Re: [ARSCLIST] CD versus Download was "All hail the analogue revolution..."

[Don Cox <doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 27/09/06, Tom Fine wrote:
> Hi Don:
> 
> I don't know how many times I've said this, but I will one more. NICHE
> PLAYERS can and do keep going profitably. But they own a tiny
> percentage of the back catalog in this world. I'm guessing that Naxos
> sells fewer total copies in a year -- of all their products -- than
> one Billboard top-100 release.

Naxos have 3000 titles on sale, and reckon to press around 25000 of
each. I guess that amounts to sales of several million discs a year.

But sure, interesting music is a niche. Everything is a niche. Sales of
chocolate chip cookies and pizzas greatly outnumber sales of top-100
CDs.

For an archivist, the releases with small sales are more important than
the big sellers. If a disc sells several million copies, there is no
urgent need to preserve it.

Conservationists concentrate on Giant Pandas rather than house mice.

>  They are set up with a business model
> where small quantities work. It's been ever thus with small labels.
> But, again, as I said many times, most of the back catalog in this
> world is owned by 5 major mega-glomerates and small quantities fit
> their business model now less than ever.

Which is why they are doomed.

Regards
-- 
Don Cox
doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx