The Future of the CD???

[daviddesper]

I know that all indications are that the CD is on its way out. This saddens me because I have LOVED what I call the Re-issue Era, in which soooooo much material from the 60s and 70s has become available on CD. So I have a two-part question.

1) For artists who are currently still recording, when do we think they will stop releasing studio albums and CDs? I was encouraged to ask this question today because I was web-surfing and learned that one of my "regulars" does have a new CD listed as coming out in January.

2) If current music does cease to be released on CD at whatever point that it may happen, will that impact the re-issue market as well or will there still be demand for some of our old favorites that have not yet been released on CD?

[arr&bee]

Good i hate[cd's].

[robb_k]

Even if current artists stop issuing CDs, I think that oldies packaged CDs will still be made. I can't imagine Ace/Kent and the other big oldies CD producers just stopping production and buying the rights to music to issue it as digital files. The information booklets are a nice part of the package that oldies fans value highly.

[marv2]

Great! I hope CDs stop and vinyl comes back full time and full force! Oh and the record stores too!

[jack020]

Here in Holland vinyl sales are already dropping because of the high price of new vinyl releases. Some new vinyl releases are almost double the price of the cd-version.
Record companies got greedy again.
The cd will not go away, in Europe there is still a large market for it.

[Bluebrock]

Cd's are still hugely popular in the UK, Europe and Japan, I cannot speak for America but cd's will certainly be around for a long, long time to come, particularly with the reissues/oldies market which shows little sign of slowing down.

[destruction]

CD's are a medium....all mediums [[media) will be supplanted at some point.

I like albums and CD's as much as some of you guys.....but obsolescence is inevitable.

As storage get cheaper.....devices get smaller....."Pipes" get bigger.....and so on....Digital will have its day......

And at some point we will reach the atomic stage....and then the sub atomic stage....

And Robb will be chasing it around the room trying to smash the atoms with a 45.

I don't know the future of housing or transportation.....but I know the future of music and video.

Look back a few years....music....then music videos....then 3D.....then VR..... now holograms.

The intermediate medium for music and video is Virtual Reality.....the concept not the glasses. This is where you can immerse yourself in the experience.....sight...sound....touch...etc. At first the artists will appear to be on stage in your living room or wherever you want them....and the sound will be at your discretion. At first glasses...maybe a booth. Ultimately, all of this will hard wired to your brain. Instead of watching and listening you will be an active participant in the music and the music...either as an audience member....or lead artist or actor/actress.

Simplified and glorified.....but inevitable.....if we last long enough.

[alanh]

Yes one day technology will replace the CD with something new, but I believe it [[the CD) will be around for a few years yet. Strangely the download market is dropping fasting than CD sales. Here in the UK, CD sales are pretty strong although dropping slightly. UK Industry figures comparing physical [[albeit combining CD and LP) with digital sales for the past three weeks are:

Last week: physical 55.7% digital 44.2%
previous week: physical 52.5% digital 47.4%
week before: physical 51.6% digital 48.4%

So the CD [[with LP) is holding up OK.

[daviddesper]

I am encouraged by some of your comments. I guess I am just a person who is resistant to change. I have large collections of vinyl lps, cassettes, and CDs that I accumulated over the years and even some 8 tracks believe it or not. One of these days I will simply have to adapt to downloading I guess or do without.

[arr&bee]

Never download,never surrender to the darkside[hehe]vinyl,lp's,45's,cassettes...foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

[mr_june]

I've never downloaded either. I like the higher quality of CD and high rez music files and as long as they are around I'll support them.

[phil]

Never download,never surrender to the darkside[hehe]vinyl,lp's,45's,cassettes...foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

I'm with you arr&bee !

[Jerry Oz]

I'm surprised nobody has released uncompressed sound files on zip drives, which are cheaper than dirt now. I picked up a 32g drive for $9. I bought it, not out of need but because in my twisted reckoning, I couldn't pass up on it. I'm sure they could release albums with features galore [[including liner notes!) with a production cost of less than $3 while charging $15 or more in read only format. The possibilities [[songs with and without vocals, remixes, etc.) would seem to be unlimited.

[ms_m]

I don't have a problem with downloads because it allows me to pick and choose but I really don't think CD's are going to go away completely. Vinyl is still here and many artist are releasing new material on vinyl. I would guess the UK is more the market for it but it's out there. There will always be a medium for audiophiles but us regular folk just want the music however we can get it. shrugs

[TomatoTom123]

Yes I only do downloads, I like picking and choosing! I like iTunes 'cause you get a music library and you can rearrange songs, add lyrics, add album covers and so forth. I don't know enough about vinyl to say that downloads are better, however. I do hope that all mediums continue to exist [[they all have benefits), for the sake of variety if nothing else, hehe!

[phil]

A picture is better than words :

[alanh]

More encouraging news. The Rolling Stones' new album 'Blue and Lonesome' has entered the UK charts at number one with total sales of 106,000. 95,000 of those sales were 'physical'. CD [[and vinyl) isn't dead yet. [[The fact that an album can get to number one these days with only 106,000 sales is another debate!)

[soulster]

Well, cassettes are coming back. Seriously! I can't figure out why, except that they are a portable alternative to vinyl, and that we have millennials who grew up in a digital world. Analog is still a big thing for them.

I think the CD will be around for a few more years, but the market is shrinking. In fact, all format are shrinking in favor of streaming, which I think is the true evil.

It is my strong belief that Warner would really like to stop producing CDs. Except for some new titles, they seem to be releasing the fewest catalog CDs.;

[jobeterob]

CDs will stay around as well as these other formats but streaming is taking over

Most people I know never buy CDs anymore and most that do are old

My truck is set to stream a choice of Soul town, 60s on 6, 70's on 7, 80's on 8

In and Out of Love got played yesterday