I Guess It's Official: The CD is As Dead As The 8 Track, Cassettes & Vinyls - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 07-21-2010, 05:46 PM

If you think the musical compact disc is dying or dead, you're probably younger than it is.

"Show me a teenager buying a Susan Boyle album on CD and I'll show you someone buying a gift for their grandparent -- for Christmas," jokes Billboard senior chart manager and analyst Keith Caulfield. "There is definitely an age component to the consumption of music."

As the music industry as a whole struggles in a down economy and direct download business models like iTunes flourish, the compact disc -- which was commercially introduced in 1982 -- has the appearance of going the way of vinyl.

And contrary to the recent declaration of singer Prince -- who said that the Internet is dead and released his latest CD for free via European newspapers -- there's some evidence that consumers aren't as enamored with ripping the cellophane off that new CD as they once were.

According to data from Nielsen SoundScan, in 2007 CDs accounted for 90 percent of album sales in the United States, with digital accounting for the other 10 percent. Just two years later, that number had shifted to 79 percent CDs and 20 percent digital, with the remaining percentage point being made up of vinyl and other media.

Billboard's Caulfield said that so far this year, about 44 million digital albums have been sold, compared with 40 million during the same time frame last year. But while digital sales have increased slightly, CD sales have dropped from 147 million last year to 114 million this year for the same time period.

Caulfield stops short of speculating on a date when CDs might be phased out, but he does see similarities with the history of other media.

"Vinyl was the predominant configuration from the '50s and the '60s all the way up through the early '80s, and then cassettes became the predominant format from the early-mid '80s to the very early '90s," he said. "Then CDs became the predominant format and cassettes really didn't go away until a few years ago. It's kind of a natural progression, to a degree."

That's not to say that some artists aren't still selling well. Country group Lady Antebellum has so far racked up 2.4 million in album sales -- both CD and digital -- making them the top-selling act so far for 2010. In second place is teen phenom Justin Bieber, with 1.4 million.

"When an artist like a Drake or Eminem sells a bunch of albums, that shows that there are a lot of people that really want to spend money and give money to the artist that they are really, truly a fan of," Caulfield said. "The younger an artist skews in terms of who they appeal to, you'll see a larger share of their album sales tilt towards digital."

One obvious benefit of digital downloads is their ability to scratch an immediate itch. Caulfield observes shows like Fox's "Glee" make songs almost instant hits because "they have already heard and liked the song by the time they download it." Paul Grein, who writes the "Chart Watch" column for Yahoo.com, agrees, seeing hope for the music business in the success of "Glee" and "American Idol," which have helped spike downloads.

Despite the CD's decline, Grein believes the format will be around for the foreseeable future.

"I think it's becoming less of a mass-market item and kind of a niche product that caters to a small but loyal following," he said. "But there are enough cases where we are seeing albums that are selling in big numbers that I think they will be around for a while." Younger-skewing artists, such as singer-rapper Ke$ha, enjoy a larger slice of the digital pie than older-skewing artists such as James Taylor, he says.

Indeed, the format isn't the point, he said. In 100 years, recorded music has gone from cylinders to shellac 78s to vinyl LPs to cassettes, CDs and now digital downloads. Through it all, listeners still crave tunes.

"Music is definitely still in fashion," he said. "It's all around us."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Musi...ex.html?hpt=C2

MickeyMac · 07-21-2010, 06:22 PM

Records are hardly dead. People still buy them and new music still comes out on vinyl even in the so called MP3/Ipod age.

dakert · 07-23-2010, 10:32 PM

I still love Vinyl Lps, 45s. Its kind of funny that I have more records now than in the 1970s

I tried CDs but could never really get into them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

Records are hardly dead. People still buy them and new music still comes out on vinyl even in the so called MP3/Ipod age.

MickeyMac · 07-24-2010, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dakert

I still love Vinyl Lps, 45s. Its kind of funny that I have more records now than in the 1970s

I tried CDs but could never really get into them.

Same here. I'll take a record over a CD anyday.

oldguywithsticks · 07-31-2010, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dakert

I still love Vinyl Lps, 45s. Its kind of funny that I have more records now than in the 1970s

I tried CDs but could never really get into them.

Agree 100%, and I will also take CD's over digital as well.

Dude111 · 12-13-2013, 12:19 AM

Quote:

I Guess It's Official: The CD is As Dead As The 8 Track, Cassettes & Vinyls

8 track (Like cassettes and vinyl) are not dead,have a look

Here is an article about them (Long): http://www.collectorsweekly.com/arti...he-eight-track

MacLeaper · 12-13-2013, 02:12 PM

CDs, cassette tapes, 8 tracks and vinyl records are all still alive and well. (Some are just not nearly as prominent as others- but there are still fans out there certainly.)

MacLeaper · 12-13-2013, 02:13 PM

Quote:

8 track (Like cassettes and vinyl) are not dead,have a look

Excellent 8 track Mueseum!

http://eighttrackmuseum.com/home.html

That is amazing!!!!

Its always wonderful seeing @ least 1 person so interested in a format they are willing to goto extremes like this

I have heard about that- pretty awesome, dude!

JO Sweet Heart · 12-13-2013, 10:30 PM

I most definitely love having my favorite music on CD because it gives me something to ask the singers of the music to sign for me.

God bless you and my favorites always!!!

Holly

Tap Dancer · 12-14-2013, 04:40 PM

I don't download anything. CDs and DVDs for me!

Furienna · 12-14-2013, 04:46 PM

I can still use casettes and VHS, not to mention CD. But I also use MP3, DVD and Spotify.

Dude111 · 12-16-2013, 01:53 PM

Yes my favourite format is ANALOG so I have many Cassettes and VHS (and records)

Analog is beautiful

bliss · 12-24-2013, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tap Dancer

I don't download anything. CDs and DVDs for me!

Same

I love knowing that I own the physical item of my favorite singer/band & movies.

OH Nuts! · 12-25-2013, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tap Dancer

I don't download anything. CDs and DVDs for me!

Same here. But with all the yummy stuff on a You Tube and Vimeo,I hardly buy DVDs or CDs anymore - but I L-O-V-E the ones I have.

Furienna · 12-25-2013, 01:24 AM

YouTube is great, but a lot of stuff is removed due to copyright reasons. And I have some old stuff on VHS, which nobody even has uploaded onto Youtube yet.

