Re: [ARSCLIST] CD versus Download was "All hail the analogue revolution..."

[Don Cox <doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 26/09/06, Tom Fine wrote:
> Hi Steven:
> 
> I think you should do some research. The record industry is completely
> youth oriented and baby boomers do not buy the bulk of the products.
> Please, go to your library and do some Lexis/Nexis research if you
> don't believe me. And yes, the younger customers are more likely to
> prefer alternate forms of entertainment or even "steal" products thru
> illegal downloads (although any unbiased party that has looked at this
> "problem" seems to say time after time that the music companies
> greatly overstate it and their biggest problem is lack of compelling
> product and ripoff pricing, and refusal to understand a shift in the
> preferred end-product to downloaded digital files). The stuff you like
> and might buy a few CD's of each year, that's subsidized by the
> Britney Spears albums of the world. 

How can it be, when the discs come from different companies?

I can't see how sales of pop titles benefit Naxos, Chandos, ASV,
Brilliant, BIS etc etc in any way.

> It would not be profitable to
> cater to any tastes but the very mainstream with a
> manufactured/packaged/warehoused product. That's just how economics
> work today. Plus the consolidation of retailing means limited shelf
> space to promote the bad apples currently in the roster. Note that
> Tower Records is in bankruptcy and HMV has pulled out of most US
> markets, meaning the ONLY place to buy packaged CD's in most of the
> USA is Wal-Mart, Target or someplace similar. The success of Amazon
> still proves that depth and breadth can be successfully sold, but at
> Amazon, something like 80% of CD sales dovetail the top-100 charts
> (see the many refutations of the "Long Tail" book, including Lee Gomes
> in the Wall St. Journal).
> 
> Anyway, main point is, baby boomers do control these companies, but
> the kids are the main customers for recorded music. Has been that way
> since the 1960's. Same with movies, BTW, which is why there's so
> little adult-oriented fare at the multiplex. Finally, do some
> demographic research and you'll see that "son of baby boom" generation
> is also huge and they are the ones with the mass amounts of disposable
> income to feed the entertainment industry right now. All too many of
> their parents are mortgaged to the hilt, maxed out on credit and
> suddenly realizing that their social security check will hardly buy
> groceries, much less maintain the McMansion.

Regards
-- 
Don Cox
doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx