Music Industry Worried About CD-Burning
 

Music Industry Worried About CD-Burning

By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer

Music copied onto blank recordable CDs is becoming a bigger threat to the bottom line of record stores and music labels than online file-sharing, the head of the recording industry's trade group said Friday.

"Burned" CDs accounted for 29 percent of all recorded music obtained by fans in 2004, compared to 16 percent attributed to downloads from online file-sharing networks, said Mitch Bainwol, chief executive for the Recording Industry Association of America

The data, compiled by the market research firm NPD Group, suggested that about half of all recordings obtained by music fans in 2004 were due to authorized CD sales and about 4 percent from paid music downloads.

"CD burning is a problem that is really undermining sales," Bainwol said in an interview prior to speaking before about 750 members of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers in San Diego Friday.

Copy protection technology "is an answer to the problem that clearly the marketplace is going to see more of," he added.

Album sales in the North America are down about 7 percent this year compared with a year ago, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Yet the recording industry has seen a lift from online music sales, which when factored in with album and sales of CD singles increased overall music sales through July to 21 percent over last year.

The focus on CD burning Friday was welcomed by Alayna Hill-Alderman, who said she has seen music CD sales slide in recent years while sales of blank recordable CDs have soared.

"We are feeling the decline in our store sales, especially with regard to R&B and the hip-hop world," said Hill-Alderman, co-owner of Record Archive, a two-store company operating in Rochester, N.Y. "It's all due to burning. We've lost tremendous amounts of those sales to flea markets and bodegas."

After experimenting with copy-protected CDs in Europe and Latin America in recent years, some record labels have begun releasing albums in North America with similar copy restrictions. The CDs typically allow users to burn no more than a handful of copies.

Velvet Revolver's "Contraband," released last year, was equipped with such copy-protection technology and grabbed the top sales spot in its debut week.

Some saw that as a sign music fans didn't mind CDs with copy restrictions. But other releases since, such as the latest Foo Fighters album, have sometimes spawned fan complaints that the restrictions go too far or create technology conflicts with portable audio devices.

Simon Wright, chief executive of Virgin Entertainment Group International, which oversees the Virgin chain of music stores, said he's in favor of labels releasing more albums in a copy-protected CD format, regardless of the potential for consumer backlash.

"If, particularly, the technology allows two-to-three burns, that's well within acceptable limits and I don't think why consumers should have any complaints," Wright said.

They have learned NOTHING from Vcr's. Time to get their heads out of their A#@ and figure out maybe the record sales are down because of the trash they kick out there. Who wants to buy cd after cd with only one good song on it? Give the industry back to the real music people and away from the bean counters. I could go on and on..... but I won't. Just sick of them Crybabbying. Gee, pretty soon artists wont NEED the big labels anymore for distribution and the days of ripping of the artists might be over. Won't that be a shame? (I use to work in various areas of the industry so am allowed to whine- just a little). Time for a cookie. :p

Oh no now Britney Spears can't her golden fountain and will have to settle with bronze. P Diddy will have to settle with the Regular Limo instead of the stretch.....please :rolleyes:

Oh forgot to mention.... Love the more cow bell! :nod:

It's not just that they are kicking out a lot of trash these days, but that trash is way over-priced. And cd singles are even more ridiculous. If they want to boost their sales they need to lower their prices because each of those cds with only one good song on them will run the consumer between $15 and $20 a pop. It's ridiculous and is the biggest reason why I almost never buy cds anymore unless it's from an artist whose work I already know and love.

if these fools think they can stop cd burning they are lost in space

Chris

It's not like it's a new phenomenon. 30 years ago people were copying cassette tapes. I may have been high but I don't remember the outcry at that time by the artists.

Terry

:D and P Diddy announced to the world yesterday that he is now known as just "Diddy"...pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

p diddy aka puff daddy aka puffy aka diddy is a rapper/clothing designer/joke :nod: :lol: :laugh: :lol: ~

He should just change his name to "Sucky" and get it over with.

What an idiot.

That's the same whine from them we heard 50 years ago about recording onto blank cassette tapes. Give it a rest.

I wish I didn't know who P. Diddy was....stupid P. Diddy....PICK A NAME _ STICK WITH IT!!!

It's just Diddy!#%@^* :mad: -_-













:lol: