US Albums Sales Hit New Low

[craig 680]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/album-sales-nosedive-as-cruel-summer-rolls-on-20130806

 

By Steve Knopper
August 6, 2013 1:01 PM ET

 

After more than a decade of online piracy, record-store closings, major-label layoffs and superstar artists abruptly turning independent, the record industry may have finally hit bottom this summer. At the end of July, U.S. albums sold just 4.68 million copies, the lowest weekly total since Nielsen SoundScan began keeping track in 1991, and for the first time ever, labels sold fewer than 5 million albums in each of five straight weeks. The dismal sales strongly suggest growing streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora and YouTube have begun to cut into CDs and download sales. "We're in a transition," says Daniel Glass, president of Glassnote Records, home of Mumford & Sons, Phoenix and others. "Streaming is up. The economic model is not there today, but it will be there."

 

Some in the music business have blamed the poor recent sales on factors outside of Spotify and other streaming services, with which they've made multimillion-dollar content deals in recent years. These factors include low catalog sales, a reluctance to price more titles at $5 or lower and a lack of hot new albums this summer. ("Blaming the release schedule is like blaming the weather," rebuts Carl Mello, a senior buyer for New England music chain Newbury Comics. "There are always records connecting. There are always songs of the summer.") But Jim Caparro, former president of Island Def Jam Records, is one of many who believe streaming services are cannibalizing digital sales via iTunes, Amazon and other online stores. "The idea of unlimited access to everything for one fee a month is a very attractive proposition, and the subscription services are doing a good job," he says. "The record companies have to re-engineer themselves [around subscription services] to continue to be relevant and profitable."

 

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/album-sales-nosedive-as-cruel-summer-rolls-on-20130806#ixzz2bDcdX6Af
 

[lodylody 1,649]

ARTPOP will bring 'em right back up.  

[MrFameKills 1,600]

ARTPOP will bring 'em right back up.

this

[teo 609]

Don't worry, Gaga's coming to save the US music industry in just few months.

[Urban 9]

As stated above, I'm sure Gaga will bring those numbers up, in addition to Katy Perry, Britney Spears, and maybe Beyonce. With so much pop music coming out it is bound to go up. 

[AlexanderMagno 10,746]

And now Gaga comes back and everyone starts buying because:

 

1) some people want to buy Gaga stuff

2) some people want to buy other artists' stuff so that they can try to give Gaga some competition and keep hating.

 

 

I just hope people remember these low sales when ARTPOP comes and rises them back :ARTPOP: I need people to realise Gaga is the music industry

[Guest]

Interesting! In The Netherlands it was reported just a few weeks ago that album sales have been increasing this year

[craig 680]

a lack of hot new albums this summer.

 

 

If they were pop fans, they'd see more in this theory.

 

I also think summer has become a dismal season for record sales. Used to be kids would be out of school looking for entertainment. Now older people are a bigger percent of album buyers, and they tend to travel or do outdoor things in summer.

[Dirty Pony 5]

And now Gaga comes back and everyone starts buying because:

 

1) some people want to buy Gaga stuff

2) some people want to buy other artists' stuff so that they can try to give Gaga some competition and keep hating.

 

 

I just hope people remember these low sales when ARTPOP comes and rises them back :ARTPOP: I need people to realise Gaga is the music industry

[Blank Space 0]

Fear not gurls Gaga will save all world once again,like she did many times before.

[Zach Monster 0]

lodylody, on 07 Aug 2013 - 02:26, said:ARTPOP will bring 'em right back up.
I was about to say the exact same thing. Lol.

[lodylody 1,649]

lodylody, on 07 Aug 2013 - 02:26, said:ARTPOP will bring 'em right back up.

I was about to say the exact same thing. Lol.

hehe

[dy2light 28]

ARTPOP will bring 'em right back up.

this 

[Ammuffin 1]

Hmm wonder why. The Q4 sales of this year will change that 

[Tommymonster44 0]

I'm glad that, from the perspective of this article at least, record companies are finally taking responsibility for their business.  Ever since the digital revolution began, most of the industry leaders have just been crying that their old model isn't working an asking for a government crackdown to solve the problem for them.

 

It appears that a shift is occurring, though. Labels are finally realizing that they are using an outdated model and need to change if they want to survive.