The RIAA sees the face of evil, and it's a 12-year-old girl...

[Chewbacca]

Originally posted by Faceman: Now people go easy on Chewbacca. It's not his fault the RIAA is sueing a 12-year old He lost his job and that is bad enough. Why his store went down I can't say. But I can't blame him for being mad at people who get for free what he used to sell and then sticking it to him.

Thanks for the kind words. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Specifically my stores and many others went down because:

a.) 25-40% decline in core business... ie. CDs

b.) Rent that continues to go up, while sales are down for all retailers facing a tough economy.

c.) Record lables that seriously cut back price and position advertising dollars and were inflexible on lowering the wholesale prices on CDs until just recently. Also the big label's business stragedy that involves losing money on 85% (up and coming unknown acts) of the artists they sign with the hope that the other 15% (established "brand named") artists will make it up. Finally the big label's gobbling up any smaller indie label that would be in a position to offer CDs at a reasonable price. They either buy them out or stick huge distribution costs to them, forcing them to raise prices to meet costs.

d.) Big box retailer like Best Buy or Walmart that sell CDs at a loss with the idea that they will make it up with the plethora of other profitable items they sell.

e.) A percieved lack of quality CD offerings, though percieved lack of quality hasnt stopped people from stealing to music for free on the net.

[Chewbacca]

Originally posted by Luvian: I sympathize with you on your problems, but what proof do you have this loss is related to piracy, and not to people getting fed up with the high prices and other abuses by the music industry? Just look in this thread for example. Almost everyone, including people against piracy, said they are tired of the music industry and it's abuse and are buying less. Don't you think the music industry is blaming piracy for it just an excuse to cover up the fact that people are tired of the crap and buying less? And what do you think of my latest post, which explain the point of view of digital pirates?

The proof is in the demographics. Rap music for example is a huge growth genre, but rap CD sales are down the most, 40%. Why? Filesharing, Piracy, and bootlegging. Same with rock. The only shining light we had in the last two years was the return of adult contemparary the only genre that had marginal gains. The AC demographic are far less likley to fileswap as say the tween or college demographic.

It is a fine arguement that people weren't gonna buy it anyway, but if that was the case then the sales of CDs to the primary demographic of file-sharers (teenage-young adult) would not have dropped like a lead weight. If sales had marginally slipped across all demographics it would be a different story perhaps. Besides CD prices have been basically high for many years, but only the proliferation of filesharing and bootlegging via CD burning in the last few years saw a massive catastrophic drop in sales.

[ 09-10-2003, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

[Luvian]

Originally posted by Chewbacca: quote: Originally posted by Luvian: I sympathize with you on your problems, but what proof do you have this loss is related to piracy, and not to people getting fed up with the high prices and other abuses by the music industry? Just look in this thread for example. Almost everyone, including people against piracy, said they are tired of the music industry and it's abuse and are buying less. Don't you think the music industry is blaming piracy for it just an excuse to cover up the fact that people are tired of the crap and buying less? And what do you think of my latest post, which explain the point of view of digital pirates?

The proof is in the demographics. Rap music for example is a huge growth genre, but rap CD sales are down the most, 40%. Why? Filesharing, Piracy, and bootlegging. Same with rock. The only shining light we had in the last two years was the return of adult contemparary the only genre that had marginal gains. The AC demographic are far less likley to fileswap as say the tween or college demographic.

It is a fine arguement that people weren't gonna buy it anyway, but if that was the case then the sales of CDs to the primary demographic of file-sharers (teenage-young adult) would not have dropped like a lead weight. If sales had marginally slipped across all demographics it would be a different story perhaps. Besides CD prices have been basically high for many years, but only the proliferation of filesharing and bootlegging via CD burning in the last few years saw a massive catastrophic drop in sales. [/QUOTE]That's still not a proof. Maybe teenagers are the one to be the most fed up with the music industry. It certainly fit the profile, as they are usually the one quickest to rebel against authority. Just because a genre is popular dosn't mean people are going to buy it more. I prefer some genre over others, and I still buy no music at all.

[Chewbacca]

Comparative sales figures are proof and are more proof than what you are offering. Also some very detailed industry inside exit polls also back this up.
Not to mention the the amazing coincidence between the massive drop in sales and the proliferation of file-swapping and bootlegging.

Sorry that I dont have any exact statistics handy, Luvian. If I find something concrete besides my own 5+ years expirience in the retail music business and countless conference calls on how and why our sales were dropping, I'll post them.

[Chewbacca]

I must add that file-sharing isn' the sole reason for the decline in CD sales, but to imply it hasnt negatively impacted sales a meaningful way is bit naive in my opinion. I used to think that file-sharing might actually help CD sales as people could try before they buy, but the facts haven't materialized to support such an idea...yet.

[Timber Loftis]

Luvian, you need a decent used CD store. Works for me.

[WillowIX]

Originally posted by andrewas: Does anyone have any data on how much of the price rise is due to piracy and how much is caused by sheer greed? I looked a while ago, but most of what I found was either RIAA propoganda or flat out denial of the problem.

Well I have one fact for you. Download of music has not decreased one bit but yet Universal is able toLOWER their prices with $6! So I would say the prices are 100% pure greed!

Anyway, RIAA is as power hungry as any other organisation out there. I doubt they think about anything but covering their own expences and putting some extra money in their own pockets. This latest action will only lower the reputation of the music industry further. It won't matter that they lower prices, if they keep this up they'll lose all their money permanently. It's still a wonder that they haven't taken advantage of the file sharing possibilities.

[Timber Loftis]

If you lower prices by $6 but sell a lot more records, you have made less on each one but made an overall better profit. It's not at all obvious that lowering by $6 means they were making money. They may be lowering prices due to the fact they were losing money. CDs sitting on shelves don't make money unless they're purchased.

RIAA asserts that out of all music only 15% makes any profit -- and the 15% props up RIAA's ability to put out a diverse range of music that is unprofitable.

Hmmmm... I think I'm the only one angered by the criminal prosecutors pursuing RIAA cases. :dontkonwaboutyou:

[Beaumanoir]

Originally posted by The Hierophant: boo hoo. Go get a different job. The sooner the music 'industry' decays and musicians are forced to back to singing for their supper (myself included) instead of living 'the rocktar lifestyle' the better. For the most part, the 'industry' serves to employ vampiric parasites who have nothing to do with musicianship at all. Hangers-on like retailers, promoters, marchandisers, and advertisers should never have been given the chance to form their racket the way they have done over the past 50 odd years in the first place. The sooner they die out the better.

I'm agreeing with Hierophant. All these so called musicians say "Its all about the music" when it obviously isnt! If it was they wouldnt care about the money! I am a musician myself and although me and my band would not deny fame and fortune, we wouldnt bitch and moan about it!

[Rokenn]

Originally posted by Chewbacca: So go ahead ya'll and boo hoo me all you want, BRING EM ON!!! When your ship goes down I will try not to gloat.

Chewie, may I suggest you start ripping their arms off and beating them over the head with it They might garner a clue that way [img]graemlins/laugh2.gif[/img]

Oh and I cracked up last night playing KOTOR(Knights of the Old Republic) when one of the characters spouted the line in your sig [img]smile.gif[/img]