The public hasn’t really been into music CDs for quite some time, but now it’s reportedly official. Yes, major record labels will finally cease production of CDs next year.
This definitely doesn’t feel like any big news flash, and like any lingering death, it’s not surprising when it finally comes.
As SideLine reports, what’s left of the major labels will abandon CDs for good by the end of 2012.
As expected, they will shift to downloads and streaming exclusively, which is where music has been moving along anyways.
The music business is usually pretty slow to react to things, and at one point they were thinking music by subscription would save everything, so now it’s obvious to everybody that the writing is clearly on the wall.
With the collapse of the huge chains stores like Tower and Virgin, Amazon will reportedly be the only (major) entity left carrying CDs, and as SideLine continues, CDs will only be made in the future for limited edition releases.
Unsurprisingly, SideLine tried to reach EMI, Universal and Sony for comment, but all three labels declined to respond.
When CDs finally broke through in the ’80’s with the Beatles releases, the sound quality was indeed terrific, and we all got used to the format change from vinyl, some faster than others.
Now CDs bring reactions of disgust from modern day music fans who grew up in the download age, and as we just reported on TG, vinyl’s been making a hell of a comeback these days as well.
As underground metal label Relapse Records founder Matt Jacobson told me, “About a year ago, I thought I could see a day where it’s only vinyl and digital, and it’s actually happening sooner than I thought. CDs are so disposable, I have so many of them, they get in the way. The digital is great because it’s convenient, and it doesn’t take up twenty-five shelves of space.”
