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CD SINGLES – IS THE END NIGH?

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Back in July, we launched ‘The Great CD Singles Debate’ here on auspOp to find out whether you still buy physical CD singles. There was quite a bit of discussion on the topic, with many believing that CD singles COULD survive, depending on how clever the record companies were in compiling the tracklistings. Some people wanted the video clip on every CD single, some wanted remixes and b-sides (like in the ‘good old days’) and some merely wanted more than just two tracks.
Recently, Pink got SonyBMG a No.1 Aussie single with ‘So What’ only after the rush-release of a physical CD single. We reckon that the only thing that’s held Katy Perry off the number one position with her second Aussie single ‘Hot ‘N’ Cold’ is a physical release. And imagine our horror when this week’s Universal Music forthcoming release schedule was unveiled with not ONE CD single on it (eek!). We’ve been told (much to our relief) that the format hasn’t permanently disappeared from Universal’s schedule.
But increasingly these days, it’s the retailers themselves who seem all-too-keen to take the CD singles off their shelves – and who can really blame them when they make so little money on them. With a sell-in price of around $3.60, retailers have sold CD singles at anywhere between $3 (Dick Smith Powerhouse) through $3.99 (JB Hifi) to $4.44 (Big W/Kmart) and $4.99/$5.99 (Sanity/Virgin Megastore). That means that retailers stand to make anywhere between a loss of 60c to a profit of $2.39. Not much.
So we reckon it’s going to come to one word : availability. If something’s not available at a particular store, consumers will simply go somewhere else. In a lot of respects, it’s why retailer JB Hifi has done so well right across the country – by stocking the product (and lots of it) and by employing people who are passionate and knowledgeable about the product they sell. So if your store’s not going to stock the format, go somewhere that will.

Another great auspOp post from www.auspOp.com.au Australia's first stop for pop!

 

Comments

  1. mixman000 says

    If record labels would just put a little effort in then people would go for the CD. What’s the point of spending 4 or 5 bucks for a song and it’s instrumental when you can just purchase the song on it’s on for $1.69? I live in rural NSW with a dial-up internet connection, so iTunes isn’t an option for me (unless i wanna wait 2 days for the track), so there’s more at stake than just the ease of downloads, but the availability of the actual music now. Those with low or no internet connections are the biggest losers here.

  2. Phil says

    I’m all for ditching CD singles as they are a terrible waste for the environment. Thankfully more and more stuff from iTunes (and 7digital) is in DRM-free MP3 320kbps and 256 AAC (iTunes Plus) which I definitely think is a better idea. And particularly in the case of remixes, but for b-sides as well, it means you can just buy the decent ones. I mean, the energy and carbon emissions produced by making these millions of cds and cases – not to mention the loads of plastic they are packed in – is just unacceptable today, not to mention unnecessary.

  3. fabutrash says

    I love the physical CD single. It’s the best quality and I encode my own 320kbs MP3s and store the CDS for safe keeping. iTunes offer the majority of their music at 128kbs and it’s protected, so I’d rather pay more to have better quality sound an something I can hold (seems to be better value). I also enjoy the CDS for the artwork, remixes and B-Sides. I often check JB-HI as their CDS section is always up to date with new releases on the top shelf. I tend to buy more CDS with remixes and B-Sides. I can’t stand CDS with Main and Instrumental, or Main and Extended. PLEASE DON’T TAKE AWAY OUR CDS!!!