How many people here have recently *wanted* to buy music on CD single, but have been unable to, either because it's been download-only or very hard to find, or the physical release has been delayed so long you just didn't want to wait any longer?

 

In my case, there were at least 3 singles last year I wanted to buy on CD, but couldn't - all of them potential sales lost to the record industry...

I'm not sure about No.1's personally, but definatly a lot higher than their actual peaks.

Not even a lot!

 

I really don't understand why so many people think the likes of 'Say It Right', 'Love Stoned' and now 'Don't Stop The Music' would be so much higher with a physical release. They're so irrelevent now, especially when you get past the second single off an album.

 

If 'Say It Right' had had a physical release it would probably have peaked about 7 and sold a maximum of 10-15k more. It may not even have sold more in the long run. Having no physical made it hang around for ages as there was no reall official release date...

Not even a lot!

 

I really don't understand why so many people think the likes of 'Say It Right', 'Love Stoned' and now 'Don't Stop The Music' would be so much higher with a physical release. They're so irrelevent now, especially when you get past the second single off an album.

 

If 'Say It Right' had had a physical release it would probably have peaked about 7 and sold a maximum of 10-15k more. It may not even have sold more in the long run. Having no physical made it hang around for ages as there was no reall official release date...

 

IMO you underestimate Say It Right's physical sales by a factor of at least 3. Also, I don't agree that it would not have sold more in the long run, since, while *some* of the people who would have bought the CD will have bought the download instead, I certainly didn't!

 

As to your comment about physical singles being irrelevant now, I dare say older members of this forum are getting a sense of deja vu, having heard the same thing said about vinyl, when CD's started to take off... :)

 

However, 20 years on vinyl is still around, and for genres like indie rock it still comprises a significant proportion of their singles sales.

But there is a certain romance to a vinyl single which a cd just does not have. Vinyl has a history to it while CD is circle of crappy plastic which can be burnt at home if necessary.

Vinyl sounds better to. :lol: ^

what i dont like about downloads only is if you are a big fan of an artist and its a download only you miss out on having the cd sngle in the collection

Nelly would have sold no more. People downloaded it because they could not buy it physically.

Edited January 27, 200817 yr by T Boy

I think Aly & AJ lost out as there physical cd was almost no where to be found

Nelly would have sold no more. People downloaded it because they could not buy it physically.

 

I'm afraid you are *wrong*.

 

I *would* have bought it on CD, but couldn't, and refused to download it, so they lost one sale at least!

 

But what it did mean was that a lot more people bought the album than would have had the single been available

Vinyl sounds better to. :lol: ^

 

I get so bloody hacked off when people say this! Sorry, but that all that crackling and that tinny sounding - to my fine ears - does not sound better to me! On eBay, you'll find that the CD single is usually more collectable than it's 7"/12" equivalent - more so than ever. With CD, you know you'll get ever-lasting 100% quality. With vinyl, you don't.

 

Anyway, the main reason why record companies are becoming increasingly reluctant to publish physical singles is because of the amount of dosh it costs to pay the manufacturers to publish the CD/Vinyl, to pay the record stores to stock it and the additional art-work and presentation that comes with it.

 

 

Edited January 27, 200817 yr by ScottyEm

I love collecting cd singles. I ended up buying the CD single of Say it right on import because it wasnt released in the UK on physical. However, even if it had been released on CD single in the UK, I would still have bought the import because it featured a remix and bonus track unavailable on the planned UK version. I have also ordered the import of Britney's latest single from ebay because the UK CD single only contains 1 remix but the import contains 4.

I'm afraid you are *wrong*.

 

I *would* have bought it on CD, but couldn't, and refused to download it, so they lost one sale at least!

As well as anyone without an Internet connection. And then Now 66 was released!

"Say It Right" might have sold a little more if released to CD, but not much more at all tbh.

 

Being an obsesso of Nelly and all, i was obviously dissapointed not being able to buy it on single, but the album did fantastically because it was made download only. So its all gravy! :P

Edited January 28, 200817 yr by Ryan

Yeah, the album did amazing- they made the right choice not to release it physically

 

With CD, you know you'll get ever-lasting 100% quality.

 

Until the CD gets scratched, or some careless person (not that I'll mention any names, but she knows who she is) puts their fingers on the shiny side of the disc.

Until the CD gets scratched, or some careless person (not that I'll mention any names, but she knows who she is) puts their fingers on the shiny side of the disc.

 

I rip CD's as soon as I buy them, so that's not really an issue.

 

IMO you underestimate Say It Right's physical sales by a factor of at least 3. Also, I don't agree that it would not have sold more in the long run, since, while *some* of the people who would have bought the CD will have bought the download instead, I certainly didn't!

 

As to your comment about physical singles being irrelevant now, I dare say older members of this forum are getting a sense of deja vu, having heard the same thing said about vinyl, when CD's started to take off... :)

 

However, 20 years on vinyl is still around, and for genres like indie rock it still comprises a significant proportion of their singles sales.

Physical sales ARE irrelevent nowadays, really. Last weeks top 5 featured 3 songs which weren't top 20 combined. And the number 9 sold 2.5k. Even big, debut hits like 'Superstar' barely make an impact. 15k is not realy underestimating at all.

Edited January 28, 200817 yr by RabbitFurCoat

Useless topic IMO :lol:

I collect CD singles too, and the UK market is not the only one releasing CD singles :yahoo: *fortunately*

Last year I bought Nelly Furtado's Say It Right, Aguilera's Candyman and what I needed from imports :naughty:

So, where's the problem? it's still a physical release in my hands, even if it's not eligible for the crappy UK charts nowadays :w00t: xox.