Problematic Trends In The Record Industry
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2023
- Welcome to another Sound Exchange Session episode featuring my co-host Anthony. For this episode we will be discussing Problematic Trends In The Record Industry.
Related video:
Record Stores And The Cost Of Rising Prices
• Record Stores And The ...
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On the west coast, high demand used CDs run around $9 or $10. If you get a new CD on release, yes you can get a sale. But new titles are skimping on packaging as most come in those horrible digi-wallets, which are basically thin cardboard envelopes that scratch the disc when remove the CD.
The industry will never learn. By the year 2000 retail stores were selling CD's for $16 - $20. In 2002 the Napster/online download thing exploded. By 2007 stores started closing down & record companies were laying off 20% -30% of their workforce.
At times like these I'm so glad I prefer CDs. In some cases I can get 3 CDs for the price of 1 vinyl.
Very true that's what I've started to do
Aloha Brendon,
Excellent topic.
These greedy price Gouging companies , will never learn. I'm 67 years old, been buying New & Used record albums since the early 1970's when I was in High School .
I recall when Elton John's new released started the trend of a new price increase.
Then the disco era hit & record sales drop tremendously. Then Cassette tapes got popular, which save the music industry. Then in the 1980's Cd's revived the music 🎶 market, but these Cd's weren't cheap they were being priced at $18.99 digital. Then the younger generation wanted affordable music, then streaming started then the music industry sank. Sad to say, if these so called greedy companies don't stop taken advantage of the younger generation of music listeners.
The Industry might fall again.
Here in Honolulu Hawaii, we had at least 7 independent music shops in the early 1980's, today we have (1) Major independent (RSD) Music Store. we do have 2 other small one's which one of them do participate in (RSD) on a smaller scale. Because of this I purchased a lot from Amazon & other companies abroad if the shipping is feasible.
I will keep on collecting because I enjoy it , but majority are listeners not collectors like my self & are buying Vinyl or Cd's for the nostalgia & these are the ones in my opinion is keeping this music industry going. So these industry greedy
companies better be prepared when these listeners start getting tired of the price increases of a physical format & they will start selling off their collections, & cheap Phongraph , which I see a lot more of here in Honolulu. Because it's a fad for the young ones, some will stick with it, but majority will move on to something else.
The sad part is the independent record stores will suffer 😪....
I hope your video will reach some of those greedy companies. So they will know what can happen, history sad to say always repeats it's self. We never learn....
Thanks again Brandon.
Looking forward to another video soon.
Mahalo Ed
Superb, thoroughly engrossing discussion. Thank you.
You’re welcome Mark! We’re glad you enjoyed the discussion.
I avoid the ridiculous cost of vinyl by not buying vinyl. CDs are the way to. Cheap, better quality, no cleaning. I've NEVER understood the vinyl resurgance.
Neither me. I think CDs are amazing too. Vinyl lovers always come back with bigger artwork and their ‘warmer’ sound and audiophile claims; but I think vinyl is a rip off and a massive money/time sink (cost/maintenance/condition risk).
I think CDs sound better as well, I have 11,000 +.
CD prices are rising, too! For exmple 72 seasons by Metallica 24€/25,67$!
Sold my vinyl collection 20 years ago for the cd format. Have never looked back.
I am collecting cds since 30 years ago and I do still love them.. but I do not buy much now because I think I own almost what I want... cd has always been the way to go and you can find almost all releases from a singer/band. Difficult to get all that stuff on vinyl.
This was fun, guys! I love how people called, came by.
I drew a line at 20 USD/LP years ago, and I am sticking to it. I can do it, because I'm not a vinyl fetishist, CDs are just as good for me.
I talked to a record store owner here in Hungary a few weeks ago about prices. The lady told me that there are buyers like me, who are very conscious about prices, because for us CDs, records, cassettes are about the music. We love to explore, cover wide ranges. Even if you are a metal only or jazz only fan, you can cover a wide range. And then there are those who zero in on their favorite band and they don't care how much it costs, because the collection they are heading for is limited. The LPs are just a bit more than decorations, displayable trophies. Hell, I know a guy who has to own every color variant of the Depeche Mode albums! I'm not saying that these people are fools, their drive is different. Metallica is typically the band that has fans like that. But unfortunately I suspect that it is them who the record companies can rely on, when it comes to working the money-suction machinery.
You're right about some who need every varient... and that is a puzzle to me. I can see wanting to have the original pressing, if you have owned it. And then getting a remastered or half speed. It's about the listening experience at that point. But to get the white, swirl, red, Newbury Comics, Target and however many stores will put their spin on it. Get it... spin 😆 that takes a lot of cash 💸 💰 invested. And I believe they will not open possibly any. I know those people. Believe me. It's wild. I buy my records to listen to. Now I will admit that I have a few saved. But I have a Michael Jackson lp, I've seen selling for over $200... and I love to listen to it. Their's a Morrisy I want, but will not pay the crazy money for it. I got The Kings and Queens of the Underground from Bilky Idol on Amazon... it has to be a mistake, for if I remember $12.99 and it's very limited split black and white, that selling for about $200 in places.
Excellent topic gentleman. My opinion is this.... I buy used vinyl from the 50s thru late 80s because it was recorded, mixed, and mastered in analog. I buy cd's from late 80s forward because most recording studios converted to digital. I can hear the difference between the two formats, but I like them both. I will only buy reissues of classics on vinyl when necessary, but do not/have not purchased new releases on vinyl. Most used cds in upstate NY where I live are $4 to $5. Used vinyl is more but I don't care if it's something I want. Anything new since 1990 I buy on cd, and cd is cheaper than vinyl. Having said all that - power to the music lovers/collectors of the world!
Glad to see Anthony back in the videos. Quality Guy.
I will buy new (reissues) all day long. I like albums clean and to sound great!! Used is hit or miss
Great insight from you both, vinyl is insane I prefer my cd’s!! They can paint the vinyl any color I will still take my CD. BTW Tom Petty threaten to call his album in 1981 “The $6.98 album” to stop the price increase.
Thank you for this video!! More people need to speak up over this!! It saddens me for all the musicians and music lovers out there!! Hope it gets better, man!!!
I think if more people took a stance on this, especially bands, then things might start to shift in the industry. Problem is, people just keep going along with it silently and therefore nothing happens making a bad situation worse.
The pricing is what killed the music business in the 90’s. It drove people to downloading and streaming. In addition to people not buying CDs/vinyl the price of concert tickets have skyrocketed to compensate for the loss of album sales revenue. It’s no wonder why many legacy acts just tour off of nostalgia instead of spending time and money off the road to sell a few thousand copies when they can keep money flowing by touring
This is absolutely true. The rising costs of CDs and vinyls made people stop buying physical products. Because very few people buy physical music products nowadays, artists have to raise the price of their concert tickets and merchandise. Currently, artists get their income from touring and if they can't tour, then they lose money.
Great content! Thanks, as troubling as this is, still a fun watch
yet again I find myself fully in line with you both. Nothing will change until stores like ours can build a true indie collition (not whatever bs ones currently in the pocket of the majors.
Freaking awesome video. 🤘😎🤘 You are so right about everything you talked about. It was a pleasure to listen and watch you guys. 🤘😎🤘
Great discussion. I only own CDs. Great to learn about vinyl.🤘
Hey Brendon, great seeing Anthony again. Whatever people think doesn’t matter and it’s none of their business. I for one never thought you had a gripe with Anthony. People should just keep to themselves.
Best fuckin video I've seen all year! Hell yeah. Keep it real!
Great video, guys! I usually buy new too unless I kind find a NM earlier pressing. Not happy about the price increase though. Lol. I love seeing the Samhain album behind you by the way.
welcome back Anthony!!!!
This was a fascinating vid. Thanks for putting the industry into perspective.
Our pleasure!
Amazing record store
Definately a tricky topic. Obviously, huge touring bands dont need the vinyl revenue stream, but hopefully smaller bands are making some money off of their vinyl sales.
Fair play to the lads at Sound Exchange. It’s hard to beat their prices. Believe me, I know. I shop around all of north Jersey and buy a lot of vinyl.
so true...every time I go to their store I walk out with some records
Thanks for the discussion. I have always been a rock music fan and since I have no musical talent when I needed a music class in college I took a class on Music Industry Business. The instructor was also the owner of a local recording studio. It is interesting how much has changed and cycled since the early 80’s.
Good to see you both. Great show.
Thanks!
So true. I used to go out for music hunt every weekend. Now is twice a month at the most. All because gas and record prices increase.
Im soooo glad i've stuck with cds over the years. New vinyl prices are ridiculous.
Great video gents. Really eye opening. Pre ordered the new Stones on vinyl (I'm in Canada) for $58 (blue vinyl)...take out the $10 shipping-$48 for a single vinyl record😢 Amazon (if anyone cares) was $45...surely/mercifully we have peaked!
👏👏good speakings
I’ve noticed that CD prices(at least on Amazon) are starting to creep up a bit as well.
NOT just Amazon...but BN's online prices as well. I used to be able to get CDs for $4.99 or $5.99 via BN for almost a decade. Then the prices shot up for one CD from $5.99 to $16.99. Bunch of crap!
That's why I buy used; unfortunately, even used prices are getting insane.
Wow what a video that hits that hits the nail on the head. It's 100% true that vinyl prices are going up and pushing prices up across the board in music.
People just need to hold back and not rush out to buy brand new. Take your time and wait. Be patient and eventually a used copy of something you want will become available. As a collector that's something you have to learn. It's not about making a collection over night. Rome wasn't built in a day. Always go for used unless it is a brand new album.
I hear you but as big of a music fan as I am, I can’t wait weeks and even months hoping a used copy shows up. Used turnover isn’t the same today as it once was either. Some vinyl and CDs don’t even stay in print past the first pressing which might only be a few thousand copies so if you don’t buy it new you’ll be paying much more used. It can be a real gamble waiting for a used copy as it could skyrocket in price.
@@BrendonSnyder I totally agree. That's a valid point, depending on who the artist is the price is very high.
Hello from Brazil guys, great channel, congrats o/
Thank you, so glad you’re enjoying it! 🖐️
I uttered those exact words years ago. "Im not just buying one!"😂
Vinyl is a RIP off but people still pay. Records cost $8 -or $9 when i stopped buying vinyl (1988). I understand inflation and cost increase over time but $25-$30 for one record is insane. It's greed pure and simple.
A problematic trend I see is that turntables are widely available, but if you want to buy a new cd/dvd/bluray player, it gets difficult, at least in my country. They're just not sold anymore, and in the case of the discman, not manufactured at all.
Brand new CD prices are not as bad as brand new vinyl prices, but they're still up there. If the price is out of my budget, I usually wait for the price to go down before purchasing the CD. That or I buy used CDs. Vinyl album prices these days are ridiculous, though.
Welcome back guys I missed your videos did you hear the new stones track I'm looking forward to the new album.
Hey, f*** yeah!! 😄
So many older artists albums (original pressings) are going up and up in price, so I imagine it's cheaper to get the reissues, which have a "guaranteed" newness, I've had many og albums I bought that were a little pricey, but an original, end up sounding terrible.
I'd love that copy of Mindcrime....
I can't deal with the vinyl drama and stick to CD's. Wow, running a music store sounds fun in theory, but a total nightmare in real life.
I didnt know David Hyde-Pierce worked here!!!Awesome!!(guy in blue shirt,Brandon.)
Sam Goody were thieves! I remember those prices!
As I remember, they were always overpriced. I was one of those people that shopped at Circuit City where they sold CDs at near cost.
Anthony we're been cool..good speaks
Always better to go to a good indie store to check out the merch.
the only records I really had were ones my dad gave me when I was little. I am a cd person. I custom built my shelving to fit my books, movies, and cds. Unfortunatly for me both films and cds are becoming harder to find and more $$$. Though I am one of the weirdos who does not care about duluxe, first printing, or pacakging so much as just owning the stuff I love. I don't mind if a cd is missing the book as long as the disc is in good shape. I do like a cd to at least have the backing paper though so I can read the title easily on my shelf. I know they do these new cardboard cases to be more eco friendly and I am cool with that but I hate the ones they do thin like records because you cant read it on the shelf. The cardboard ones where you can still read the side is much better.
Hey Brandon & Anthony! My thing about the industry that’s slightly perturbed be is there dozens of turntables available but CD players are hard to get and the players that are available are like high end transports that cost $500-$800.
Record companies are seeing the huge increase in vinyl sale and getting greedy. Unfortunately I think they are going to price themselves to the point where people are going to stop buying records again
You are spot on about your experience and opinion 💿👍👌✅
There is massive greed from record companies. I commented on this at Phil Aston’s whats spinning magazine channel. He reviewed a Jeff Beck 4 disc and book cd boxset that was £65. (Probably about 90- 100 US dollars). He defended the price but I thought it was a massive rip off attempting to cash in on Jeff beck’s passing. Its just not on imo, and it was a cd boxset as well. WAy too much and i do not believe in “collectors prices”
@@jimmycampbell78 well said ✅✊👊🤙☝️
Cool Shuggie Otis album...LPs in my heyday (1970-1985-ish) were $4 at the NEX. A litte higher + tax in-town.
Being a young musician at the time, many of those LPs are not in great shape.
About 5 years ago, I wanted fresh copies of Led Zep III & IV and FRAGILE. 3 LPs, $75 at B&N. Told the cashier I spent $12 on these same 3 records back in the day.
My issue is last night I saw Unveil the strength at a small bar and they don’t have enough support to make a cd. I bought their other merch to help support but that sucked. Hopefully they can eventually put one out
Since things are so expensive now I usually focus on getting really good recording quality albums. I’m lucky to buy maybe 12 to 15 CDs a year minus boxsets. Family costs and living costs are insane. They are doing it on purpose though. 😮
I haven't bought any vinyl for a while now. Spent a bit on a new Pioneer cd player and gotta say cd's sound great, and I'm glad I invested in it. Vinyl is getting out of hand and I'm not paying what the suits want me to for vinyl. Cd sounds depend greatly on your system. The better the system, the better they sound..
Which CD player did you get? And where?
@JJ-ez3tr I just checked and it's a Yamaha cd-s303 and from Amazon. Had trouble with several other brands skipping including Onkyo and Tascam. Had to return them. But zero problems with the Yamaha.
The companies will just say inflation and justify the prices.
Obviously it's been a few years, BUT... I seem to recall Casey Kasem describing the Tom Petty price "disagreement" this way: The label wanted to price the album at $9.98, TP refused and threatened to change the album title to "The $8.98 Album"
Yes and Metallica actually did that with their E.P. titling it the “$5.98 E.P. Garage Days Re-Revisited” because the label wanted to charge more. Which is what makes it so frustrating that Metallica has raised its vinyl prices on older albums making some more expensive than others.
Hi Brendon,
I just had the inspiration for another question for your Q&A next time while watching the latest Lets go to the record store #38 at Princeton Record Exchange.
Ok question was: what method do you use to cleanly remove those awful price stickers from CD cases?
A friend of mine once told me to use nail varnish remover but it just seems to ruin the case with a nasty smudge kinda stain.
Plus I have bought digi packs in the past and the price labels actually have torn off the area of the cover where the label was.
Which really bums me as it ruins the CD or indeed vinyl album cover.
So I would love to know your ways around this.
Ok, have a great day.
Bye bye.
Dave.
If you're talking about getting stickers off of CD jewel boxes, I buy nothing but used CDs and use Goo Be Gone, it removes any residue left behind from stickers, erases smudges and for stubborn stickers it breaks down sticker, making it much easier to completely remove! Goo Be Gone cleans and polishes up old jewel boxes better than any other solvent - it's an awesome product, I've used it on thousands of jewel boxes!
I recently read an article online about the music industry (I think it was from Rolling Stone) which basically said that recent contract negotiations between the major record labels and streaming services resulted in a new deal that lowered the percentage of sales revenue distributed to record labels. Simply put, with the new deal which runs industry wide, labels (and artists) are making less money from sales....This might be the reason why the pricing of new vinyl is going up. It attempts to compensate for the decrease.
Yes. Less for the labels. More for the artist. That’s a good thing. Prices of new product is increasing because record labels are greedy.
@@the-vinyl-dreamscape5084 I want more for the artists too, but I don't believe the article said the artists were getting any increase from the new contracts. As I recall it was the streaming services that made got the increase.
There was a vinyl price crisis in the mid to late 00s and people (mainly DJs) turned to cds as a cheap alternative. In fact the cd mixer with twin cd drives started to appear as a result.
Is it time for a cd revival?
Well here in Canada it is disgusting. Inflation is nuts. Used CDs are the best option for affordable collecting
I'm not sure what the cost price is to the store, or their mark up, but Metallica - 72 Seasons at my local record shop - $105AU ( black) or $110.00 (purple). I can order the same thing & get it shipped from Denmark to Australia for $30 less. This is the same for most releases.
In the early 90s Best Buy would have new CDs at practically cost.
Circuit City was another store like that. They sold the CDs and DVDs at cost often taking a loss as a way to get people in the door who then may stay and buy an appliance or something where they made the money back in spades. It was actually a good business model.
Bought a stereo from CC that BB had for a hundred dollars more.@@BrendonSnyder
This is so true. Bought a lot of CD’s from CC. It was a way to get people in the door. Miss those days
In regard to pricing, it's simply price gouging in my opinion. Certain albums are OOP and those used copies sell for lots of money, and labels know this. They then re-release it and mark it up knowing fans have two choices: Try to find a used one, or bite the bullet and buy a new copy for a bit more.
Did you guys ever order from bmg music service and Columbia house there cds was pretty cheap back in the day.
I just heard Australia are going to stop selling DVD's due to streaming, can you believe this if it happened to music in the States and here in the UK.
Are we really at this stage of losing physical media?
Iron Maiden, "Live After Death" : three years ago, 25,99 euros ; today, 40 euros. But I think of a band who has maintained reasonable prices : Dream Theater, for their archive releases : you could get a triple vinyl for 34,99 euros.
I dont go for much of the old stuff anymore. I mostly only buy new music to support new bands (no not metallica or foo fighters, but to each their own) - there are a lot of great new bands if you do the work to find them. I generally only buy new vinyl if it is under $25. The only time i buy cds is if it is 40% less than the cost of the vinyl version or less even. I'm 63 and bought my first vinyl in 1973 so ive never been able to shake vinyl altogether.
Discussed these are great f***ing points. Kind of gets me very annoyed. Enjoyed the video!
Yeah both Anthony and I get annoyed by these issues all the time. It’s perplexing that the industry thinks it can sustain itself this way.
Right. It seems like they are trying to grab as much money from the consumers until eventually we stop buying vinyls
Record companies are run by vultures, nodoubtaboutit.
Thanks Brendon and Anthony also. 💯
You said it! 👍
Hey Guys,
I stopped buying record albums many years ago, I bought albums when I was younger and they were usually $8.99 [for single] & $14.99 [for double] so for $100.00 I can get roughly
8-9 single records, I only bought double albums if it was something I wanted [Frampton Comes Alive] The price of albums has gone up so much now, that I started buying
CDs, mainly because they're a lot cheaper than vinyl albums. So jacking up the prices on all these common albums is ridiculous, I wouldn't pay $45.00 for any album, that's crazy.
So basically, if I had $100.00 now, I'd only come home with 2 albums, compared to the 8-9 I bought about 35-40 years ago.
As long as someone buy records at high prices they will keep driving price up.I am 66 years old.This is total greed.
Yes that’s true and certainly what the labels are counting on. It’s sort of like why the rents in NYC are so high. There is always someone with more money willing to come in and rent that apartment for more money.
They want to make sure in the future that ALL MUSIC WILL BE STREAMING and THAT ONLY THEY WILL HAVE THE ONLY HARD COPY!
Of course, my preferred format is CD, just as anyone else's. But NOT ALL good albums have EVER made it to CD. So I have to opt for vinyl. I have bought several vinyl records for NO more than $3. Many of them were as low as 50 cents each, and a lot of them were ones that were OOP on CD. The only vinyl record I splurged on was one that was hard to find, UK's sophomore release Danger Money from 1979. I spent $8. I could've gotten it for $15 on CD. That ended up being a bad investment, but I didn't even know its CD was still in print. I hate that the UMG CD prices online jumped from $4.99 or $5.99 to $17. That's totally insane. And over the years, I purchased several $4.99 or $5.99 CDs. Then the online retailers had to gouge the prices. Curses! Foiled again!! UGH!!!
What a shame, reminds me of the movie Wall Street “greed is good”.
Everything is more expensive and it’s ridiculous!
I was at one of those antique malls and found a few sellers that had vinyl. The prices were insane for easy to find typical classic rock. I was disappointed (though I’m more a CD guy).
72 seasons by Metallica was sold for 50€/53,5$, when it came out. Only the black pressing! The yellow/black one was at 96$!!! At the resellers like discogs the same record was sold for average 160$!!!!, peaking at 355$!
People are dumb enough and pay!!!
I've been freaking out about the 30 to 50 dollar Lp for a few years now. It's absurd. But it's the same with everything. Everything is more expensive now. And it will likely be that way forever, or until we experience some kind of economic correction.
Great video. But the used vinyl market is alive and ever growing at Revilla and Princeton Record Exchange.
Yes it’s alive and growing everywhere. The issue is the pricing. But in most cases it’s not the stores, it’s the labels and distributors that are jacking up costs.
perhaps but I never buy new vinyl -- there is so much used. the good stores follow real estate sales, auctions, everything. I wrote an article years ago on the Record Exchange (the music store of my youth!) about how they do acquisitions. Really interesting stuff. Glad to see you got to revilla! @@BrendonSnyder
So a Vinyl reissue of Ride the Lightning by Metallica for $32.98?
I could by 3 CDs with that amount. 4 CDs if there was a sale.
Exactly our point!
@@BrendonSnyder I'll be heading to Zia Records new location this weekend.
Because of this price increase in vinyl, I've got back to buy CDs and rarely buy vinyl
Yeah I just stayed with CDs 😂
U can't get more people into vinyl because of the high prices. People are now going to cds because it's cheaper. But now cds are way up on price. I think that people just use Spotify instead of dealing with physical formats
Sales on the CD's vs Vinyl maybe the cost of vinyl materials. Gas prices will dictate the vinyl costs. it always was this why. 1980's when cost of gas went up so did vinyl records. Big oil do this all the time.
Want to know where the prices will go..? Well here in Australia prices for vinyl is between $70 & $120 per album. And they're selling like hotcakes! So that's were you'll be in a couple of years.
Prices in other country’s don’t usually affect the prices in a different country nor are they an outlier. For example, the price of a CD in Japan has always been twice the cost of one in the US. Yet in 40 years the US price has never doubled. I believe the same to be true for vinyl.
Weird. I can get 2 or 3 new cds or one new album. I 'll get the 3 new cds. And still have money for some used cds or lps.
Buying records was a suckers game in the beginning and is even more now. Except for the beautiful covers the medium was too flawed. I couldn't imagine paying $20+ for a record. Cds were always the best.
How much for that copy of Babes in Toyland Nemesisters???
Also Walmart is selling those Metallica albums on CD for $5 a piece.....
22,40
✨⭐✨💕💞💕💕💞💕💞💕💞💕✨⭐✨
For new issued records. I will not pay more than 25 dollars on a single Lp. I won't pay more than 30 for a double Lp. And those are TOP END prices. That's it.
I hear you. It’s unfortunate that prices are so high. I’d buy more vinyl as well if the prices weren’t so outrageous. The only time I shell out for vinyl is when its not available on CD.
Metallica going after the cash? How unusual! I grew up on records. I can't pay more than $20 for a new record. Also, half the time they are warped anyway. The price of used records is through the roof too. When I go to the record store, I mostly browse. The fund days of buying records is long over.
I HAVE ALWAYS BOUGHT VYNAL BUT THE PRICES ARE RIDICULOUS NOW .IAM NOW BUYING CDS NOW OR THE USED VYNAL THAT IS AFFORDABLE .AT LEAST AT 58 YEARS OLD THERE IS NOT A LOT MORE VYNAL I NEED LOL .
That's why I only buy CD's
👍
Over pricing for the sake of over pricing is ridiculous
They are most likely doing this because record labels and artists don't make much money because of streaming.
Open a record store in houston texas
They are testing how well ride the lightning sells compared to master of puppets and that will help them set the price to maximize profit. So dont buy ride the lighting. :)
Edit. By ”they” I mean Metallica, not Anthony/Sound Exchange
The prices these days on new vinyl is outrageous. It has nothing to do with supply chain issues or supply/ demand or the cost or materials. I feel like pandemic fueled demand has finally been met. It's just classic mainstream record industry greed. I know damn well it doesn't it doesn't cost that much to produce a record. Why is that any single LP or reissue from sony or UMG cost $40-45 MSRP but smaller labels like Mississippi Records, Superior Viaduct and Drag City only charge $22 MSRP? The industry is just high on the hog and consumers are stupid stupid lemmings.The simple solution is just to boycott Major label releases till prices drop. The other issue is all of the rampant inflation and speculation on discogs driving up the cost of all used records. Suddenly common AF albums pressed in the millions by The Cars, Steely Dan and Fleetwood Mac are going for $30 or more which is just plain silly. I don;t think Cd's will take off just cuz of thier low price point. The value just isn;t there in terms of what you get. The small format art and chinsy jew case don't offer somthign better then just streaming.
I dont buy new records, only used analog from 60`s, 70`s and some fom 80`s.
The suits are up to no good, man!