The question is still out: will iTunes kill the CD?

In my previous post, I’ve mentioned the convenience of buying only the mp3 files of songs you like through music retailers like iTunes. But that convenience refers to the buyers/music listener’s point of view. What what does mean from the music producers, artists and CD album seller’s side?

One time manager of Pink Floyd, Sincere Management’s Pete Jenner slammed iTunes for its effect on album sales. I couldn’t really blame him.

MP3’s are great in a way that they users can transport a really large music collection in smaller packages. CD’s have a manufacturing and distribution cost that downloads don’t. So it’s obvious that more and more people buy/download songs in digital version than buying physical records for budget practicality. With the fall of big music retailer stores like Tower Records, who entered bankruptcy protection in 2004, HMV closing all its US stores and Virgin Megastores reporting increasing losses year after year, it’s clear that the trend in the music industry is changing. Online music retailers help consumers find music they like and then make purchase decisions from there.

Some people still purchase CD’s for various reasons: supporting the artist, loving the feeling of opening a new package, looking at the CD cover design, reading through the liners or singing with the printed lyrics. Some buy CD’s because they don’t like the download craze and feel it’s impersonal. But the convenience of buying from iTunes is indisputable, unless we start with the argument that the quality of music is different, that the ones in pressed CD’s are better, then it’s a different story. I don’t see or for this matter, hear the difference. Maybe there is but it’s too slight for me to notice.

But hey, my ears and yours are different.

Of course, there’s perfectly nothing wrong with purchasing CD’s, I still do! In fact, I just bought two CD albums yesterday. The thing I’m glad is, we now have flexibility over our music purchase. If consumers want only one song from a particular album, they can download it from iTunes, if they want a physical CD, they can buy a physical CD.

The question, “Will iTunes kill the sale of CD’s?” almost sound like someone from the early 20th century asking, “Will automobiles kill the sale of horses?”.  It’s the 21st century, everything is moving up and fast. It would hurt a little but the CD’s had a good 28 year run so it’s not surprising if they will totally disappear from the stores one day.
Do you still buy CD albums? Why and why not?

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