still collect VINYL...still have a turntable...and I've never downloaded a song in my life! I'm normally a fan of technology, but I have to admit that I'm not fond of a whole LOT of what's happening in the music industry...........

Does this mean we've been rendered "obsolete?"

[allenuk]

It's all pendulums, isn't it (pendula, possibly), in that it swings way way, then the other.

Or rather I HOPE it does. What I've seen in the past 60+ years is music being wrested out of the paws of tin-pan alley into the hands of the kids and musicians, and THEN being almost imperceptibly taken back by the industry, to the point where now 'alternative' music is sold to the music-buying public as the latest fad.

Folk music was (is) my love, and back in the 1960s some of it was radical and political, so it's saddened me to see it drift towards the money over the decades.

Obsolete? Yes, probably!

Allen

[cherylm]

I agree on the folk music front, Allen...the same sort of thing seems to be happening with "world music," which is slowly-but-surely being absorbed, refurbished, and sent out into the "pop" world as the "real thing"...which makes me terribly sad.

For what it's worth, I sing in a choir that still does the occasional bit of folk music. Of course, we're all senior citizens and our forays into the world of protest music are sometimes seen as just "quaint."

However, here's a story that seems to be both sad and amusing: The other night I was watching the TV and an infomercial (is that term common in the UK? It means a full length program paid for and promoting some product) came on selling a Time Life music collection called something like "The Woodstock Years." I was going to be going out in a few minutes, and the background music on "The Woodstock Years" brought back some good memories, so I just left it on and kept reading my book.

Time came for me to head out for my appointment, so I turned off the infomercial and headed out the door. Now I live in a large apartment complex for "active seniors, 55+ years of age." As I opened the door and stepped into the hallway, the only thing I could hear was.........many, many TVs, all tuned in to "The Woodstock Years!"

Made me feel absolutely ancient.............................

[mitchee]

I purchase both CD's and downloads. If it's a band that I really enjoy, I will buy the CD (and also load it on my itouch.) If it's only one song that I like, I will pay for the download from itunes.

I still enjoy listening to CD's but I must admit that I like the fact that I can take 2500+ songs (on my itouch) anywhere I go.

[allenuk]

No, Infomercials have not, as yet, crossed the pond, although as most things US eventually become things UK, they probably will. At the moment we've got fairly strict (in US terms at least) laws regarding the distinction between the adverts and the programmes, and of course on the BBC we have no adverts at all. Heaven! (Doesn't mean all the programmes are worth watching, but it helps).

I was more bothered by the "active seniors, 55+ years of age". Not that I'm one to chase eternal youth (check the photo), but blimey, 55+? When I was in my mid-50s I was still an alcoholic, or just getting out of being one. Come to think of it, I was just getting my left leg sawn off, so maybe nostalgia is creeping in, as per.

And now you come to mention it, as we're getting into our 60s (early? mid?) the idea of some sort of sheltered accommodation no longer carries the same threat it once did. We don't want looking after, but...


Allen.

[cherylm]

I must admit that I was somewhat reluctant to move into an "active seniors" building, Allen. When I was apartment hunting up in this neck of the woods, I looked at both "regular" and "senior" buildings...what I found was that there were a wide variety of "senior-type" residences: some set their entry age at 55+ and generally do not provide anything in the way of "looking after" the residents; others restrict themselves to 62+ years and often offer some sort of "looking after" services or partnerships with other service organizations. (My folks spent their final years in the latter type of building.) The things that many of the "senior" buildings DO provide which interested me were: the architecture is usually very accessible to someone who might be using a wheelchair or other mobility aid...there is often elevator service to units on upper floors...and the rents are often much lower than in buildings for the "general populace," I suppose because so many seniors are on a fixed income. I think that there's some sort of "advantage" (either in tax write-offs or some sort of supplemental payments) to the owners of properties that provide housing to seniors and that this drives the age and activity levels each building serves. (In my building there are residents who are definitely on some kind of housing subsidy and others of us who pay on various sliding scales according to income...I'm one of the "full-market rent" folks, but my "full-market rental rate" is significantly lower than what I was paying in Southern California.)

