Music sales down overall

[3db]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110106/GO/701069824

 

[j_garcia]

It is sad. You can see it in the stores too - less inventory because it doesn't sell. It sucks because it makes it harder for me to find new music right now.

 

[zumbo]

New bands su(k.

Old bands su(k @ trying to be new(current).

Stores and radio pushing current talent that are not musically talented.

Really great musicians don't connect on a personal level with potential consumers.(PT)

 

[skizzerflake]

It is sad. The companies keep trying to push synthy, autotuned, crap and they don't understand that the stuff has no heart or soul. They are circling the drain and don't understand why but they will blame copying. I find plenty of good music, but none of it has any connection to the mainstream, which is getting narrower each year.

 

[JJMP50]

IMO..most people don't "listen" to music any more. They want background music if any at all. Of all the people I know, I can only think of a handful actively listen to their own CD collections and some have half way decent systems (used mainly for HT). Even my wife thinks that I'm odd because I can spend a few hours doing nothing but sitting in the sweet spot and listening to my collection "way too loud". Let's not even mention how much I've spent on hardware over the years. Rock is pretty much dead...Jazz and Classical have an almost cult following too small to generate any serious revenue, country has turned into pop and rap/hip-hop is more of a lifestyle than a genre. Guess I go a listen to some tunes.....

 

[GranteedEV]

That's where the sales are - the mainstream pop genres. I have friends who only listen to most of that garbage and even they will tell you that everything on the radio is overplayed and tedious. The mainstream has never been known for its soul or anything but at least they would get you something fresh now and then...these days it's three to five songs all day... on three separate stations - I mean it...my city has three Top 40 stations, yet has no Classical station, no Jazz station, and no Rap/Hip-Hop station. The only other stations are Rock, 80s/90s pop, and an Oldies Rock station. When you lack variety people get disinterested in music altogether. I can't be bothered to listen to the radio. Not one channel. If I'm not listening to the radio how am I being exposed?

Currently the only form of exposure is something like youtube. And it's virtual piracy to the point where there's nothing compelling a person to buy. And yes, it's bad quality, but most people either don't care or don't have a system even capable of showing them how bad the quality is. I'd bet the #1 and #2 sources of listening to music would be ipod earbuds and "came-in-the-box" desktop speakers. If you can't hear the difference between a CD and a youtube, why on earth would you pay for it? Heck, most people won't even actively pirate a higher quality rip!