More on Music/CD Competition

March 2, 2004 5:39pm by

Has the Music industry found religon when it comes to allowing the free market to set pricing? And if (a big if) they have, is it already too late?

The answer is to both questions is not quite, but close. Best Buy and Target are each running aggressive sales this week — but only on select product:

At Best Buy, some CDs are on sale for $7.99 (Mae – Destination Beautiful; Yellowcard – Ocean Avenue; Fall Out Boy – Take This To Your Grave), $8.99 (En Vogue -Soul Flower; LostProphets – Start Something; Dashboard Confessional – A Mark, A Mission) and $9.99 (Sting – Sacred Love; Kanye West – College Dropout; Clint Black – Spend My Time). There’s even a release at $5.99 (The Get Up Kids – The Guilt Show). Order on line from Best Buy and shipping is free.

At Target, the price points start at $6.98 (The Polyphonic Spree – Beginning Stages; Rooney – self titled; Something Corporate – North; Josh Kelley – For the Ride Home; and Fete Dobson – self titled). At $7.98 is Katy Rose – Because I Can, at $8.98 is the self titled Phantom Planet. For $9.98, you can pick up Switchfoot – The Beautiful Let Down; The Darkness – Permission to Land, and Clint Black – Spend My Time.

The promotional prices seem to be a management compromise: Instead of letting the prices of all CDs float as per market forces, they are discounting very select merchandise, while maintaining prices on al l the rest. I have no idea who chooses which CD gets selected for what price (or how). If anyone can tell me, by all means please do.

I noticed the “A” list CDs — Norah Jones, Sting, Clint Black — don’t really get below $10. Last week, I ordered the Norah Jones CD on line from Best Buy for $9.99 (free shipping); I see its now at $13.99 there. Guess I better order Sting‘s Sacred Love CD for $9.99 (free shipping) beofre that goes up also.

While this is a promising start, consider the competition CDs are up against: DVDs.

From the same Target circular, any of the following are 2 for $15:

• Moulin Rouge
• Van Wilder
• Reservoir Dogs
• Legally Blonde
• Castaway
• Wedding Planner
• When Harry Met Sally

Compare what you get for your entertainment dollar between CDs and DVDs, and you get a better sense of the corner the music industry has painted itself into . . .

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  1. muckdog commented on Mar 3

    I didn’t really get Castaway. I mean, it was an okay movie. I liked legally blonde. Now that is nuts.

  2. Avag Khachatryan commented on Mar 2

    DEAR SIR/MADAM
    My name is Avag Khachatryan (Armenia, Yerevan).
    I introduce “Quartet Dudukner” ensemble which is
    special with its instruments and professional music performances.
    12 performances of the ensemble you can find in “Quartet – Dudukner” site http://freenet.am/~dudukner
    I am looking for partners, producers, managers, people ready to cooperate for music project realization .

    The aim of cooperation is

    1. Organization of concerts in different countries, in any time, in separate or joint way.
    2. Participation in charity concerts.
    3. Training courses of traditional duduk and author-created duduk in Yerevan, as well as in other countries in any time.
    4. Sale of duduk manual and other works.
    5. Sale of “Quartet Dudukner” ensembles CD.
    CDs recordings include

    1. 18 spiritual CD performances
    2. 15 classical and spiritual CD performances
    3. 16 spiritual, classical, folk music CD performances
    4. 13 East, folk music CD performances
    5. 7 eastern melodies with special and professional introduction.

    I would like to inform you that all members of the ensemble staff are as well as soloists.
    There are also pipe and clarinet performances in program.
    Having regard for the high professionalizm and speciality of “Quartet Dudukner” ensemble be sure in its apportunity for creating fame and making enough financial profit.
    For having more detailed information please contact me.
    Conditions and cooperation terms will be discussed.
    It will be nice to cooperate with you.
    Expecting for your reply.
    With best wishes
    Avag Khachatryan
    Director of Dudukner Quartet

    E-mail: dudukner@yahoo.com

    quartet-dudukner@rambler.ru

    http://freenet.am/~dudukner
    № 205, 3, Abovian str., Yerevan, Armenia, 375001
    tel.fax. (34710) 54-42-31
    tel. (34791) 42-92-11
    http://freenet.am/~dudukner

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