Vote

Increased competition for leisure time, mostly the Internet. A greater statistical distribution of sales along a wider spectrum of titles, mostly due to Amazon, et al (There's plenty of good music if you look beyond the mass marketed stuff.)

Poor selection of new music and consolidation of radio stations and constrained playlists. If there's new music that's any good, no one will play it in deference to the homogenized, boring, mainstream rubbish that supposedly will earn money rather than please listeners.

First, there's a lack of new music that motivates me to search out new albums. Second, most radio stations are unappealing to me. While I have the money to buy new titles, there's little opportunity for me to hear the new releases. Articles on NPR's ATC, Morning Edition, or Weekend Edition have done more for my new title purchases than the local commercial radio stations. KC radio stations aren't very appealing to adults with the income to buy new music. Finally, pricing has gotten beyond absurd. $18.99+tx is a ridiculous price to pay when a CD-R with a jewel case costs less than a dollar when bought at WalMart. However, I do buy about 30-40 CDs a year through the BMG CD club when their special offers drop the price per CD to around $9. As long as the music companies retail policies remain the same, the more sales they'll lose to downloads and CD copying.

The move to online music is the biggest factor in conjunction with things like the increasing diversity of ways to listen to

I would pick the first four on the list and the next to last option. They all are part of the problem.

I keep hearing that classical music doesn't sell, but (at the risk of engaging in hyperbole) I haven't found anyone who is actually selling it! It once took my dealer 18 months to obtain a title for me, and waits of six to twelve months between ordering a title and receiving it are common. I deal with three or four classical dealers in Australia. They all complain about the difficulties with supply. Apologies perhaps to Universal Music Australia who recently sent me a number of titles within a week: you have my stongest encouragement. I think the industry became too reliant on blockbusters that sold millions, but much of that market is now downloading music and not buying CDs. Instead of selling music to make money, the big companies began to make money by selling music as a commodity. The men in grey suits who came up with this business model forgot the role of their customers in the process.

It is difficult to choose just one from the above list. In my opinion, it is a combination of factors that is troubling the music industry, all self-inflicted. But if I have to choose just one, I would have to say that the worst culprit would have to be the poor selection of new music. If there was a band or artist that really excited me, was recorded well, then most of the points above would be mute. I wouldn't mind paying current prices for something good. I don't necessarily think the cd format is stale, there is much potential in the format as seen with many well recorded material—which is proving to be all the more rare as time goes by. The move to online music, I believe, is partly due to the highly compressed recordings we hear in most forms of popular music. I think with good, dynamic recordings most people would opt for the CD rather than MP3s, and not just audiophiles. The constrained playlists on radios are an effect of the poor choices out there, not a cause of them. Again, just one guy's opinion...

Surely the main problem is that CDs (and SACDs) are far overpriced. I would certainly buy a lot more myself if the prices were drastically cut.

Well, all the so-called new music has nothing to it. Most pop artist sell their wares by dancing around on TV in dental floss underwear. Maybe I am too critical, but there is just nothing there to really sell.

It was hard to pick just one. These guys have multiple problems. I am just so glad there is still plenty of used and new killer vinyl.

The move to online music has definitely cut into the industry's CD sales. But I'm not sure this is the root cause. Tower has an outlet at Disney Hall and, in spite of the fact that the LA Philharmonic has begun podcasting subscription concerts, there is a brisk traffic in the CDs sold at that site. I confess ignorance in terms of the pop scene, I'm most interested in classical and Jazz. At the root of it all is the failure of the industry as a whole to wise up and unify a marketing plan. So I checked "other." It seems there is a lot of infighting and the mule-headed defending of insignificant territories within the overall landscape. Different industry special interests will make the damnedest stupid decisions to defend against outside incursions (copyright lawsuits, internet squabbles, foremat wars, etc) while ignoring the big picture. The industry is strangling itself with its own self-created red tape. It needs executives with vision and a sense of mutual best interests. I fear more bankruptcies are needed before anybody sees the light. Our system punishes misallocated capital, and these guys need a few more twists of the thumbscrews before they will respond. As it now stands, the lawyers are making all the money.