07-21-2010, 05:46 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	I Guess It's Official: The CD is As Dead As The 8 Track, Cassettes & Vinyls If you think the musical compact disc is dying or dead, you're probably younger than it is. "Show me a teenager buying a Susan Boyle album on CD and I'll show you someone buying a gift for their grandparent -- for Christmas," jokes Billboard senior chart manager and analyst Keith Caulfield. "There is definitely an age component to the consumption of music." As the music industry as a whole struggles in a down economy and direct download business models like iTunes flourish, the compact disc -- which was commercially introduced in 1982 -- has the appearance of going the way of vinyl. And contrary to the recent declaration of singer Prince -- who said that the Internet is dead and released his latest CD for free via European newspapers -- there's some evidence that consumers aren't as enamored with ripping the cellophane off that new CD as they once were. According to data from Nielsen SoundScan, in 2007 CDs accounted for 90 percent of album sales in the United States, with digital accounting for the other 10 percent. Just two years later, that number had shifted to 79 percent CDs and 20 percent digital, with the remaining percentage point being made up of vinyl and other media. Billboard's Caulfield said that so far this year, about 44 million digital albums have been sold, compared with 40 million during the same time frame last year. But while digital sales have increased slightly, CD sales have dropped from 147 million last year to 114 million this year for the same time period. Caulfield stops short of speculating on a date when CDs might be phased out, but he does see similarities with the history of other media. "Vinyl was the predominant configuration from the '50s and the '60s all the way up through the early '80s, and then cassettes became the predominant format from the early-mid '80s to the very early '90s," he said. "Then CDs became the predominant format and cassettes really didn't go away until a few years ago. It's kind of a natural progression, to a degree." That's not to say that some artists aren't still selling well. Country group Lady Antebellum has so far racked up 2.4 million in album sales -- both CD and digital -- making them the top-selling act so far for 2010. In second place is teen phenom Justin Bieber, with 1.4 million. "When an artist like a Drake or Eminem sells a bunch of albums, that shows that there are a lot of people that really want to spend money and give money to the artist that they are really, truly a fan of," Caulfield said. "The younger an artist skews in terms of who they appeal to, you'll see a larger share of their album sales tilt towards digital." One obvious benefit of digital downloads is their ability to scratch an immediate itch. Caulfield observes shows like Fox's "Glee" make songs almost instant hits because "they have already heard and liked the song by the time they download it." Paul Grein, who writes the "Chart Watch" column for Yahoo.com, agrees, seeing hope for the music business in the success of "Glee" and "American Idol," which have helped spike downloads. Despite the CD's decline, Grein believes the format will be around for the foreseeable future. "I think it's becoming less of a mass-market item and kind of a niche product that caters to a small but loyal following," he said. "But there are enough cases where we are seeing albums that are selling in big numbers that I think they will be around for a while." Younger-skewing artists, such as singer-rapper Ke$ha, enjoy a larger slice of the digital pie than older-skewing artists such as James Taylor, he says. Indeed, the format isn't the point, he said. In 100 years, recorded music has gone from cylinders to shellac 78s to vinyl LPs to cassettes, CDs and now digital downloads. Through it all, listeners still crave tunes. "Music is definitely still in fashion," he said. "It's all around us." http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Musi...ex.html?hpt=C2 Attached Images
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12-13-2013, 02:12 PM	#7
MacLeaper Child of the 80s Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 20, 2001 Posts: 3,359	CDs, cassette tapes, 8 tracks and vinyl records are all still alive and well. (Some are just not nearly as prominent as others- but there are still fans out there certainly.)
	__________________ "Oh boy!" - Dr. Sam Beckett "You can do anything you wanna do if you put your mind to it." - MacGyver "Have mercy!" - Uncle Jesse "Ha, I kill me!" - ALF "I am The Way, The Truth and The Life. No man comes to The Father but by Me."- Jesus Christ (John 14:6)

12-13-2013, 10:30 PM	#9
JO Sweet Heart Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 11, 2012 Location: East Tennessee Posts: 7,847	I most definitely love having my favorite music on CD because it gives me something to ask the singers of the music to sign for me. God bless you and my favorites always!!! Holly
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07-21-2010, 06:22 PM	#2
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,004	Records are hardly dead. People still buy them and new music still comes out on vinyl even in the so called MP3/Ipod age.

12-14-2013, 04:40 PM	#10
Tap Dancer Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 20, 2005 Location: Virginia Posts: 754	I don't download anything. CDs and DVDs for me!

12-14-2013, 04:46 PM	#11
Furienna Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 22, 2006 Location: Örnsköldsvik, Sweden Posts: 6,277	I can still use casettes and VHS, not to mention CD. But I also use MP3, DVD and Spotify.

12-16-2013, 01:53 PM	#12
Dude111 Forum Legend Join Date: Nov 05, 2013 Posts: 35,899	Yes my favourite format is ANALOG so I have many Cassettes and VHS (and records) Analog is beautiful

12-25-2013, 01:24 AM	#15
Furienna Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 22, 2006 Location: Örnsköldsvik, Sweden Posts: 6,277	YouTube is great, but a lot of stuff is removed due to copyright reasons. And I have some old stuff on VHS, which nobody even has uploaded onto Youtube yet.