I got my possible residences down to one "general" building and this "senior" building. The "general" building was in a great downtown neighborhood of a fairly big city, and I loved the location...but there were some aspects that made it decidedly UNfriendly to amputees, if ever I found myself unable to wear my prosthesis...and the rental rates were especially volatile, changing each of the three times I contacted management. The "senior" building is arranged so that, if ever I am "legless," I can still get around easily in my wheelchair...and management seemed to be much more consistent, both with rental rates and the general rules and regulations of the building. This building is not in as charming a neighborhood as my other possibility...but it's centrally located, with libraries, museums, concert halls and both live theatre and cinema within either walking distance or a very brief drive away.

So here I am...one of the younger members in an "active seniors 55+" building. It's been a good match, and I've been able to hook up with a number of kindred spirits and get involved with a lot of activities. I have a lovely 3rd floor one-bedroom apartment with a good-sized kitchen and a balcony off my living room that overlooks a garden and a tree-filled hillside. And the vast majority of us "seniors," no matter what the age, are indeed very active, taking classes doing volunteer and community service work, and taking both day and long-term trips, sometimes even going abroad.

I'd definitely recommend "active seniors" living to anyone who's looking for a convenient lifestyle!

[headoncollider]

Feb 6, 2011 9:05:14 GMT -7 stonecutter said:

Is THIS what it's come to? One half of one side of one aisle is to encompass all genres and all artists who are producing CDs today. Is this going to be the way that CDs go out? Is this what iTunes and illegal music downloads have done to the actual 'hard copy' music media?

When I was growing up, I used to enjoy sitting in my room, with the latest cassette tape and the 'book' out from the inside reading lyrics, examining artwork and even reading the odd messages that can be found in the "Special Thanks" section. The quality of a cassette was bettered by a CD, and the larger book inserts brought a lot to the table. I found that listening to music while not doing much of anything else (homework, was the usual thing I was supposed to be doing when I was listening to music) really familiarized me to the structure of a song, the styles of bands, the unique sounds of bands... Sitting next to my stereo with a set of headphones on reading the CD liner book facilitated that.

Now - a digital file - usually of shifty quality, no graphics, no liner book, hastily downloaded in today's 'need it right now or never' society, of the latest hit single which will be on the charts for just a few days and then never to be heard from again from some manufactured artist who doesn't need to sing, because the record company can make it sound like they can sing using Protunes.

There's no coming back from this. I'm told we can't bring back the guitar solo. If that's the case, we'll never come back from the demise of CDs - and that's the way electronic files will kill the music industry...

Call me old-fashioned, but I just don't think an electronic file is as tangible as a hold-in-your hand CD.

LOL, Sadly yes mate, thats the new reality of consumer appeal today (or marketing cost analysis) depending on your perspective.
CD's are rapidly on the way out and iTunes is taking over in more ways than you can possibly imagine.
For example, ITunes get a small fee from the cost of buying a tune on line right? How long until they have ALL recording studios contracted to them? And whats the follow on from a subservant recording industry? Ownership of said industries, or you just dont get heard!
Point of that being, EVERY song that EVER gets used in a commercial, movie or played on a radio station then has to also pay a royalty fee = (continual revenue).
Now put that into the context of the next line of TV's.
That is to say PC/TV's,,, Thats right, your TV is going to become your PC also. So, if your TV is hooked up to an ISP=(continual fee)and they see what you are watching/downloading, hoiw long until they start splitting up your downloads and also charging you directly for EVERY individual "item" you watch/download?
That fee is of course on top of the royalties they automatically get from the rights holdings, the tax on proffits of the bands, your iTunes download fee/s, your "general" ISP fee, plus anything else they can subdivide into smaller lots of individual fees.
Ultimately, there are too many money grabbing commercialists in the industry now, and they are ALL using any and all methods possible to sustain and justify their grab at the cash.
This is what happens when we put LAWYERS in control of ANY system!!!!
My suggestion would be to start looking at all the "indie" (independant) music out there and find some new favorites to support. Of course, they too will be lured into the cycle, but for now they are the ones who will actually get most of what you pay for their music.
I personally have never purchased anything from Itunes or any of the other net based companies.
If you want a song, you can always Youtube it and download the music video through RealPlayer. It doesnt cost anything and you get the song AND the video! And from what I can tell it's completely legal.