Do you think it matters more...

[Hamock]

An actual cd sounds better and more full/loud than mp3s.

no it doesnt

 

[hibernal_dream]

Yeah, it does. I just checked just then

 

[~Neurotica]

Thats what i said.

 

[cookiecutter]

I dowload from bands websites/myspace and then decide on that whether to buy the CD. Also, some bands I know I will like just because of how their style was described. Deeds of Flesh was like that for me.

PS: I learned supply and demand when I was 11. It's not that hard. Supply goes up price down, demand up price up. Demand down price down.

 

[skeptik]

I don't notice much of a difference, and that works well for me, so I'm fine.

 

[Nico]

What ABSOLUTELY FUCKING TERRIBLE rip-off companies do you deal with anyway? I can get 1000 CD's INCLUDING a 4-page booklet, full colour covers & inlays, print on the CD, and jewel case done for $2000, and keep in mind that's in SWEDEN and Sweden is more expensive than almost every country at almost everything. And as others have pointed out, prices decrease RAPIDLY with increasing print runs.

I'm just going with what I was quoted by a printer. Yup, the more you print, the less it costs, but 1000-2000 is usually ample for the kinds of bands we're talking about.

You fail to understand the mechanics of underground record labels. What every small metal label does is not buy wholesale, but trade their own releases (which they make for $2 or less a pop) for other labels' releases, and then sell those. So you spend $2 on something, which you swap for something else that you can sell (because an UG mailorder gets more attractive the more different releases they care) for say $8-10. Profit margin: say $5-8 after paying shipping of your stuff to the person you traded with.

I'm not "failing to understand" that, I'm just not taking it into consideration because we're talking about sales and production costs here, and how a label/distro gets its stock isn't the issue.

Another thing that needs correcting is the confusion caused by currency conversion. An Aussie dollar is worth $0.75 US dollars, in literal conversion, but everything is still far more expensive. CD's bought in a record store cost $30-35 ($22-26 US). Printing costs have about an equal percentage of overcharge. As does alcohol, but I only mention that because I'm too poor to get drunk

 

[Nico]

If more people wanted to buy from that website, do you think the prices would change or stay the same? Supply would increase to keep up with the demand...and that would mean costs for the label would increase.

What???

Overall costs go up, yes, because the label is producing more CD's. But the cost PER UNIT goes down, like everything in this world, mass production leads to cheaper production. Prices from some random CD duplication/print shop:

1000 CD's - $2 per unit
2000 CD's - $1.50 per unit
10,000 CD's - $0.90 per unit

This, with all logic attached, indicates that the higher the demand, the cheaper they can be produced, THUS! the cheaper they should be to purchase for the end consumer. No?

 

[CF87]

no it doesnt

Yes it does

get the fuck out of my courtroom!

 

[Zhou Tai 04]

I much prefer buying cds over downloading them, but I do download songs from band sites or Myspace or wherever, so long as it's legal. I almost always listen to my music in mp3 format (192 kbps); that quality is quite adequate for me and doesn't take up too terribly much space. I don't use 128 kbps because it pretty much kills the bass and makes the cymbals sound really tinny.

 

[Ender Rises]

It's almost never important to the music. It draws you in, but I wouldn't call it important. And you shouldn't be buying random albums anyway.

And you never just buy random CD's right? How many CD's do you buy a month?

 

[Hamock]

Yes it does

no it doesnt

 

[Blood&Tears]

I much more prefer buying the CDs but that rarely happens since Im broke most of the time and they are way too expensive for a little college student such as myself.
Also, I don't find many bands Im looking for in the music stores around here, and Im too afraid to get my info stolen by buying cds online.
So I have found an awesome web site that has soo many bands with full cds and I am ashamed to say that I download them for free

 

[SheisMySin]

>>>>>>This, with all logic attached, indicates that the higher the demand, the cheaper they can be produced, THUS! the cheaper they should be to purchase for the end consumer. No?


You're only thinking about manufacturing and print costs of the actual CD. When you make more, you need more help, more distribution, more labor...etc.

Scott

 

[CF87]

no it doesnt

yes it does

 

[Killbot]

yes it does

I wonder what hamock will say to that

 

[~Neurotica]

 

[cookiecutter]

You're only thinking about manufacturing and print costs of the actual CD. When you make more, you need more help, more distribution, more labor...etc.

Scott

More supply = lower costs. That's just how it is, you can't change it.

 

[Procella]

If nobody buys albums, soon there will be nothing to download...
Also, I think bands deserve our support.
I'm not a saint but I try to buy as many albums as possible .

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

I wonder what hamock will say to that