I’ve read a lot about the CD being “dead.” Certainly, the major labels are terrified that it is, or at least that its on life support. And I can see why they’re scared. There is a huge industry based on bringing in billions in revenue, and when something happens like CD sales drop a bit, that means jobs get lost.
But is the CD really dying? Just because the major labels are losing some sales, does that mean that nobody wants CDs anymore? One of the most astute and articulate industry watchers, Andrew Dubber, on his blog New Music Strategies, has a new post entitled Are CDs Dead? seems to think that in reality, CDs are doing just fine. Indeed, although majors may be retracting, CD Baby is growing and growing! Clearly, a lot of people are buying CDs, not a sign of a dying format.
I tend to agree with him. FWIW, Ember After has sold more physical CDs than digital downloads, and they’re priced pretty similarly, depending on the download store. This makes me happy. Not because I don’t like downloads. And not just because I like physical CDs, and buy them regularly. But because we put a lot of effort into the cool 12-page color booklet, the CD art, etc.
And I think that’s the power of buying a CD. With a “standalone” product, you can really create a mood, and atmosphere. While you can do that with a website and PDF artwork too, it’s not the same. With a boxed set or a CD, you’re experiencing it’s atmosphere in isolation. When you’re viewing the PDF artwork for music you downloaded, or on the companion website, you’re not as immersed in it. You’ve very likely got your mail reader up, your chat program, maybe an address book and calendar, etc. Even if the only thing running is your PDF reader or web browser, even that is less immersive than just sitting by yourself holding the art in your hands. Not everyone feels this way, of course. But we do.
Anyway, we plan to keep releasing our music both on CD and as digital downloads—even though CDs are more expensive to produce. We should have a new EP out late summer in both formats. And as always, we’ll make sure it’s available to stream and download anywhere people ask for it, and we’ll also work to create a compact disc with atmosphere and artistic value, a real product that you’d like to own. Why? Because those are the CDs that we like to own.