Artificial CD scarcity

[David Ayers]

I mentioned in another thread the artificial scarcity of new vinyl. I wonder if anybody has noticed that fairly recent CDs can go OOP quite quickly. I went to look for a budget reissue today which only came out internationally in December 2018, and it is already OOP. There is a new copy on amazon at double the original price but I'm not biting. So that is less than nine months in print, and I have confirmed that it is OOP, not reprinting. I've seemed to see this on a couple of things in recent times. Of course, if it is on spotify then I can hear it, so all is not lost. Am I the only one to come across this?

Edited September 5, 2019 by David Ayers

[Daniel A]

But is it really "artificial"? Maybe they print less copies because they don't expect to sell that many? 

[David Ayers]

Sure, that’s what I mean. It is a change, if that is what is happening, from the previous model of keeping things in the catalogue a long time. Instead things come and go, some of them at least, or seem to.

Edited September 5, 2019 by David Ayers

[Brad]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

But is it really "artificial"? Maybe they print less copies because they don't expect to sell that many? 

I'd think this would be the case. Maybe labels are keeping production low because more people than before stream their music.

[mikeweil]

It can be intentional. There was a CD reissue in February 2019 of two of George Shearing's Capitol albums (Latin Esacapade & Mood Latino) on Essential Jazz Classics limited to only 500 copies!

[Teasing the Korean]

People stream.  That is the current reality.  It is natural for companies to print fewer CDs and not pay for the shelf space when they don't sell. 

[David Ayers]

I get what the reasons might be, but I’m wondering if you guys have noticed it happening? 

 

 

[JSngry]

I tend to buy either used, or right when released, so for me it's not yet been noticeable. And if it gets too stupid with the price, I either let it go or "phone a friend".

 

[David Ayers]

Well this is the thing. Newly released or pre-owned in store: no problem. New releases ordered online near the release date: fine. So much else turns into sleuthing. Big waste of time. At that point: stream. 

 

Frustrating, though. 

[Big Beat Steve]

IIRC most Japanese CDs have always had very short shelf (availability) lives so what's the deal overall? Just some more CDs going OOP too fast - yes, annonying. But not a new phenomenon in the COLLECTING market.

[David Ayers]

Sure, the Japanese market has always been like this. I'm just noticing the window of purchase opportunity shrinking everywhere now.

[JSngry]

It's the Afro-Eurasian Eclipse!

[felser]

On 9/5/2019 at 8:41 AM, mikeweil said:

It can be intentional. There was a CD reissue in February 2019 of two of George Shearing's Capitol albums (Latin Esacapade & Mood Latino) on Essential Jazz Classics limited to only 500 copies!

Andorran label, I believe, which has implications.

[GA Russell]

23 hours ago, David Ayers said:

I get what the reasons might be, but I’m wondering if you guys have noticed it happening? 

 

 

What I've noticed (regarding CDs) is that I'm not seeing new OAC and OAS releases.

[mjzee]

And Mosaic is limiting their upcoming releases to 2,000 - 3,000.  Just a reflection of the market.

I also noticed that with BGO new reissues - you'd better advance-order them.

[felser]

2 hours ago, GA Russell said:

What I've noticed (regarding CDs) is that I'm not seeing new OAC and OAS releases.

I also noticed that over past couple of years.  Like those sets for checking out artists I skipped over back in the day.

1 hour ago, mjzee said:

And Mosaic is limiting their upcoming releases to 2,000 - 3,000.  Just a reflection of the market.

I also noticed that with BGO new reissues - you'd better advance-order them.

BGO down to quarterly release schedule.  Had been monthly.  And recent releases lean heavily to C&W market.  A loss for us, they did nice work for many years.   Strangely, Cherry Red is going full blazes with nice stuff.

[GA Russell]

The RIAA said Sept. 6 in its mid-year report that CD sales are declining at three times the rate LP sales are growing, and that vinyl may outsell CDs this year for the first time since 1986.

https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1800929
https://www.cnet.com/news/vinyl-records-will-soon-outsell-cds-for-the-first-time-since-1986/

[Brad]

1 hour ago, GA Russell said:

The RIAA said Sept. 6 in its mid-year report that CD sales are declining at three times the rate LP sales are growing, and that vinyl may outsell CDs this year for the first time since 1986.

https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1800929
https://www.cnet.com/news/vinyl-records-will-soon-outsell-cds-for-the-first-time-since-1986/

That’s unreal. I was at my local record shop last week (a small place in my town) and the owner told me he sells more vinyl than CDs. 

[David Ayers]

Someone told me he heard an industry expert talking about the state of classical music, and there the view was that all was fine: concert sales, hard copy sales, download and streaming - all doing well. Not quite the perspective we are taking about here. Of course, classical music is a bit more of an industry than jazz so perspectives are different. In any case, it is the viability of making music which is at stake behind the question of hard copy sales, which we maybe over-emphasise a bit on this board (me included!).