Digital Music Sales Decline for First Time Since Opening of iTunes Music Store

[peterdevries]

Regardless, I'm not sure that I agree with you that a musician should write her songs in order to be called an artist.

To be called a musician one should at least be able to do one of the following:

• Songwriting
• Composing
• Playing one or more instruments
• Singing

Many "musicians" that were mentioned in this thread already aren't able to do any of these, since they rely solely on a skilled marketing team and a producer that is able to convert a dog fart into harp music.

 

[Brandon263]

To be called a musician one should at least be able to do one of the following:

• Songwriting
• Composing
• Playing one or more instruments
• Singing

Many "musicians" that were mentioned in this thread already aren't able to do any of these, since they rely solely on a skilled marketing team and a producer that is able to convert a dog fart into harp music.

Well, first of all, I would disagree with your definition, which leaves out many people who are musically talented, such as conductors and others.

Second, I'm uncomfortable with the idea of someone telling others what should be considered good music or who is a musician.

 

[flottenheimer]

I expect the decline in both digital 1-track/album purchasing and CD sales to accelerate very, very quickly. Especially now that streaming services has really kicked in.

And with the introduction of lossless FLAC & ALAC streaming on services such as WiMP Hi Fi I simply see no reason why not to switch. (I LOVE CD+Vinyl covers, but the positives here far outweigh the negatives IMHO).

My guess — in 3-5 years the digital music download business will be reduced to around 10% of what it is today. And CD sales will be where Vinyl is today. Save for some countries where widespread, cheap 3G/4G/Broadband still hasn't kicked in.

 

[SnoFlo]

A good way to get music on-the-cheap would be to buy used LPs: there's a thriving market out there. I just ordered 10 LPs for about $2 each. It's a good way to discover old gems as well.

Granted, it takes some investment with regards the playback front-end (and I suggest that a proper vinyl cleaner from Nitty Gritty etc. is a must), however, it's amazing how organic LPs can sound.

 

[Urban Joe]

Pleasant Surprise

I'm encouraged. The industry is pumping out and foisting so much demonic filth onto the masses lately it is mind blowing. Given the sick, debauched and evil state of the mainstream music industry I hope this trend continues. I had to give up listening to pop music several years ago. Instead now I listen mostly to baroque classical music tuned to A = 432. Let me tell ya... my mental, physical and moral health is much better off by avoiding the garbage that passes for music now.

 

[LethalWolfe]

And, of course, there have long been popular brainless pop-songs, but it's really bland and dumbed down now.

I don't think "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" set the bar too high for brainless pop-songs written by record producers to be performed by others.

 

[alent1234]

Did Nicki Minaj write that or did someone else?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_(Nicki_Minaj_song)

A lot of the points most of us are trying to say, these so called "artists" don't write any of their own stuff. They are performers and that's it.

like in the 50's
didn't elvis not write most of his songs?

 

[Doomtomb]

I switched to Spotify and never lookin' back

 

[kas23]

Indy music is just small record labels, it's actually not specific to a particular genre.

Well, I think everyone knows this. But, you cannot deny that mainstream music has a very homogeneous sound, one that is not shared with artists on indie labels. Years ago (10 years ago), mainstream music used to be fairly varied. Not even more. Even Nirvana wouldn't be signed by a major label today.

 

[Mums]

Why can't they be like we were, perfect in every way.
What's the matter with kids these days.

That's off the mark: Better music slipped through the propaganda machine up until the 80s, now it's ALL commercials for societal demise.

 

[bushman4]

As more music streaming becomes available at reasonable prices it's inevitable that people will buy less After all why buy a song if you cAn have tens of thousands at your disposal for ten dollars month.

 

[Mums]

Yup. Jazz in 1920s = Elvis's hip gyrating rock in 1957 = Miley Cyrus's twerking and tounge in 2013. The Beatles were the end of civilization and Rolling Stones were the devil's own prodigy. Every gen has its thing.

98% of all music ever made is bland at best. People who think "their" decade had the best music and it went downhill after are delusional. There is a sliver of good, fresh music each decade. The rest is copycat, uninteresting, or pushes the envelope too far.

