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Vodka-Volauvent
Bananas' fluffer
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 Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 1:46 pm Post subject: Is the physical format dead? |
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It has been talked about loads I know but has anyone read this trouncing of the physical format?
There's also this counter argument
personally speaking, I used to buy vinyl singles by the bucket load around 2003-2007 but I hardly ever buy them now, mainly 'cos I tend to listen to music on either my computer (through decent speakers obviously) or the iPod (without the awful white headphones) . I'm also way too obsessed with Scrobbling which doesn't help. This probably makes me a terrible human being.
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Trev
Bola on the bongos
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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| not dead, just different. It's all about vinyl these days for small labels and mp3 codes. Records sell to collectors. Music sells to anyone who wants it (and doesn't grab it for free). |
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KevW
Waxing Cavey's lady beard
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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I read both those arguements. Of course it's nicer to have a physical copy than a file. Much worse for the environment of course. Half of my vinyl and all of my tapes are in the loft. I don't have space for them. Everything gets played off my computer now - even promo CDs go in the CD drive and are played that way. I have good speakers though.
I'm sure nearly everyone here grew up pre internet and MP3 and we've all trawled through record shops and it can be a great experience for nerds like me.
I'll be sorry to see physical formats go, but I think they will eventually. A few will still be released as ornamental objects but that's about it (except maybe for DJs)
I don't know what the answer is. I love vinyl, I love CD - I even love my tapes, but I rarely use any of them. You don't need to buy or own music to hear it now. It's all on spotify, myspace, facebook, youtube, lastfm, we7, band websites, blogs....
I think physical stuff is on it's way out, but will never disappear completely.
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Thee SPC
Kev's growler tester
Joined: 06 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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I've witnessed this from both the label and record shop perspective.
In both cases I've watched my physical sales dwindle, with a bit of an inevitable sigh.
Shop-wise, from selling 10 copies of each stocked new release back in 2006, it's now 1 or 2 copies. A lot get returned to the distro unsold and I'm hesitant to stock many items offered to me.
Label-wise, there's deffo been a decline. But if you're savvy it can still be done with a bit of flair, imagination and people will be interested enough to buy physical releases. I still at least break even on all my releases, though the turnover has dropped. It's fair to say the label's goals and expectations have shrunk with the market!
Bottom line is that there'd still people who want to buy physical records. That first argument is completely missing the point. You could apply his angle to owt. There's tons of stuff people buy that they don't "need". I mean no one needs a kettle! They can boil water in a pan, can't they?
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KevW
Waxing Cavey's lady beard
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Thee SPC wrote: | I've witnessed this from both the label and record shop perspective.
In both cases I've watched my physical sales dwindle, with a bit of an inevitable sigh.
Shop-wise, from selling 10 copies of each stocked new release back in 2006, it's now 1 or 2 copies. A lot get returned to the distro unsold and I'm hesitant to stock many items offered to me.
Label-wise, there's deffo been a decline. But if you're savvy it can still be done with a bit of flair, imagination and people will be interested enough to buy physical releases. I still at least break even on all my releases, though the turnover has dropped. It's fair to say the label's goals and expectations have shrunk with the market!
Bottom line is that there'd still people who want to buy physical records. That first argument is completely missing the point. You could apply his angle to owt. There's tons of stuff people buy that they don't "need". I mean no one needs a kettle! They can boil water in a pan, can't they? |
A kettle is quicker and easier - like an mp3 is. People will always want a piece of the bands they like, whether that's a 7" single which will never get played because they have it on their ipod anyway, or a t-shirt or whatever. But what you've said is right. Will people continue making physical releases if they're not making money from them?
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Thee SPC
Kev's growler tester
Joined: 06 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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| KevW wrote: | | Thee SPC wrote: | I've witnessed this from both the label and record shop perspective.
In both cases I've watched my physical sales dwindle, with a bit of an inevitable sigh.
Shop-wise, from selling 10 copies of each stocked new release back in 2006, it's now 1 or 2 copies. A lot get returned to the distro unsold and I'm hesitant to stock many items offered to me.
Label-wise, there's deffo been a decline. But if you're savvy it can still be done with a bit of flair, imagination and people will be interested enough to buy physical releases. I still at least break even on all my releases, though the turnover has dropped. It's fair to say the label's goals and expectations have shrunk with the market!
Bottom line is that there'd still people who want to buy physical records. That first argument is completely missing the point. You could apply his angle to owt. There's tons of stuff people buy that they don't "need". I mean no one needs a kettle! They can boil water in a pan, can't they? |
A kettle is quicker and easier - like an mp3 is. People will always want a piece of the bands they like, whether that's a 7" single which will never get played because they have it on their ipod anyway, or a t-shirt or whatever. But what you've said is right. Will people continue making physical releases if they're not making money from them? |
Yeah they will. It's fun. I don't mind losing a bit of money on releases, but if I put out like 10 records in a year and each loses £100, I'll not have a label after a few years! So it's a balancing act...
*Anyway i'm off to the post office to send a bunch of CDs and vinyl to several people in the UK and a nice chap in Sweden. 
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Last edited by Thee SPC on Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:37 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Trev
Bola on the bongos
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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| KevW wrote: | | Will people continue making physical releases if they're not making money from them? |
Yep.
I lose a little on every 7" single I've ever made. I still make them though. And nearly every band that I have worked with would prefer a vinyl release to anything else. |
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KevW
Waxing Cavey's lady beard
Joined: 27 Dec 2010
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Location: Only 3 miles from space
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Thee SPC wrote: | | KevW wrote: | | Thee SPC wrote: | I've witnessed this from both the label and record shop perspective.
