Hi, im in my final year at uni and for my dissertation I am going to be analysing the music industry’s major record companies responses to a changed UK/global market place for CDs.

I am interested in any views/opinions or any information you may have on how well you feel the major record companies have responded to illegal filesharing, the end of the CD boom & competition from other leisure items.

I am also interested in any views you may have on the possible ways forward in the future for the major record companies.

Thanks for your time and help, Jamie.

I and I don't really know much about various big labels, but smaller ones aren't hugely arsed about people downlodaing their bands stuff, coz they generally make more money from the bands shows, rather than record sales. Household Name Records in particular, emial them, they may be able to help you more.

I read or heard somewhere that cd sales have not plummeted... but instead have sustained the same level it has had for years.

I think that record companies need to realize that they will never be able to control the internet and how people get access to files.

Record companies need to focus more on band promotion / concert sales / new innovative ways to stay in business AT ALL. Downloadable music is inevitably the future of the music world, and getting a piece of the pie is all they shoud be worrying about.

Physical Medium (CDs / DVDs) only still exist for two reasons:

1) The older age group will continue to stick discs into their music devices the way they've been doing it their entire life.
2) Internet speed / hard drive capacity is not yet sufficient.

It should be noted that both internet speed and hard drive capacity are constantly improving... and at the current rate will soon be able to withstand the amount of data needed to transfer high quality music and video files via the internet.

There will be no reason to go out and purchase a physical disc when you can download a permanent, digital version of your favorite album or movie from the click of a mouse.

XBOX360 will be one of the first mass-market digital media center systems that will try to merge home entertainment with internet functionality on a global level.

It's hard to say what is beyond the 10 year mark, but its safe to assume that all of your digital music and videofiles will be remotely housed, meaning you can access YOUR files from anywhere (via internet, phone, friends house, next-gen iPod, etc.)

If the Record Companies fail to realize this, they will fail in the media marketshare as well.

concerning cd sales, i don't think the authour of this thread was talking about a plummet in sales. the boom has stopped ie the rate of buying is not increasing anymore

i think you're right about cds and dvds heading out the door as soon as technology is better, but then there is always going to be a generation that want to physically own the music they buy. personally, i don't buy a cd for the music (sounds silly i know), because i can dowload it and listen to it on my ipod. i buy a cd because i like it and i want to own it. also a decent cd has good artwork/sleevenotes ... this mentality is probably the only reason people still buy vynl

the remote housing idea is almost certainly going to happen: just look at the history of pc software: you used to have to get a programme to download and rip your music, a programme to encode it as mp3, and programme to play it, and a programme to burn it to disk. now itunes does all these things. in time technology seems to consolodate, mobile phones play music, take pictures, send/recieve emails etc. it won't be long until we have one or two gadgets to do all the tings we need

a possibility is that hard discs will become obsolete, or at least personal hard discs, and somehow in 10 years time all data will be stored in the ether, or in really big servers. still, i think even then there may be a need to OWN something like a cd physically, although as we all know now cds don't last forever as it was originally claimed

rest assured record companies will not miss out on the future

Yes, but I believe that our era is still lumped together with the older aged people. We had physical music in our lives for a long time and have not completely let go of the idea of "physical ownership".

Within a few years, when the internet has become even more widespread and accessible, I believe that there will no longer be an issue with 100% hard drive based music.

vinyls are good.cds are good.online music is good.Live music is good-whether acoustic or electric.Ear damage bad.Music good-music is the best-all kinds-w/in reason.The Internet could proove to be a viable commerce tool for all kinds of alternative music-including alternative classical...Providing that there is still a world left...

I'm mixed in agreeance with the statements that have been made above.
I do download music but I also buy originals, For the having of it and also as mentioned for the art and cover notes.
One sided I think the music industry should do more in the way of promotion of their artists. Once people witness a great show they are sure to want to hear/see more of this artist.
But I have to say that the lack of great shows of late had been great.
Seriously, can someone name me a band that has formed recently that can still give away a show like the 'Bands of old' did? (I', talking The Stones, Queen, Sabath etc.......)
That is what needs to be focused on by the "industry" Not just the making of money with mixed cd's or acoustic ones. Fun as that might be to listen once or twice in my oppinion it kind of undermines the artist and their music.

I think that the music format depends on the hardware that plays the music . That is if ipod and mp3 players are increasing popularity so do the mp3. CD players are old technology these days so less CDs are sold. However mp3 are not going to be free. Itunes and other online services are growing bigger and bigger. I think that people are not willing to spend money for a single mp3 file and the artists on the other hand do not want to sell a single song but a whole album(this is the whole conception for all the songs in it).

The solution that I have just like an idea now is multimedia packs to be sell. They should include all of the mp3, photos, lirics and short movies. These packs can be guarded by software registration key that will make the music protected at the same level as the software. This will save the idea of creating album - not just a single in mp3 format

I have a feeling major record companies don't give a rats ass about music, integrity or creativtiy. Only the all might dollar. If the only way to hear music was to download it, and there was no promotion, the best music would be heard. I don't like being told what music to liten too. Too many "not famous" artist out there that are better than those who are TV.

These inevitabilities make me sad. Whether or not most people do, the iTunes concept allows you to buy a single song from an album rather than buying the whole thing. This will lead to a generation of drones content only to buy the songs that they see or hear on top40 radio or the MTV countdown. If you think the industy and the majority of its productions are in a sorry state now, just wait 'til people's only option is to buy what they want.

If artists understand that people will only pay for their singles, the quality of their other work will sink. On the other hand, the quality of their singles would improve as that is the product that they are effectively pimping. The artists might just remove these "B-Sides" entirely and only release singles to be heard, but on a much more regular basis. What that would mean is a greater musical variety that is readily available, but more music lost in the flow (not a bad thing, but we would have to dig deeper).

It's hard to say exactly which direction online music will go, but with these more consumer-oriented artists, the industry will wither and they will proceed them as a global, suburbanite pleasing store. And there's no culture in commerce... there's just... nothing.