Future of EMI Classics and Virgin Classics

[teamsaint]

Since this has in part turned into a discussion about downloads/Cds.....
I am not convinced about the death of the CD, unless it is replaced by another physical format.

Technology has meant that shorter print runs for physical media have , (and will continue to) come down in price. Amazon's " autorip" policy is one that book publishers are beginning to use or mimic, and I suspect that the future, though looking rather different , will give people what they want, not least as markets will continue to be tough.

FWIW, and based on some publishing industry experience, I suspect that in the future we will see most new releases on the "autorip" format, not least because it offers "added value".
we will continue to see some reissues on CD, especially the bigger names, and that popular discs will tend to stay available , although at premium price.
Downloads will continue to increasingly penetrate the market for back list product, but that we will also see much improved (and increasingly standardised) packages for downloads, with improved customer experience. Downloading is a young and developing technique, and record companies need to exploit their core markets.

[KipperKid]

Since this has in part turned into a discussion about downloads/Cds.....
I am not convinced about the death of the CD, unless it is replaced by another physical format.

Technology has meant that shorter print runs for physical media have , (and will continue to) come down in price. Amazon's " autorip" policy is one that book publishers are beginning to use or mimic, and I suspect that the future, though looking rather different , will give people what they want, not least as markets will continue to be tough.

FWIW, and based on some publishing industry experience, I suspect that in the future we will see most new releases on the "autorip" format, not least because it offers "added value".
we will continue to see some reissues on CD, especially the bigger names, and that popular discs will tend to stay available , although at premium price.
Downloads will continue to increasingly penetrate the market for back list product, but that we will also see much improved (and increasingly standardised) packages for downloads, with improved customer experience. Downloading is a young and developing technique, and record companies need to exploit their core markets.

ts, is this the sort of stuff that you discuss on all those sales 'away days' that you seem to always be going on?

[teamsaint]

ts, is this the sort of stuff that you discuss on all those sales 'away days' that you seem to always be going on?

no, when we go on those , we just make stuff up, and throw in a little jargon that the bosses haven't caught onto yet.

OTOH, that post #16 is genuine 29 carat gold, so invest as you see fit on that basis !


(and don't mention Wickham, they think I am on a 2 day sales trip to the Isle of Wight at the end of the week !!)

[KipperKid]

no, when we go on those , we just make stuff up, and throw in a little jargon that the bosses haven't caught onto yet.

OTOH, that post #16 is genuine 29 carat gold, so invest as you see fit on that basis !


(and don't mention Wickham, they think I am on a 2 day sales trip to the Isle of Wight at the end of the week !!)

They know what you're up to ts, they just humour you back at base.

[teamsaint]

They know what you're up to ts, they just humour you back at base.

Oh I am worth it, KK, you know it !!
I sell BIG piles of books !!!!!

anyway, back to the topic........

[KipperKid]

Oh I am worth it, KK, you know it !!
I sell BIG piles of books !!!!!

Of course.

It doesn't matter whether it's books or whatever, so long as you are doing your bit to keep the wheels of entrepreneurial capitalism turning, who cares?

You'll get full support from all the sandal-wearing socialists in here, especially MrGongGong.

[richardfinegold]

Since this has in part turned into a discussion about downloads/Cds.....
I am not convinced about the death of the CD, unless it is replaced by another physical format.

Technology has meant that shorter print runs for physical media have , (and will continue to) come down in price. Amazon's " autorip" policy is one that book publishers are beginning to use or mimic, and I suspect that the future, though looking rather different , will give people what they want, not least as markets will continue to be tough.

FWIW, and based on some publishing industry experience, I suspect that in the future we will see most new releases on the "autorip" format, not least because it offers "added value".
we will continue to see some reissues on CD, especially the bigger names, and that popular discs will tend to stay available , although at premium price.
Downloads will continue to increasingly penetrate the market for back list product, but that we will also see much improved (and increasingly standardised) packages for downloads, with improved customer experience. Downloading is a young and developing technique, and record companies need to exploit their core markets.

