Short Variety article on the labels.

[Ollie 859]

Neil S. Bulk & Roger Feigelson, from Intrada, had this linked on Facebook.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118017613.html?categoryId=3986&cs=1

[John Crichton 4]

Very good article.

[Charlie Brigden 5]

Short, but very good. Interesting final paragraph.

[Jay 27,216]

Wow, great article!

I can't believe how cheap it is to pay for a score. It sounds like if I won a million dollars through the lottery, I could afford to pay everything needed to get HOOK released.

[indy4 152]

Great article. I'm glad these labels are doing so well.

[Trent B 317]

Definitely a good article and a true one at that.

[Jacob 0]

Neat to actually hear some of the stuff that we bat around in the forums get officially addressed.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,064]

But, suggests Kendall, the days of physical product still desired by the fans (who like the colorful booklets and detailed notes) may be numbered.

The author of this article or Kendall seem to be under the impression that colorful booklets and detailed notes are only possible in physical releases.

It shows a clear lack in the art of print media and a lack of foresight. If anything we can have more colorful and more detailed and interactive content with digital releases. Imagine a world where every album you download comes with full videos of recording sessions. That's the future of digital releases.

[Richard Penna 2,083]

Yes, it's very heartening that the labels are doing well and that most of the studios seem to be cooperating.

It does bring something interesting to mind though. If the studios are interested in getting their archived material digitized for other purposes, then it surely makes sense for the labels to convert as much stuff as possible, regardless of the legalities of releasing said music. Especially if the condition of some tapes is deteriorating rapidly.

The point about AFM players being unhappy about reduced income... is that referring to falling CD sales or a new reuse fee rate?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

But, suggests Kendall, the days of physical product still desired by the fans (who like the colorful booklets and detailed notes) may be numbered.

The author of this article or Kendall seem to be under the impression that colorful booklets and detailed notes are only possible in physical releases.

It shows a clear lack in the art of print media and a lack of foresight. If anything we can have more colorful and more detailed and interactive content with digital releases. Imagine a world where every album you download comes with full videos of recording sessions. That's the future of digital releases.

But we like physical releases.

[Ollie 859]

The point about AFM players being unhappy about reduced income... is that referring to falling CD sales or a new reuse fee rate?

Union fees.

[indy4 152]

I hope these labels continue to release physical CDs.

[Charlie Brigden 5]

As much as I love CDs, as long as I get the music in a lossless format, I don't really care. I'd be happy to make CDs for them.

It'd certainly save on international shipping.

[Richard Penna 2,083]

I'd be fine with buying flacs and high quality artwork. I just don't have much of an attachment to physical CDs.

However, you can't realistically limit the number of downloads (even if you did, files have a strange habit of multiplying...). There would need to be a change in the way fees are paid for it to work.

[Andy 1,492]

But we like physical releases.

Absolutely. A digital version of the Blue Box would be far less sumptuous. I even like the smell of booklet ink.

[Kendal_Ozzel 32]

What would we even call that? The Blue... Folder?

[BLUMENKOHL 1,064]

Absolutely. A digital version of the Blue Box would be far less sumptuous. I even like the smell of booklet ink.

Exception. Not the rule. 99% of physical releases are garbage. Ugly plastic jewel cases and crappy thrown together booklets.

[Jacob 0]

Imagine a world where every album you download comes with full videos of recording sessions.

That reads like a movie trailer.

[indy4 152]

Absolutely. A digital version of the Blue Box would be far less sumptuous. I even like the smell of booklet ink.

Exception. Not the rule. 99% of physical releases are garbage. Ugly plastic jewel cases and crappy thrown together booklets.

There's still an appeal to those usual releases. I don't think it's a particularly beautiful sight, but I get a real feeling of accomplishment out of seeing my entire collection in person. Seeing a list of album or track titles doesn't hold a candle to seeing the actual thing.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,064]

Absolutely. A digital version of the Blue Box would be far less sumptuous. I even like the smell of booklet ink.

Exception. Not the rule. 99% of physical releases are garbage. Ugly plastic jewel cases and crappy thrown together booklets.

There's still an appeal to those usual releases. I don't think it's a particularly beautiful sight, but I get a real feeling of accomplishment out of seeing my entire collection in person. Seeing a list of album or track titles doesn't hold a candle to seeing the actual thing.

I don't like clutter. I don't like collecting substandard items. If I go to the store and I look at the CD and its packaging and see it's generic, I'm not spending money it.

The CD's/packaging I display on my library are all beautiful specimens of packaging. Everything else has been ripped and stuck in the attic never to be seen again.

[indy4 152]

Absolutely. A digital version of the Blue Box would be far less sumptuous. I even like the smell of booklet ink.