In both cases I've watched my physical sales dwindle, with a bit of an inevitable sigh.
Shop-wise, from selling 10 copies of each stocked new release back in 2006, it's now 1 or 2 copies. A lot get returned to the distro unsold and I'm hesitant to stock many items offered to me.
Label-wise, there's deffo been a decline. But if you're savvy it can still be done with a bit of flair, imagination and people will be interested enough to buy physical releases. I still at least break even on all my releases, though the turnover has dropped. It's fair to say the label's goals and expectations have shrunk with the market!
Bottom line is that there'd still people who want to buy physical records. That first argument is completely missing the point. You could apply his angle to owt. There's tons of stuff people buy that they don't "need". I mean no one needs a kettle! They can boil water in a pan, can't they? |
A kettle is quicker and easier - like an mp3 is. People will always want a piece of the bands they like, whether that's a 7" single which will never get played because they have it on their ipod anyway, or a t-shirt or whatever. But what you've said is right. Will people continue making physical releases if they're not making money from them? |
Yeah they will. It's fun. I don't mind losing a bit of money on releases, but if I put out like 10 records in a year and each loses £100, I'll not have a label after a few years! So it's a balancing act... |
It is fun, but not if it means people go bust.
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Thee SPC
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Vodka-Volauvent
Bananas' fluffer
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds Experience had a brief spurt of 7" single releases but we ended up losing loads on each release. It was fun but it got a bit depressing after a while and I'm not even the one who has the unsold 7s in storage!
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Vodka-Volauvent
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Bovine Juice
Drunken mustachioed lothario on stage
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
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Location: Wild and devil-may-care on the last mobility scooter to hell... YEAH!!!!
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Vodka-Volauvent wrote: | | Sounds Experience had a brief spurt of 7" single releases but we ended up losing loads on each release. It was fun but it got a bit depressing after a while and I'm not even the one who has the unsold 7s in storage! |
Where are all those Santa Dog and Bridge Gang singles anyway? I've got two crates of Looking Glass CDs if anyone needs a coaster...
I have bought about 20 new CD albums so far this year (a number that's broadly similar to previous years), about 50 second hand ones (ditto), no CD singles (ten years ago this would have been about 100 including second hand ones), 2 LPs (er, the same one twice.... bloody booze!!!) but only two 7s (about 3 years ago this would have been about 40). There are less interesting 7s about and because the print runs are getting lower and lower their prices are getting higher and higher. 5 quid seems to be the absolute minimum price these days.
I've also bought less mp3s than 6 months ago but that's partly because emusic has gone plop and partly because I've exhausted the elusive old tracks that I couldn't get any other way.
As for selling records/CDs... must be a nightmare... one I'll be rediscovering again in a few months time when the next Sounds eXPerience album comes out.  |
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gavdann
cRaZy cat with the bongos
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Each and every one of those Bridge Gang singles should have been global #1 hit smashes. |
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KevW
Waxing Cavey's lady beard
Joined: 27 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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| gavdann wrote: | | Each and every one of those Bridge Gang singles should have been global #1 hit smashes. |
A couple of years ago I thought about setting up a Sound Of Confusion label to release one of 7" singles. Limited to 100 copies.
Shortly after I had that idea I interviewed the journalist Mark Beaumont on my show - he'd just set up a label to release 1 download only single. He said it was a nightmare and he'd be losing money doing it. That kind of put me off. Although he went on to say that he thinks setting up a record label is something everyone should do. mentalist.
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Vodka-Volauvent
Bananas' fluffer
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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| gavdann wrote: | | Each and every one of those Bridge Gang singles should have been global #1 hit smashes. |
You're not wrong, they were an incredible band. Shame they split up before we released the single.
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Thee SPC
Kev's growler tester
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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I remember selling quite a few of those bridge gang singles.
That reminds me, a quick look at my accounts tells me I owe one of you SPXers £4 for a couple of singles sold (presumable the foxes one, 'cos I can't remember anyone going for the santa dog one, tho' it's ace.)
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Vodka-Volauvent
Bananas' fluffer
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Thee SPC wrote: |
That reminds me, a quick look at my accounts tells me I owe one of you SPXers £4 for a couple of singles sold (presumable the foxes one, 'cos I can't remember anyone going for the santa dog one, tho' it's ace.) |
YES! I've just handed in my notice. I'm now a Top Record Label excec. Let's party!
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Bovine Juice
Drunken mustachioed lothario on stage
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Kerching! Rack that up against our next webmonkey requirements fulfilment... |
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KevW
Waxing Cavey's lady beard
Joined: 27 Dec 2010
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Location: Only 3 miles from space
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Vodka-Volauvent wrote: | | Thee SPC wrote: |
That reminds me, a quick look at my accounts tells me I owe one of you SPXers £4 for a couple of singles sold (presumable the foxes one, 'cos I can't remember anyone going for the santa dog one, tho' it's ace.) |
YES! I've just handed in my notice. I'm now a Top Record Label excec. Let's party! |
Party time indeed! You can probably pick up a half of shandy in a London pub with that windfall!
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Mrs Ray Flicker
Beast with a Bass
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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Obviously physical releases are set to become a small, exclusive niche market for enthusiasts. But I think that'll only apply to vinyl - I can't see many people mourning the death of the CD (cold, impersonal, fragile little bugger that it is) any more than the death of the audio cassette.
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