CD Sales Keep Falling; Digital Music Bridges Gap

ClickonDetroit ^ | January 5, 2007 | AP

[ShadowDancer]

CD Sales Keep Falling; Digital Music Bridges Gap

POSTED: 11:29 am EST January 5, 2007

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- U.S. album sales continued to decline in 2006, down nearly 5 percent from the previous year.

However, total music sales were up, thanks to a huge increase in digital sales.

The industy said 588 million albums were sold in 2006.

Digital sales increased by 65 percent over the previous year, with 582 million tracks sold. Digital album sales more than doubled, with nearly 33 million sold last year.

Overall music sales increased by more than 19 percent in 2006, but that number includes all albums, singles, music videos and digital downloads.

The top-selling album of the year was a soundtrack inspired by the Disney Channel movie "High School Musical," which sold more than 3.7 million copies.

[Paladin2]

It's NOT stealing, it's copyright infringement. The legal system is more complex than you may think.

[sirchtruth]

If it's set to automatic "sync" it will match the iPod to what's in the library, that is, it will delete everything on the iPod that isn't in the library.

Yep..Ok, I see exactly what happening. Thank you!

[romanesq]

Very late 70s/early 80s but nothing is a bigger turnoff than vulgarity in women.
Rap has made vulgarity in women acceptable.

Blech!

[ShadowDancer]

The top-selling album of the year was a soundtrack inspired by the Disney Channel movie "High School Musical," which sold more than 3.7 million copies.

I loved this part. That soundtrack is played in my house so much I'm pretty sure I sing it in my sleep.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

No 'pass,' no interest. Napster flap was their market valuating the product, 'Only worth stealing.' It ain't worth even that to me. Or your NHO.

Either we are equal or we are not. Good people ought to be armed where they will, with wits and guns. NRA KMA

[ccmay]

How far will that wireless router work? Are we talking miles or feet?

Furlongs.

Actually, some of these devices can be affixed with directional antennas that can maintain communication over many miles. It gets less reliable and more expensive as the distance increases. If you're only a few hundred yards away, you can definitely make it work with a relatively minor investment.

-ccm

[P.O.E.]

"You call that music?"

He said, echoing his parents' refrain from decades ago

[ccmay]

Here's what you want. Connect it to an Ethernet hub in your neighbor's house, which is connected to his cable modem, and it's like you had plugged it in in his living room.

-ccm

[Republican Wildcat]

Just because someone downloads from a file sharing network, doesn't mean they would have necessarily gone out and bought everything they downloaded.

No, but it is still stealing - and they certainly won't go out and by it once they've downloaded it.

[Paladin2]

See #61. It's not theft and it's not stealing, it's copying and it's an infringement of copyright law as it currently exists.

[Freedom4US]

When was the last time anyone bought a 45, or an LP?

Today - I just got a couple Johnny Horton albums off of eBay, and a Roy Clark spectacular. Even new vinyl is still issued for audio-weenies who spend thousands on speaker wire and magic bricks blessed by tibetan monks or whatever. But yeah, even CD's will probably go away. You see, when you own an album, tape or CD - you actually own the music. That seems to be a problem in the digital age, so they are working on all sorts of proprietary stuff to prevent that.

[ShadowDancer]

You see, when you own an album, tape or CD - you actually own the music.

If I own it, why am I not then able to share it with whomever I please?

[Freedom4US]

I mean "own" in the sense that it is independent of anything else - it doesn't require a web connection or a subscription or proprietary playback device to listen...

[Dick Vomer]

when your nano hooks up to the computer a screen comes up with your nano's name etc..... on the options there is a check where you can automatically download music or manually...check manual..

[Paladin2]

I believe that you can share your one copy with others. Making further copies is what gets you into trouble.

[kingu]

After reading your post I went to Yahoo Music. I am looking for a good website to download mp3 without worring about getting spyware and viruses. It appears that the a person has to buy the downloads of songs on Yahoo Music. How much do they cost? Any info would be appreciated.

Multiple options: Option 1) Music rentals $79 a year - allows for unlimited playing and subscription to music on your computer. You have have up to three computers logged in at any time, though only one can be logged in /at/ a time (IE: one for home, one for work, etc.) Subscribed music can be played while offline so long as the subscription was renewed within the past month.

Option 2) For another $79 a year, you can transfer the subscribed music to a portable device that complies with the 'plays for sure' model. Creative Zen players, iRivers, Dell Axims are some of the more popular devices. I've got a little Rio with a 5gb hard drive that I play music with.

Option 3) Purchase music, .79 cents a track, no yearly fees. You can burn the music to a CD, play it on your computer, or on any player able to play secured windows media files. Subscription and purchased music are 192k WMA files, which is very close to original CD sound, and about twice as good as iTunes quality. Streaming music is 128k WMA, which is still a higher quality of sound than iTunes.

We use the streaming via a bluetooth link to speakers in the bedroom (and a remote to control the computer) and enjoy a limitless library of music all year round. Sometimes Yahoo has a 2 for one sale, which we took advantage of, to get two years for the price of one. Hope this helps.

[HEY4QDEMS]

It's NOT stealing, it's copyright infringement. The legal system is more complex than you may think.

Spin it however you want.

The provider of the download is committing copyright infringement, the recipient is stealing.

[Paladin2]

You are trying to spin it. Making an illegal copy is not stealing, it is a transgression of copyright law, which is a intellectual construction. What if one were to ensure that only one shared copy of a given purchased copy could be played at a time? Wouldn't that be a legitimate use?

Good thing languages are not currently copyrightable isn't it?

[HEY4QDEMS]

Making an illegal copy is not stealing

You are correct, but downloading an illegal copy is stealing.

Do you remember the Napster case?

[ReignOfError]

I can't get highspeed where I'm at so it makes me appreciate that much more what I DL, but it would be SO nice to upgrade to speed. I am literally three house up and three houses down from where Highspeed ends.

Have you checked with more than one provider? Where I used to live, I had Earthlink tell me I was too far from the switch for DSL, and then Bellsouth hooked me up without a hitch.

For that matter, if you know the neighbors three doors down well enough, you could set up a couple of wireless routers with directional antennas, and split the cost ...