Exception. Not the rule. 99% of physical releases are garbage. Ugly plastic jewel cases and crappy thrown together booklets.

There's still an appeal to those usual releases. I don't think it's a particularly beautiful sight, but I get a real feeling of accomplishment out of seeing my entire collection in person. Seeing a list of album or track titles doesn't hold a candle to seeing the actual thing.

I don't like clutter. I don't like collecting substandard items. If I go to the store and I look at the CD and its packaging and see it's generic, I'm not spending money it.

The CD's/packaging I display on my library are all beautiful specimens of packaging. Everything else has been ripped and stuck in the attic never to be seen again.

I love some variety in the physical cases. I love how some look pretty on a shelf, and some look sloppy and crude, but when you put them together its just one giant, patternless, and random testament to one's fandom. Makes me feel like an archaeologist.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

I'm with indy4. If I only displayed the beautiful CDs, there'd be like 5 things on my shelf.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

I love some variety in the physical cases. I love how some look pretty on a shelf, and some look sloppy and crude, but when you put them together its just one giant, patternless, and random testament to one's fandom. Makes me feel like an archaeologist.

I like the cut of your jib.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,064]

That's an insult to Indiana Jones. Records are beautiful. CD cases are not.

[indy4 152]

They're not beautiful, they're rewarding to look at. Visually, a big collection is greater than the sum of its parts.

[Trent B 317]

I'd prefer a CD over an actual record (those big things).

[Quintus 5,391]

I haven't bought a cd for years. The sight of a viewable collection means nothing to me, the ones I already own just collect dust. Everything is a digital download thesedays, my pc or iPod are my audio devices, can't remember the last time I turned on my hi-fi.

I guess that makes me one of the great number contributing to the declne in cd sales.

However I do appreciate the efforts of Intrada and others in getting the re-releases out for those keen to get hold of them and I hope it long continues.

[Ollie 859]

Well since I'm one the few who actually play their CDs and only use my iPod when I'm not able to play them, I still prefer the physical CD.

[Quintus 5,391]

My uncle is the same, in fact I'd say he is actively anti-mp3. He's well into his vinyl etc, so I guess that says a lot about the sort of music collector he is. It would be a mighty shame if the traditional mediums were eventually killed off, but I can honestly see it happening.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

I don't think it will happen soon, but probably in my lifetime.

[Ollie 859]

It will happen eventually, in fact it's started somewhat. Up is a prime example.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

Didn't Disney say they would no longer produce CDs, so that's why Up was never printed? But then I think they changed their mind because Alice In Wonderland got a release. So, they made a mistake, probably a big one that would have gotten them a lot of money. Now it's too late to release a CD, especially considering how small this market is.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

There's only 3000 of us?

[Quintus 5,391]

About thirty of which can be counted here.

[Ollie 859]

I hope that when the time comes, and if I'm still around, when the studios do go the download only route, that they still allow FSM and the labels to work on restoring the music and not cut them out and do it in house.

[Jay 27,216]

That's actually what worried me most about this article. That the studios would go "woah - a $10 million/year industry? Why share that with these small labels when we could do it ourselves!"

Then we'd have more releases like the 1996/2002 ET, Phantom Menace UE, and the Concord Indy box, and less releases like The Fury and Black Sunday.

[indy4 152]

I think it'll be a while before CDs completely die out. The next step is clearly digital, but I think there's a good amount of people who want a physical copy. LPs and cassettes were both being replaced by different physical items, so their demise was quickened because even those who wanted a physical release were happy. CD to digital is a step that has never been taken before, and I think it will upset enough people to warrant CD releases for a long time.

[Wojo 2,442]

I don't see CDs dying.

Look at vinyl. You would think that LP's died in the 1980s when they were replaced by cassettes (RIP) and CDs, argued to be in their waning years due to digital downloads.

But look at this. Green Day's latest album on vinyl. Any Best Buy store has an entire section dedicated to vinyl. And TheMusic.com constantly releases classic album in remastered vinyl format.

I plan to eventually rip my vinyl to digital format, yet here is vinyl for those audiophiles who want to listen to vinyl for the pure sake of, not to make their collection portable. So expect CDs to take an even longer time to die.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,064]

Of course vinyl won't die. And neither will CD's.

The stuff that comes out on vinyl these days is really something special. You don't release vinyl for the masses, you release it for a niche market, and you tend to get more beautiful packaging. They put attention into it.

Same concept as with these old scores. Since the big boys don't care, the little guys that care can come up with great releases for a small niche.

[Andy 1,492]

I've often wondered about the idea of our favorite labels doing vinyl releases. I could see myself getting into that if they did.

[Wojo 2,442]

Talk about a niche of a niche.