I'm not really sure myself. What I know is:
- I am a music fan.
- I try to buy at least 2-3 CDs a week, not counting iTunes purchases. My husband often tries to buy more.
- These CDs range from new releases on major labels by modern acts to remastered catalogs to lesser-known or independent acts.
- Over the past few years, both my husband and I have had an increasingly difficult time locating the CDs we want to buy.
- Over that same period, we've heard the horror stories about declining CD sales, and the industry's reasons behind that decline (downloading, file sharing, digital music, etc).
I'm having trouble correlating the facts being given by the RIAA (among others) that the music industry is in decline because people are downloading music, when week after week, I go out to legitimately purchase a number of CDs and I am unable to find them in record stores.
Here I am, trying, and failing, to give my money to the artists, labels, producers, and retailers who work so hard to provide me with the music I love. I'm in the same stores week after week, walking out empty handed and disappointed.
Yet, from what I hear, *I* am the problem?
Am I the problem because I don't want to select from the 4-5 limited titles the label and retailers have agreed to rack that week? The selection usually includes the latest teen/TV sensation's attempt at singing, a high-profile rap act or two that is more known for his or her bling/posse/rap sheet than for any insight into urban conditions, the latest Nickelback soundalike, and a hits disc from a band that is either doing the oldies circuit or is all of 3 years old and had a couple of singles so similar even most fans can't tell them apart.
The good stuff, the sexy stuff, the stuff you want to sit back and listen to and be blown away by and remember why you got so into music -- that's the stuff I can't find. Anywhere. Not on the New Release wall, not filed under the artist's name, and certainly not when I'm (un)lucky enough to ask someone who works there.
Or am I the problem because when I do suddenly find the CD 6 months after release date, I refuse to pay the $25+ the retailer wants for it, because now it is a catalog item?
In the long run, retailers only suffer. By falling into the pattern of promoting only the temporary, hit-of-the-moment thing, they lose an opportunity to develop a loyal music fan and returning customer. Most of these stores certainly aren't making any money charging below-cost prices for the latest Beyonce disc, even as loss-leaders (there's no catalog available to entice people to buy more).
I understand stock in a record store is a balance -- believe me I understand it. I also understand the labels aren't willing to (and likely, thanks to cutbacks, are in no position to) promote the more obscure or less-popular titles, and therefore the retailer is in a tough position. But somehow I don't think any rational person is going to believe suing computer users is going to fix that problem.
Let me set something straight: I'm not endorsing downloading. That's a whole other topic I'll get to in another post.
After too many months of giving most retailers yet another chance, and getting increasingly frustrated, I wanted a way to let the labels know why I wasn't buying. Or why I'd given up buying. Or why I bought from iTunes -- since so many labels seem so opposed to iTunes in general. I wanted to share my frustration. Something that used to be one of the best things in the world to do -- shop and browse in a record store -- is now something I nearly dread.
I'm going to start tracking what I tried to buy. And what I was denied.