That's sound logic but it's ALL copycat now. It's like H&M clothes, except music.

 

[John.B]

Why buy the cow when the milk is free?

It baffles me the way music industry execs act against their own best self-interest, then blame somebody else for their woes. There is no way I would ever allow my music to be streamed on Spotify, certainly not at the current royalty rates.

At least the original assumption with radio airplay was that playing songs would generate record sales, but we know for a fact that Spotify -- by its very nature -- replaces actual music sales (both physical CDs and downloads).

SMH

 

[imcharlie]

Not surprising to me. I am not able to get into the App Store and have tried just about everything without success. I get two error codes, 11222 and -54.I turned security off and still couldn't get in. I can't even get Mavericks on my MacBook Prop 17"

 

[tkermit]

I am not inclined to "dig" for new music to buy. Sadly, because I know there are probably great artists

Yes, there are. And it's become easier than ever to discover them. I have no idea why people are complaining specifically about the kind of music that is most popular, as if that had any bearing whatsoever on the choice of music available to them.

 

[LagunaSol]

I am proud to say that i do not own any of this.

You're missing out with Lorde and Imagine Dragons.

The rest of it: utter rubbish.

 

[macnerd93]

If the "only way you truly enjoy listening to music" is on vinyl, what are you doing with an iPod?

Seriously, though, you've got great taste in music.

thats for size convenience. Its not very practical taking a record player in a car or on a train I don't dislike the iPod or my 5S, but for true Audio enjoyment my valve amp and vinyl cannot be beaten.

 

[SnoFlo]

As more music streaming becomes available at reasonable prices it's inevitable that people will buy less After all why buy a song if you cAn have tens of thousands at your disposal for ten dollars month.

True

 

[N64]

iTunes was always dumb, and Spotify is dumb. CDs are the best. Good quality, low price, and you actually HAVE the music.

 

[LagunaSol]

People who think "their" decade had the best music and it went downhill after are delusional.

There is some truth to that of course, but consider "our" decades didn't have AutoTune. Recording artists had to have at least some talent.

Today you throw a Disney starlet on stage and let the computers do the rest.

 

[N64]

I am proud to say that i do not own any of this.

Good job, me neither.

 

[friedmud]

Music this decade has been terrible and you can only buy so many old artist.

Music this decade has gotten significantly better than the crap from the 90s and 80s!

The whole alternative/indie movement that's gone on over the last few years ( led by great artists like vampire weekend, death cab, Matt and Kim, beck, black keys, cults, fun., grouplove, jack white, Mumford and sons, local natives, lorde, spoon, sleigh bells... I could go on forever) has created an absolute ass-ton of great music. If you think music is crap then you're simply not looking....

I'm in my 30s and every year I'm thinking: "The music this year is better than last year!" Somebody must be doing something right.

 

[anomie]

Music is dead. There are only music products left.

 

[LordQ]

Inevitable as today sucks! (and I'm 23). Most of today's music is for party and just that, music you'd enjoy three months in the club and nothing that will last in the memory of people (remember Gangnam Style? How many of you wish you didn't buy that?)

Speaking for myself, I buy oldies but goodies (Backstreet Boys, Luis Miguel, Queen...) as there's rarely something good this days.

 

[nt5672]

Sunk cost, meaning it costs them nearly nothing. And vinyl is still dead. They'd need to move an order of magnitude (or two) greater to be anything but a niche. But, regardless of how dead the format is.

Nope, vinyl is alive and doing better each year. Why? Well, first of all vinyl sound sucks (it has scratches, limited dynamic range, limited frequency response, wow, and flutter), but you cannot over compress and distort vinyl without it sounding completely unlistenable. So what happens is that the production quality of the music has to be higher for vinyl to be listenable at all and people that listen to vinyl are more likely to appreciate the quality. If they put the same production quality into CD/HD music, vinyl would be dead, dead, dead. But they don't.

Everyone outsources vinyl so there is no sunk cost, plus it is a lot more expensive to make vinyl now than 20 years ago because there is not much volume.