Becuase it's still a niche market which has kept on growing this decade. The CD market is pretty much going the same way. It's now become a niche, it doesn't sell in mass numbers any more because it's not popular with the masses any more. The only people that still buy them are people without computers and purists who buy them for collection/nostaligia reasons.

 

Thats so me! :D

 

Actually i think i was on to a winner in HMV today. Buying 10,000 Nights by Alphabeat conly cost 99p for the 2 track (it was £1.99 for the maxi but i didn't buy that one) and listening to the b-side Digital Love is amazing! Plus i also had my student card with me - so i basically got that single for free!

I read in the Times today (oh aren't I cultured :P) that HMV aren't going to stop selling CD singles anytime soon :cheer:

Apparently they are going to introduce "new generation" stores - whatever that means...but they said they will carry on stocking singles ^_^

 

Most HMV Stores, have a enormous outlet for 7" Singles, and CD versions. The general phrase, of "New Generation" Stores, includes ideas, of being able to actually to go to a store, and download there (without the need to have a PC, at home).

 

There is a bigger call in HMV, for 7" and 12" Singles...than elsewhere. So, it will be a long, long time before all HMV Stores, stop stocking the Physical format.

 

Some smaller stores, do not stock the Physical single (but this is mainly very small outlets). Some towns, actually have more than one Store. As, is the case in a couple of towns, in Berkshire.

I prefer buying the physical CD rather than a digital download. I like having a proper CD with all the packaging. Also, I collect singles and some of them are real collectibles. Buying a digital download just isnt the same thing, there is no comparison.

There's no point in saving the market. There's no demand any more and it's pointless to spend money making them!

 

Don't they cost like a few pence to make though?

Can I just say that 7" and 12" singles are still selling well?

Can I just say that 7" and 12" singles are still selling well?

 

If you like yeh.

What about those (admittedly few) people who don't have computers and can't download music? This is what happened to cassettes, 7-inch singles and LPs. Some people prefer to actually buy and own something they can see.

 

Eventually we will all be walking around with MP3 players imbedded in our ears, downloading singles into our internal wireless internet systems by tapping our noses.

 

:w00t:

it's too late to save the cd single! more and more people getting ipods, iphones, laptops, mp3 players, new hi-fi systems have mp3 stuff hey even most phones offered with contracts have built in mp3 walkman players now. i can't see anything but a physical no1 of 200 copies by 2010.

 

the only reason I sometimes buy physical singles is:

 

*if they are imported from another country

*if I particularly want to hear the b-sides

*if I'm dying to get the video and its not on iTunes

*if I want enough on the single that would warrant spending £2/3 on it

 

so far this year I've bought about 7 or 8 CD singles...at the same stage in 2002 I would have bought at least 30/40 by now

Dont they cost like a few pence to make though?

You've got buy the cds, packaging and printing of sleeves/picture on the disc, put the music onto them, pay wages of staff to do this as well as the artist/label and writers taking a slice each. You then have to distribute them to shops all over the UK, let the shops take a slice of money and give Gordon Brown 17.5% of the total it's sold for. And they're doing this for generally 99p or £1.99 and in such small numbers there's minimised benefits from economies of scale!

Edited May 29, 200817 yr by RabbitFurCoat

There's also the issue of copy-protection - when you buy a CD single, it's not an issue.

 

I assume this doesn't apply to those of us who are aware that, if you burn a copy-protected download to CD, you can then rip it back onto the computer without any form of DRM on it.

 

And also, a little comparison:

 

CD single - 3 tracks, £2.99 -> Cost per track: 99.67p.

CD album - 10 tracks (at least), £7.99 -> Cost per track: 79.9p.

 

Should we ban albums, then, since they work out to be cheaper than singles?

Or for what most people want:

 

CD Single: £1.99. Download: 79p. Download wins! :D

 

Not necessarily - you get at least 2 tracks for that £1.99, but downloading those tracks DRM-free will cost more than 79p, probably 99p. Thus a saving of 1p is not worth it.

 

I prefer buying the physical CD rather than a digital download. I like having a proper CD with all the packaging. Also, I collect singles and some of them are real collectibles. Buying a digital download just isnt the same thing, there is no comparison.

 

Plus, you can't give a download as an Xmas or birthday prezzy - how would you wrap it, for a start? :)

 

Even better than that, give a £10 iTunes voucher. The reciever is definitely going to get something they like then.

 

Plus, who buys singles as presents?!

Edited May 29, 200817 yr by RabbitFurCoat

Not necessarily - you get at least 2 tracks for that £1.99, but downloading those tracks DRM-free will cost more than 79p, probably 99p. Thus a saving of 1p is not worth it.

No, what I'm saying is that most people aren't interested in the b-sides or remixes or videos. They just want the single they hear on the radio or see on the tv. They are only interested in the one song which would cost 79p. Therefore, the download wins.

Even better than that, give a £10 iTunes voucher. The reciever s definitely going to get something they like then.

 

Plus, who buys singles as presents?!

 

cheapskates :P they did make good stocking fillers though

I've always prefer the physical format, but now I only buy limited 7 inch coloured vinyls or picture vinyls which are collectable for a limited period.

 

To be honest the CD single is virtually extinct, you can't even find them in a store, as they are tucked in a tight corner and you don't find the full top 40 no more unless you buy online, if HMV stop selling the CD singles after Woolies, which I think they will. Downloads is the way to go now, once you bought a single you just play it once or twice, put it on your Ipod, and the case is just gathering dust on the shelf, people are prefering to download.

 

 

You've got buy the cds, packaging and printing of sleeves/picture on the disc, put the music onto them, pay wages of staff to do this as well as the artist/label and writers taking a slice each. You then have to distribute them to shops all over the UK, let the shops take a slice of money and give Gordon Brown 17.5% of the total it's sold for. And they're doing this for generally 99p or £1.99 and in such small numbers there's minimised benefits from economies of scale!

 

If they make a profit, they will carry on doing it. They might not be selling as many singles as usual but that means they arent producing as many either. Do you realise how easy it is in a cd production factory to change from producing one cd to another?

Yes, but it's still costs however small they are. And the more you produce of anything the cheaper unit costs are. It still remains that they're selling so little copies the profit they make (which I doubt they do) is so minimal it's almost worthless. Ting Tings was the BEST SELLING physical single the other week and sold less than 5000 copies, that's less than £10,000 split between all those people. I'm sure they will still make them, certainly for the forseeable future but they won't ever sell in great numbers again and people have to live with that.

Yes, but it's still costs however small they are. And the more you produce of anything the cheaper unit costs are. It still remains that they're selling so little copies the profit they make (which I doubt they do) is so minimal it's almost worthless. Ting Tings was the BEST SELLING physical single the other week and sold less than 5000 copies, that's less than £10,000 split between all those people. I'm sure they will still make them, certainly for the forseeable future but they won't ever sell in great numbers again and people have to live with that.

 

I just wish a heavily anticipated download single would come along and sell 100k+ downloads in its first week, we know that millions of people in the UK have MP3 players so its entirely feasible for it to happen...