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Just found this over in the news section at XFM's site:
While the media gets into a list heavy lather over the 50th anniversary of the singles chart, its reported that singles sales in the UK have actually slumped to their lowest point for nearly 10 years.
A spate of recently published ‘all time greatest’ lists have been informing us what the biggest selling single was (Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind’) what the critics favourite single’ is ('Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division according to the Nme) even what the ‘best’ number 2 single was (The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’).
What has only just been announced is that the singles market is in serious decline. According to trade body The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) just over 12 million singles were sold between July and September this year - the lowest total for that period since quarterly figures were first collated in 1976.
Although 53.8 million singles were bought over the last year, that’s still 9 million less than 2001, and 16.9 million less than the year before. Big recent sales from pop acts Kylie Minogue and Gareth Bloody Gates (who had the biggest-selling single of the last three months) have not been enough to bolster the waning market.
However, thanks to (Xfm-esque) acts like Oasis and Coldplay, album sales continue to rise annually and are up almost 2% in the last year. QED, we rock.
- - - - - - - -
It seems to me that maybe people are starting to get fed up with all the manufactured rubbish out there. But no doubt the record companies will blame all the people who swap files over the internet.
Thoughts?
While the media gets into a list heavy lather over the 50th anniversary of the singles chart, its reported that singles sales in the UK have actually slumped to their lowest point for nearly 10 years.
A spate of recently published ‘all time greatest’ lists have been informing us what the biggest selling single was (Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind’) what the critics favourite single’ is ('Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division according to the Nme) even what the ‘best’ number 2 single was (The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’).
What has only just been announced is that the singles market is in serious decline. According to trade body The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) just over 12 million singles were sold between July and September this year - the lowest total for that period since quarterly figures were first collated in 1976.
Although 53.8 million singles were bought over the last year, that’s still 9 million less than 2001, and 16.9 million less than the year before. Big recent sales from pop acts Kylie Minogue and Gareth Bloody Gates (who had the biggest-selling single of the last three months) have not been enough to bolster the waning market.
However, thanks to (Xfm-esque) acts like Oasis and Coldplay, album sales continue to rise annually and are up almost 2% in the last year. QED, we rock.
- - - - - - - -
It seems to me that maybe people are starting to get fed up with all the manufactured rubbish out there. But no doubt the record companies will blame all the people who swap files over the internet.
Thoughts?
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Just found this over in the news section at XFM's site:
While the media gets into a list heavy lather over the 50th anniversary of the singles chart, its reported that singles sales in the UK have actually slumped to their lowest point for nearly 10 years.
A spate of recently published ‘all time greatest’ lists have been informing us what the biggest selling single was (Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind’) what the critics favourite single’ is ('Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division according to the Nme) even what the ‘best’ number 2 single was (The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’).
What has only just been announced is that the singles market is in serious decline. According to trade body The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) just over 12 million singles were sold between July and September this year - the lowest total for that period since quarterly figures were first collated in 1976.
Although 53.8 million singles were bought over the last year, that’s still 9 million less than 2001, and 16.9 million less than the year before. Big recent sales from pop acts Kylie Minogue and Gareth Bloody Gates (who had the biggest-selling single of the last three months) have not been enough to bolster the waning market.
However, thanks to (Xfm-esque) acts like Oasis and Coldplay, album sales continue to rise annually and are up almost 2% in the last year. QED, we rock.
- - - - - - - -
It seems to me that maybe people are starting to get fed up with all the manufactured rubbish out there. But no doubt the record companies will blame all the people who swap files over the internet.
Thoughts?
While the media gets into a list heavy lather over the 50th anniversary of the singles chart, its reported that singles sales in the UK have actually slumped to their lowest point for nearly 10 years.
A spate of recently published ‘all time greatest’ lists have been informing us what the biggest selling single was (Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind’) what the critics favourite single’ is ('Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division according to the Nme) even what the ‘best’ number 2 single was (The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’).
What has only just been announced is that the singles market is in serious decline. According to trade body The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) just over 12 million singles were sold between July and September this year - the lowest total for that period since quarterly figures were first collated in 1976.
Although 53.8 million singles were bought over the last year, that’s still 9 million less than 2001, and 16.9 million less than the year before. Big recent sales from pop acts Kylie Minogue and Gareth Bloody Gates (who had the biggest-selling single of the last three months) have not been enough to bolster the waning market.
However, thanks to (Xfm-esque) acts like Oasis and Coldplay, album sales continue to rise annually and are up almost 2% in the last year. QED, we rock.
- - - - - - - -
It seems to me that maybe people are starting to get fed up with all the manufactured rubbish out there. But no doubt the record companies will blame all the people who swap files over the internet.
Thoughts?
You've nailed it there YH.
File sharing is not to blame for loss of sales.
It's labels presenting us with 15 CDs all with identikit songs on, sung by no-personalities that exist merely to "shift units".
There's a place for pop music, just as there's a place for boy/girl bands. However, when you saturate the market then people get bored of it and stop.
The old adage "I like chips but I wouldnt want them every day" holds true.
The trouble is, a band breaks through and sells. The labels all then jump onboard and scurry to sign up 15 soundalikes, flood the market for the 2 months that style is popular and then whinge when nobody bothers to buy their product.
Wheras file sharing allows you to take the risk of listening to something you may never have heard of before. Thanks to Napster, I discovered (and subsequently bought CDs by) Gillian Welch, Lynyrd Skyrnyd, The Streets, Queens of The Stone Age, The Bellrays.
All bands I would never have bothered with because their stuff isn't played on radio, therefore we're not aware of them and they dont make it.
It's a self-fulfilling cycle.
Gareth Gates is on Radio 1 playlist. Therefore he sells albums. He sells albums, therefore is on Radio 1 playlist.
I think, with the advent of the internet and file sharing, it levels the playing field a lot more. We dont have to wait for Epic/Parlaphone/Warner to decide what bands we should buy this week, we can go out and find for ourselves.
Removing the power of major labels, to an extent. So they cry "Napster! Death of music!" and try to prevent us listening to what we want, instead of what they sell us and tell us we want.
File sharing is not to blame for loss of sales.
It's labels presenting us with 15 CDs all with identikit songs on, sung by no-personalities that exist merely to "shift units".
There's a place for pop music, just as there's a place for boy/girl bands. However, when you saturate the market then people get bored of it and stop.
The old adage "I like chips but I wouldnt want them every day" holds true.
The trouble is, a band breaks through and sells. The labels all then jump onboard and scurry to sign up 15 soundalikes, flood the market for the 2 months that style is popular and then whinge when nobody bothers to buy their product.
Wheras file sharing allows you to take the risk of listening to something you may never have heard of before. Thanks to Napster, I discovered (and subsequently bought CDs by) Gillian Welch, Lynyrd Skyrnyd, The Streets, Queens of The Stone Age, The Bellrays.
All bands I would never have bothered with because their stuff isn't played on radio, therefore we're not aware of them and they dont make it.
It's a self-fulfilling cycle.
Gareth Gates is on Radio 1 playlist. Therefore he sells albums. He sells albums, therefore is on Radio 1 playlist.
I think, with the advent of the internet and file sharing, it levels the playing field a lot more. We dont have to wait for Epic/Parlaphone/Warner to decide what bands we should buy this week, we can go out and find for ourselves.
Removing the power of major labels, to an extent. So they cry "Napster! Death of music!" and try to prevent us listening to what we want, instead of what they sell us and tell us we want.
I agree with you completely.
I heard so much music that I would never have gone out and bought, because of file sharing. New artists, and in some cases, whole new genres that were just closed doors to me, because I never had chance to hear them before.
If I ever become a radio DJ, I would play the best damn selection of music ever heard.
I heard so much music that I would never have gone out and bought, because of file sharing. New artists, and in some cases, whole new genres that were just closed doors to me, because I never had chance to hear them before.
If I ever become a radio DJ, I would play the best damn selection of music ever heard.
The only people who buy singles are all the silly little Westlife girl fans etc.
There may also be the occasional mid 20/30s music fan who buys the new Oasis single etc
And then there's people like me... who the only time they buy a single is to hear b-sides of their favourite band.
---
Anyone who likes 'real' music buys albums.
There may also be the occasional mid 20/30s music fan who buys the new Oasis single etc
And then there's people like me... who the only time they buy a single is to hear b-sides of their favourite band.
---
Anyone who likes 'real' music buys albums.
No, filesharing hasn't caused a decline in singles sales at all.
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!
I've bought many albums this year, I wouldn't have got about half of those if I hadn't downloaded some songs off it to see what it was like.
Yes, very noble of you. But worldwide, nobility is in short supply, and while you are content "sampling" music with P2P software, much of the rest of the world uses it to build huge libraries of music at the cost of only the CD's they burn it on, and their connection fees.
File sharing is costing the industry hundreds of millions. I do admit though, that it is not the only cause for the decline in the industry.
File sharing is costing the industry hundreds of millions. I do admit though, that it is not the only cause for the decline in the industry.
I don't know about anyone else but I actually like to own the original CD... not sure why but I do. That'll probably change when I'm a dirty student with no money.
Let's put it like this, I know a couple of people who fileshare, and don't go out to buy the album once they've "sampled" a coupled of tracks.
However, I know loads of people who buy CD's, take them home to copy them, then take them back to the shop and say "I bought it for a mate for their birthday, but they've already got it. Can I have my money back?"
Knowing full well that they'll get a refund, and get to keep the music.
However, I know loads of people who buy CD's, take them home to copy them, then take them back to the shop and say "I bought it for a mate for their birthday, but they've already got it. Can I have my money back?"
Knowing full well that they'll get a refund, and get to keep the music.
I think the unit cost plays a big factor. I buy new albums from places like Comet for £9.99 so why should I bother buying a CD single for £3.99?
It was only a few years ago that the vast majority of singles were half the price they are now.
HMV are evil (I know some may say it's a bit unfair but I'd like to suggest that they are held responsible for every single injustice in the modern world). There are others to blame, obviously, but I have a long standing loathing of this particular retail chain.
It was only a few years ago that the vast majority of singles were half the price they are now.
HMV are evil (I know some may say it's a bit unfair but I'd like to suggest that they are held responsible for every single injustice in the modern world). There are others to blame, obviously, but I have a long standing loathing of this particular retail chain.
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