is the CD dead?



I've been having an interesting friendly debate with Glenn Freeman of OgreOgress Productions about whether or not their forthcoming For Feldman release (which will contain the premiere of mf as performed by the Rangzen Quartet) should forgo a CD release. Glenn would like to issue it as a limited-release, high-quality audiophile DVD as well as a paid MP3 download. It has become unprofitable for such a small independent record label to release CDs, and OgreOgress actually makes more on their downloads than they do from their CD releases. Piracy is also of concern to Glenn (although I find it unlikely that significant numbers of my piece for string quartet will find their way to the file sharing networks anytime soon).

I wholeheartedly agree that if the CD isn't dead yet (it isn't, in my opinion), it is certainly circling the drain and will be relegated to the status of LPs within five years. However, here are some reasons that I articulated to Glenn why I think For Feldman should be released on CD:

* Not everyone can play audio DVDs (I've heard different opinions on that issue)
* It's much harder to extract the audio for use on a computer or MP3 player (in terms of piracy, that's a good thing, but not good from the standpoint of people who want to listen to their music legally on their iPods)
* The DVD will be significantly more expensive to purchase
* A lot of people whom I think would buy the CD are less likely to download a MP3
* Going to a downloadable MP3 distribution system over selling CDs is not going to have a real effect on piracy
* Few, if any, are going to spend a significant amount of money on an audio DVD of what amounts to one CD's worth of music (by way of contrast, the audio DVD of Feldman's String Quartet #2 goes for around $43. However, we're talking about 6 hours+ of uninterrupted music; five CD's worth for that $43)

I understand the bind that Glenn is in, and for me it's no big deal whatever he decides. I have software to extract the audio track from a DVD, although I'm not sure if it will do so from a commercial audio DVD due to copy restrictions. But whatever. I'm fine with downloading MP3s, and have been doing so for several years. I'm just not sure everyone is ready to give up CDs. Yet. I think they're unnecessary, and once I've ripped them to my iPod they are filed away. But is that true for most people, at least right now?

Posted: Wed - November 2, 2005 at 01:27 PM          

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