I think that you have it a bit backwards, TS. There is a residual customer base for CDs. The major artists are being offered at cut rate prices, often with improved remastering. It has never been a better time to purchase CDs (although since the bricks and mortar stores have gone it will be on line purchases only).
Downloads of the back catalog will be offered in two formats: cheap low quality mp 3 and expensive, high bandwidth/high resolution versions. Many people--and not just old fogeys--are resistant to computer technology in their leisure pursuits and the aforementioned residual market for CDs will stabilize and not be choked off by the cds that are burned from acquired downloads.
The vinyl analogies mentioned by other posters are interesting, but they don't necessarily apply here. Pressing plants for vinyl were and remain expensive propositions. The product that resulted was frequently quite poor, had limited playing time, degraded easily and quite audibly with repeated use, and took up more space. Vinyl replay also is much more troubled by hum and ground loops than digital replay Many consumers, myself included, were thrilled when CDs replaced them.
CD technology has become rather cheap. Basically Amazon burns them to a disc from a hard drive the same way anyone with a home computer does. And despite the inroads that downloads have made, I think that people are less dissatisfied with CD technology than they were with lps.
I think downloads (low and high rez), CDs, and lps will all be available going forward

[teamsaint]

I think that you have it a bit backwards, TS. There is a residual customer base for CDs. The major artists are being offered at cut rate prices, often with improved remastering. It has never been a better time to purchase CDs (although since the bricks and mortar stores have gone it will be on line purchases only).
Downloads of the back catalog will be offered in two formats: cheap low quality mp 3 and expensive, high bandwidth/high resolution versions. Many people--and not just old fogeys--are resistant to computer technology in their leisure pursuits and the aforementioned residual market for CDs will stabilize and not be choked off by the cds that are burned from acquired downloads.
The vinyl analogies mentioned by other posters are interesting, but they don't necessarily apply here. Pressing plants for vinyl were and remain expensive propositions. The product that resulted was frequently quite poor, had limited playing time, degraded easily and quite audibly with repeated use, and took up more space. Vinyl replay also is much more troubled by hum and ground loops than digital replay Many consumers, myself included, were thrilled when CDs replaced them.
CD technology has become rather cheap. Basically Amazon burns them to a disc from a hard drive the same way anyone with a home computer does. And despite the inroads that downloads have made, I think that people are less dissatisfied with CD technology than they were with lps.
I think downloads (low and high rez), CDs, and lps will all be available going forward

RF, I expect that you may be right about 2 qualities for downloads, . That is the sort of thing that I meant about better packages for download customers.
I still feel that over time, CDs will tend, (although there may be widescale exceptions) to be a premium purchase while downloads, (as we are starting to see) become the (free) add on, or a cheap alternative.
Not quite sure what it is I have backwards, but we agree that the future will likely involve a strong presence for physical product I think.

[KipperKid]

RF, I expect that you may be right about 2 qualities for downloads, . That is the sort of thing that I meant about better packages for download customers.
I still feel that over time, CDs will tend, (although there may be widescale exceptions) to be a premium purchase while downloads, (as we are starting to see) become the (free) add on, or a cheap alternative.
Not quite sure what it is I have backwards, but we agree that the future will likely involve a strong presence for physical product I think.

In other forums, I read a lot of posts that say something like 'great music, but I can only find it on CD - does anyone know where I can download it'. And before you ask ts, this is the only forum I've ever got into trouble with the mods (being a rocker meself).

[teamsaint]

In other forums, I read a lot of posts that say something like 'great music, but I can only find it on CD - does anyone know where I can download it'. And before you ask ts, this is the only forum I've ever got into trouble with the mods (being a rocker meself).

No future for the CD then, KK?

perhaps the other forums need a Mod Revival, like 1979 !!

[KipperKid]

No future for the CD then, KK?

perhaps the other forums need a Mod Revival, like 1979 !!

Don't know. They are cheap to produce and there's still quite a few people that like them.

Apple PCs, laptops and notebooks etc, tend to come without a CD/DVD mechanism (and they should know about the future).

P.S. that Mod Revival of '79 was fun

[teamsaint]

Don't know. They are cheap to produce and there's still quite a few people that like them.

Apple PCs, laptops and notebooks etc, tend to come without a CD/DVD mechanism (and they should know about the future).

P.S. that Mod Revival of '79 was fun

Time for Action !!

True about CD drives, but you can buy USB plug ins for peanuts, apparently.

[KipperKid]

Time for Action !!

True about CD drives, but you can buy USB plug ins for peanuts, apparently.

Why would you want to plug a USB into a peanut?

[verismissimo]

Some light on the original post, from Norman Lebrecht on Friday:

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2013/07/a-refuge-for-emi-artists-you-read-it-here-first.html

[teamsaint]

Why would you want to plug a USB into a peanut?

to copy seedys, of course.