July 07, 2005 1:53 PM EDT
NEW YORK, Jul 07, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- With the year half over, Nielsen SoundScan figures show sales of recorded music are down nearly 7 percent from last year, Variety reports.

But in the digital area, paid downloads are up 104 million units.

In the first six months of 2005, Nielsen SoundScan said 282.6 million units have been sold, compared with 303 million a year ago. Digital downloads, however, have topped 158.7 million, up from 54.7 million a year earlier.

Universal Music Group is the market leader with 35.7 percent, followed by Sony BMG (28.3 percent), Warner Music Group (14.7 percent) and EMI (9.2 percent).

The year has seen only seven '05 releases become million sellers, the report said. They are 50 Cent's "The Massacre," Mariah Carey's "Emancipation of Mimi," the Game's "The Documentary," Coldplay's "Y&Z," Keith Urban's "Be Here," Jack Johnson's "In Between Dreams" and System of a Down's "Mesmerize."


Only seven releases?

Wow i wonder what the majors are thinking now?

that their million sellers suck???

Ah...yes their follow up album to 'X&Y" heh heh heh


(Remember) The Alamo

What does this mean really? -- on one hand it says 'hard copy' sales are down nearly seven percent, but paid downloads are up almost 50 percent. Does the digital figure count albums and singles as single units, or does an albums worth of tunes count as 10-15 digital downloads? Doesn't sound like a declining market to me. It sounds like an evolving one.

Seems to me like the build for a lot of records is taking longer -- like the old days, really. I'd be interested to know how many have taken over a longer period -- say 1.5 to 2 years -- to break a million in sales. They may not be as flashy as the names mentioned above, but it's still a lot of records that I'd like to have some points on...

Cheers,
John

Hey that's great considering quality is down 75% heh

Seriously though, the internet sales seem to easily make up for that.

hahahaaaa you cracked me up.

I think the ring tone sales are up.

When I was a kid in the 60's and 70's we did not have the etertainment that was available today, internet, 300 channel satalite TV, DVD's, a Concert every week. If a band was jamming in a backyard that even attrached a crowd. All we had was AM radio one good convert a year 2 if you were lucky. So we had guitars and records. And we played them all day long.

only 7 platinum sellers is REALLY freaky and horrible

I know.

And i am sure when the summer songs drop things may change but it is still weird.

I think a couple of those guys are more digital downloads.

hell yes. just last week i bought one: the chorus to the dukes of hazzard.

now i just went off and did a google to see a picture of daisy, and lo and behold:

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/thedukesofhazzard.html

the scariest part is, i think i'm gonna enjoy it.


gregoire
del ubik

I enjoy everything by the Simpson family

I'm not sure if it's a good or a bad thing, but when people buy music on the Internet they buy individual songs and not complete albums.

Which means that people don't need to buy the album fillers anymore.

In the good old days there were very few "fillers" in the first place. When I started buying music (on album) I would listen to the whole thing front to back because it was all good. The Beatles, Zep, Hendrix, Sabbath, The Doors, Yes, Queen, The Who, Floyd, Steely Dan, on and on, whole albums that were compete musical experiences.

This is not the case with many purchases I have made in the last few years.. maybe a little longer. There are very few bands today that I can purchase a CD of and really enjoy as a whole. A song here and a hook there might catch my ear but not the whole thing.

This is part of the downfall of the music industry in my eyes. We are heading back to the days before The Beatles and The Beach Boys were songs are released as singles and there is really nothing like whole album projects, if there is a whole project it is that in name only.

Shame really but the record industry brought this on themselves. Sign better talent who can write more than one hook.

right on. long live the album. for example "the bends" is a strong album. as is ok computer. as is superunknown. as is sgt pepper. as is are you experienced. animals. zep IV.

and so on. singles are just junk food. a little sugar rush from the hook and then....barf!

You'd think that the labels would be happy to see the numbers coming up in downloads. I'm thinking in terms of manufacturing costs though...and I'm already wrong because they're probably still working the old model when they should be embracing a new one.

Here's an idea...promote the hell out of the record, but release it as a download-only for the first month or two. Then, roll out the hard copy with extra songs that are not available for download (America always gets shafted on the extra songs...instantly creating the whole "import" market).

I've also had an idea for a crazy promotion that the labels could really cash in on. Free tickets for an entire leg of a tour...put them in the traditional CD package (inside the artwork/booklet). Everyone who buys the album has a chance to instantly win tix to every concert in the USA or Europe (depending on where they live). It's the old Willy Wonka trick w/ the golden ticket

Oh yeah...and start releasing good music again...that always helps.

IMO Two primary (I'm sure there is more) reasons fillers exist.

-the length of a compact disk, many older albums were 35 minutes or under. People feel ripped off if a disk is only that long now, even if they don't like the music on it.

-the singles driven record industry. Perception of a hit song has been more important than reality.

I dont see why no one posted the huge decline this year in movie theatre ticket sales. I mean, cummon, the entertaiment retail business is down overall man. I am quite sure whatever it is you are insinuating is partially ( in a small way) due to garbage in/out and piracy, etc. That said, the fact is that the world is at war, gas is over 2 bucks, and buying any kinda luxuory is down. I suggest that if I search the sales of ALL luxoury items, they are all down in a big way.

This trend has very little to do with crappy music. They have been able to sell crap for over 3 decades. Jeesh.

I would like to think that the Internet and other new forms of divertisment' are taking up so much time from people (ring tones, text mssgs, etc) that they are slowly departing the usual suspects for entertainment dollars.

As an experiment, I advise you to go to your local Blockbuster Video Store. Those guys are in Dire Straights! HAHAHAHA. I mean, they have jacked their prices to $4.50 a rental, while I can get any new movie on my cable for 3 bucks. Why should I rent from them? They have all kinds of desperate marketing efforts (club memberships, reduced rates, no late fees**, lol), but they are fighting a loosing battle.

If we all do not see the cataclismic shift in the entire meta-structure of entertainment sales happening here, then you are smoking serious drugs.

I for one am racing to catch up and invent, adapt, overcome.




Cheers,

KT

In the "good old days" budgets were higher, albums were more expensive in real dollars, artists had no "creative control," and most of the people who got signed had proved their talent by becoming regional headliners. Groups had to compete with solo artists who had the best writers writing for them and the very best musicians playing on their records. Even then, few people pulled off good albums over 40 minutes long.

Today there isn't enough live music for anybody but the rich to write and play music without a day job and most people don't get to learn recording from experienced pros.

Anybody who thinks the loss of work and opportunity for musicians brought on by MIDI hasn't had a dreadful impact on the quality of music has their head deep in the sand. The same goes for those who haven't figured out that their rising property values have been caused by the value of the dollar dropping like a rock.

Yes, anyone have any ideas on how to adapt, overcome?
How bout specifically for an independent musician like me? Any recommendations on how to get your music out there? Everyone, even random people I meet during the day, feel music from the industry is crap. Every musician I meet now has their own home studio - hence the possibility for forming a great live band (my original dream) hugely diminished - everyone is in their own world.

I am producing my own music, hopefully with the help of a couple mixers/masterers I met through these forums. When my album is finished at the end of the summer, I still face the daunting task of getting people to listen (yes, of course assuming it is good stuff, but just wait! Trust me, it's good. I'll let you listen at the end of the summer)

So how to adapt to the current state of things? I have music business books related to sending your music to college radio, have music newspapers review it, letting TAXI have it used in tv/other media, etc etc etc etc ad infinitum. Then I figured if I got good reviews, I'd lead them to my website, where I can set up to sell it via paypal (or on cdbaby). And if people liked it, it would probably then be copied and I'd make no money anyway. Perhaps if I could then get a live band to play it, some of the few who truly like to listen to live music would come see me. But anyone have any other EXTRAORDINARY, new and inventive ideas?

THAT'S the problem! One key to success is seeing to it that you are the least talented/experienced person working on the project.

Ah! I like that advice.. I'm going to keep that in my head... Thanks Bob!

\
i think is has more to do with a greater buyer market combined with the limited resource of land....

Musicians and labels are still stuck in the same old format and not responding to the other mediums which are available to the public today. There are so many things entertainment wise people can spend money on now a days. They are buying less music and they download it instead. The ability to download has made music disposable. People listen to songs for a short period of time and then trash and move on to something else. A band should release a dvd video and give away their mp3s on their web site or something. I like the idea of making a dvd movie of live performances and an interview as opposed to doing an album. There is more value to that product.

I've talked about this before, but no one ever gives much of a response. I'd really like to hear some opinions. Would this work, or is music in general being pushed to the side for more elaborate mediums and the future of music is more disposability?

Warning...Deep opinion ahead.

I think when the media focused on quantity in music vs quality in music the public interest declined in all but the most convenient entertainment. DVDs, Games, Internet are where people are going because, its convenient. Also, you can filter all of the really bad TV and Movies, which MTV is a part of by the way from your daily experience. This includes bad music too.

I think that people are also burned out on sex as a selling tool. Music, TV, Movies are all attached to some type of super sexual experience that people are going to miss out on if they don't see or buy the product. How many times do I have to scramble for the remote when Girls Gone Wild comes on my TV, to protect my kids. People are seeing through this nonsense. Sexual experience happens between people and is never similar to TV, Movie or Music coloration of the the experience. Enough already.

We are making our own individual choices, something America has always been about ,and rejecting the media message and control they no longer can exert on us. I think its a great time for Americans in that we are entering a time when we no longer buy the BS and messages that these information sources have poured out over the last 30 years.

Take control, reject the message. Live the life around you, its much more rewarding.

We now return you to the regularly scheduled program.

The problem is a lot of todays artists are devoid of personality and character.

Have they really had it rough?

Did they really starve to support their dreams or did their parents practically pay for everything and music is just away for them to try to seperate themselves.

An interview on DVD?

I think artists today are too over exposed.

There is no shrourd of secrecy or mystery to today's artists.

We know too much about these people.

A better revolutionary idea is to release an album without a music video,no titles to songs or lyrics, no thank you's or credits.

Agreed.
That's what Led Zepellin did in short.

I don't buy into the sex sells thing either. However, I wonder if it is the same for those still going through adolescence. They are most likely the ones most suseptable to junk marketing. The majority of music buying public is those in the 13-17 year old range. This could very well be one of the reasons music has taken the route it has. Image resides over quality.

I completely agree on putting quality back into music. It would be nice if musicians were to stop trying to appeal to the younger audience as well.

But in the digital area, paid downloads are up 104 million units.

Just goes to show that peoples quality standards have gone down with record sales. People would rather listen to crappy mp3's than buy a cd cause there ipod is just so damn cute and portable. I'm going to go projectile vomit now. Thanx!
dfegad MP3's