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Considering the cost to produce each cd, an ideal price would be around $6

CDs should cost $7.50 The same price going to the movies. A lot of us know that it only costs about $.50 to print a cd. I try to buy my cds where they sell them at cost to attract customers. i.e. Some Circuit Cities and Fry's (CA Bay Area)

Between buying from BMMG and used, I think the average price I've been paying is about $7. Unfortunately, a lot of the more interesting and obscure classical CDs can't be gotten this way. If many of these CDs were cheaper, I would definitely be buying more of them. It makes me wonder if many of the presently $15-17 classical issues were half as much, would sales be higher? Would the record companies sell more records for just as much (or little) profit? I don't know; I would be interested in hearing the opinion of someone who does.

Most of the el cheapo CD's I buy, sound like crap. I'd only be willing to by more if they were well-recorded.

Why has the price of a CD remained constant while the manufacturing costs have dropped drastically over the last decade?

i go to used lp stores and buy music because its cheaper, it often sounds better in the bargain, but i would like cd's if they were cheaper, because for the last few years they have really improved.

Right now I purchase most of my CDs at stores specializing in used CDs, so I AM paying around $8 per CD. In fact, I just purchased the Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc version of "Dark Side of the Moon" for $7! If new CDs were so cheap, I would buy more new.

Artist's and producers are big losers.. they are asked to put out more music and work..for the same or less money..remember a CD is 74min and DVD..?? Quality would probably drop and we would get a cheesy shrunken version of a Ted Nudget album... Sales would increase at $8.00 a pop though..tradeoff?

this is a stupid question. I will buy at least twice more than what I get now, if not more!!!!

Hell yes, I'd buy TONS more. Actually, likely twice as much. Don't have a strict budget, but I do buy a pile of 'em. I count on mail-order to keep prices reasonable, and cringe when I have to get that odd title at a retail outlet.

That's about the going rate for the record clubs with the shipping and handling tacked on.

I would definitely be more willing to experiment more with artists or types of music than I am now since blowing $15 - $20 is a lot of money for something I may never listen to again(and trade ins usually only get you $4 or $5.)

Prices of CDs never dropped as promised.

The problem isn't necessarily the price of CD's- it's the amount of quality music and quality recordings that are available for purchase. Lowering the price won't change the music.

Absolutely, music costs too much, especially in light [of the fact] that prices never did fall from the original retail of $14.99 when CDs were introduced. I still remember the empty promises of the record companies back in the mid-'80s: "Prices will drop as soon as we start selling more."

Currently I buy mostly through "record" clubs and already pay prices in this range with deals like "Buy 1 get 2 free!"

I buy many used CDs priced at $6 to $10. Now that manufacturers have tooled up and debugged CD production, high retail costs translate to high profits. Several years ago, when a recording company spokesman was asked to justify the high costs of CDs, his response was the public perceives it as a better value. See, it was our fault all along.

a 1000%+ profit is just too much for the record companys to be making.

I wanted to check the "$8 is still too much" box, but the truth is that I often shop the used-CD rack for $7-$8, and clearly purchase more CDs there---about three times more. If another reader could provide the average music-industry cost data, we could do a quick calculation to see if that industry would reap more profit at 3x$8, or 1x$16.

Here in Calgary (Canada), retail chains sell current releases for the equivalent of US$8-10 now, and the mail-order clubs' usual deal is 3 CDs for about US$12-15 (US$6-7 each including shipping), so we are already enjoying your price scenario in the Great White North!

Two for the price of one? Quit teasing me.

I would buy more to be used in the car and inexpensive systems. What we are lacking is a good variety of high-quality CD's for which I don't mind paying more (such as XRCD). They do make a gratifying difference in my reference system.

I would buy all the titles that I have in cassette tape now. And then throw away the tapes (about 200 tapes).

At under $10 a disc, I would definitely experiment more with music or groups that I'm currently unfamiliar with.

with about $1 cost to manufacture the disc, $7 is plenty of royalty to the label & artist

cause us poor college students can't afford hi-fi AND cd's!

I still like most vinyle better, but buy lots of CDs too.

CDs right now are too expensive; if they were half the price, I could buy twice as many :)

In Europe, a CD costs $20. More comment needed?

I currently purchase used CDs at $7-8 a copy, and it is very rare for me to buy new. By being patient and watchful, I can usually satisfy my desires at several very good used-CD stores in my neighborhood. Screw those high prices!