Would you buy more CDs if the price dropped to $8 US retail?

Are CD prices too high? Does pricing constrict the amount of music you purchase and listen to? After reading the responses to last week's question, it seems appropriate to ask if you would buy more regular CDs if the price dropped substantially---let's say to around $8 US per disc at retail.

Would you buy more CDs if the price dropped to $8 US retail?
Yes, a lot more
56% (267 votes)
Yes, a moderate amount more
28% (131 votes)
Yes, a few more
7% (34 votes)
About the same amount
4% (19 votes)
$8 is still too much
4% (19 votes)
I don't buy CDs
1% (3 votes)
Total votes: 473

COMMENTS
Alex's picture

part of the reason that I don't like buying CDs at $15 is that I know that they are so cheap to make. I really feel like I'm getting ripped off by the record companies.

Al Marcy's picture

Money, money, money. Stereophile used to be about music. "The music suffers, babe, but the music business thrives." - Paul Simon "Rhythm of the Saints"

Thad Aerts's picture

I say yes because, as much as I do prefer vinyl sonically to CDs, certain releases are not available on vinyl, leaving me with no other option. Furthermore, when I first started buying vinyl, one of my arguments to justify this to those on the digital side of the argument was that a CD simply does not sound seven dollars better then a record. Seven dollars worse is what I say. I remember at the beginning of the CD takeover that it was always said by all the major labels that CDs were more expensive because the technology wasn't perfected, but once more stuff was put out on CD, prices would go down. Being a musician, I know for a fact that records are now actually more expensive to make then CDs (at a little less then $1), yet we haven't seen CD prices go down a bit. So yeah, I'd say it's about time.

Eirik Ulven's picture

I would buy a lot more CDs. I still think the price is too high. It should be around $6. In Norway the prices are kr 189 ($24.45). This is way too much.

Stewart Weaver's picture

As the compact disc format has matured, the cost of producing a disc has dropped dramatically. However, retail pricing has remained relatively stable. Most compact disc replicators charge as little as 50 cents per CD, to their client, to manufacture a disc. Retail pricing is far too high considering the manufacturing to retail price ratio.

T's picture

I would prefer to pay in Swedish crowns, since I live in Sweden. Only kidding. Was it fun?

Sam Tellig's picture

Mainly I buy Naxos CDs---and the price is not $8, but $5 or $6. That's what a good CD is worth. Five bucks. Incidentally, you can get big-label CDs for an average cost of around $8 from BMG or Columbia House record clubs.

Douglas Lovell's picture

I would buy a lot more NEW CDs at $8. Right now I spend a lot of time (and the majority of my music budget) shopping for used CDs at about that price level.

Mike Molinaro's picture

I would take more 'chances' on music that I may see an interesting review of, or hear a selection or snippet.

willis greenstreet's picture

I doubt that the music industry will pay any attention to this as they have always had the attitude that higher is better.

carl's picture

Price in the USA is not such a big issue, elsewhere it sure the hell is...can you say gouge! But this is gonna sound like sacrelige but I have been cullng the Software collection with vigor, I mean really how many discs can you really listen to in one year....I sell them used to buy more neew stuff or i have donated them to my local PBS radio station This is an addicition at times.

John Atkinson's picture

At $8/disc, there's precious little margin for a small record company. But Naxos has shown that it can be done.

Ray Garrison's picture

If I could buy two CDs for the price I currently pay for one CD, seems logical to me that I'd buy twice as many. I have X $$$ to spend on music each week; I'll buy whatever I can with that money.

Dale's picture

Remember the days when records cost $3-$5? I could get several at a time. I could buy one on a hunch, to see if I liked it. It was fun to explore. Now, even in todays money $12-$18 just seems too much to be free with.

Lonnie Brownell's picture

$8 per is about half current retail. I'd have to get out my calculator to be sure, but my guess is that I'd probably buy about TWICE as many CDs.

J.Ortiz's picture

Are you kidding? Take the DVD example. One of the most attractive features of DVD is its relative affordability (in comparison to LD's). Just a great price to performance ratio. If CD's were to drop to $8 I would positively be buying a LOT more music.

Peter MacHare's picture

I'm paying, on average, $5-6 for a CD now (I'm in two music clubs), and yes, I buy a lot more at these prices.

John K.  Howell, Santa Clara's picture

Every once in a while I get a serious jones to buy music. This usually happens after I have read a couple of positive reviews, or a new album by a favorite artist arrives. If the cost of a CD was effectively halved from what I pay now (on average), I could exercise this jones a lot more often. Of course, storage becomes an issue . . .

Karl Richichi U.T.  Film Dept's picture

Will the day of a cd under 9.00$ new ever come?

John Muenzberg's picture

About %50-60 of the CDs I currently own were purchased used for about $8 each. If new CDs were cheaper I would spend that money on new ones. Also, one reason I keep buying LPs is that I can take a chance on an album for only a few dollars. O' Yeah, and I'm supposed to say they sound better too. Any album that costs $1.50 sounds great to me.

Anonymous's picture

Isn't this common sense?

Louie's picture

Price rules. I'd be dropping by the retail outlets a heck of a lot more when I know I'm getting double my money!

G.  Moneo's picture

I buy about 5 CDs per month. At $8, I would double or triple the quantity I'd buy.

David A Ryerson's picture

Why buy new CDs that cost $13 to $16 when I can get them used for $5 to $9 each?

Bill Seltzer's picture

The only CDs in my collection are from used dealers. I know this detracts from the musician's ability to earn a "living," but $14-$20 is an egregious amount to charge listeners. I would benefit from the lower price because I could experiment more with different genres. I would like to see the CD price in the $5 ballpark. Give the consumer a true bang for their buck!

David Morse's picture

CD's at this price would encourage me to take more risks with music I might not otherwise buy.

Lorrain's picture

yes twice more

Milton's picture

I would say , am I dreaming?

Tom.'s picture

Yes! I'd buy alots more. The current prices are not justifiable.

Mannie Smith's picture

BMG record Club prices are approx $8 - $8.50 now (incl shipping), since they basically sell at 2/3 off.

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