Based on what I hear from my teenage daughters and their friends, the album, which requires you to buy a whole package on one medium (usually consisting of 10 to 15 tracks by a single artist or group)is being replaced by the single download. This change may be seen as a reversion to the 78- and 45-rpm single, except that you can buy them without leaving your seat. Then by burning them you can quickly create your own album of favorite tracks rather than letting the artist or the record company make the decision for you. As a person who grew up with the "concept album," I'm not comfortable with this change, but I think the music industry has to deal with it soon in order to survive. The rest of us can hoard our vinyl and CD collections.

Lack of interesting music is the main problem, due to the corporate control of the artists. They just don't allow new or radical musicians to release anything. To much risk to their profits. No wonder, there are only handful of record companies, controling the software. We are back to monopoly again.

Sociological changes. Nowadays adults have to work longer hours and kids have to do more homework. People are more harried. They feel they don't have time to sit still and listen to music.

Prices too high, suing its remaining customers, poor selection, terrible artists, no support for real artists, focus on the quick buck, focus on one hit wonders(hmm why do they think downloading is such an issue??)real competition for entertainment time and dollars( x-box, ps2, dvd..etc)poor PR image...ECT ECT...I am shocked they are still in business...the one thing that is not killing them is down loading...that is just the sympton of the monster they created with such short sited business plans

How about we say "All of the above" and more. They've relied on bully tactics for way too long now, fleecing the consumer and the artists for their own gain. Now, finally, the consumer and the artists have both realised they don't need them any more—and good luck to all of us! Hopefully it won't result a reduction of audio quality (eg, MP3 and the Internet), but if that is the price to pay for a selection of music that is from more than a dozen or so artists that sell in mass numbers then I'm not sure what is the lesser of the two evils. Currently, we get so-so quality recordings from a few rehashed artists and nothing original.

Many of the above. Also, the loss of "quality audio" listeners. Sure we have the iPod people that think there 128 kbps songs are just "great" but we are losing a generation of two-channel quality stereo listeners. Most of the stuff now is produced to sound good on compressed FM and iPods but not on good two-channel stereo systems.

Try eMusic and see. For $20 you receive 90 tracks—the math does not lie! CD prices are ridiculous. Look at what you buy for equivalent money (a $20 DVD enables us to watch our favorite performers). SACDs are decently priced; CDs should be cheaper.

i think the cd music price is too hight because i hear the diferent clasic music but the performance is too low example the level is too hight,the re eq or remastering is very bad and the price of this format ithink or i suggest take the action for a distributors of cd low prices and the studios remastering verify to re eq ofthe recording

When the Beatles first sent their demo tape to Capitol Records they were rejected because, "Guitar bands were not in fashion anymore." Record companies realized they could not judge what music would sell and we enjoyed the results. Would any company sign the Dead these days? Now, the executives belive they know music and we have Britany Spears and designed by accountant driven recording sessions.

it's difficult to hear new music, that and too many formats. That makes software and hardware purchases difficult.

Prices too high, poor selection, and lack of initiative by record labels. If a CD would cost $5 and the labels would promote new artists, for sure the thing will work better.

CD prices are too high anywhere but Amazon and sometimes Bestbuy. People are moving towards low quality online music, and then they are listening to it on ibuds so what difference does the quality make anyway. Popular radio stations tell everyone what to like and then play about ten songs over and over again.

to many other outlets for entertaiment...dvd's, video games, etc

Stupid copy protection measures.

Online music seems to be where the action is. I also feel there is a poor selection of new music, but the kids appear to like and listen despite my opinions. I believe they are listening to online sources instead of buying. Spontaneity, portability, and convenience are integral to music enjoyment for most people, so new formats that cater to these elements (like iPods and satellite radio) become the new standards. Fidelity is secondary, unfortunately. A big part of CD's success was convenience, and any perceived improvement in fidelity was actually just a bonus. SACD and DVD-Audio didn't catch fire because the pick up in fidelity wasn't significant for the masses (as well as because they split the market).

Affordable home studios can produce pro results. Online communities can spread the word for an artist without an advertising budget. A big label sure helps, but it's no longer a requirement.

They're too busy pushing technology designed to prevent illegal copies and downloads: technology that is detrimental to their paying customers. So fire these moronic company bozos! Clean house at the top! They need to give more (not less) to the customers.

Mainly the mass market's (bad)taste for sound and hence the happy listeners of internet data reduced files. They (the files) are handy, cheap and easy to access. Tha fact that they sound poor is hard to get across. In that attempt CDs are too expensive.

Online downloads, courtesy of the likes of iPod.