CD PRICES: Did they ever become as affordable as the vinyl/cassettes they replaced? Why?/Why not?

However, Norway may not be a typical example, as 20 years ago, an album or cassette would usually cost about twice as much in Norway than in the UK, while today, it is indeed more expensive in the UK than here.

Clearly there are many costs associated with producing a CD, and despite these costs the price of recorded music to consumers has fallen dramatically since CDs were first introduced in 1983. Between 1983 and 1996, the average price of a CD fell by more than 40%. Over this same period of time, consumer prices (measured by the Consumer Price Index, or CPI) rose nearly 60%. If CD prices had risen at the same rate as consumer prices over this period, the average retail price of a CD in 1996 would have been $33.86 instead of $12.75.

Also, according to this in USA today:

These are typical list prices for albums or CDs at each decade's midpoint, and the prices in 2002 dollars
Decade > Cost > 2002 value
1960s > $4.98 > $27.22
1970s > $7.98 > $19.47
1980s > $12.98 > $20.97
1990s > $15.98 > $18.04
2002 > $18.98 > $18.98

You many also wish to consult, an inflation calculator (US $) for help in figuring this out.

While the RIAA does not collect information on the specific costs that make up the price of a CD, there are many factors that go into the overall cost of a CD -- and the plastic it's pressed on, is among the least significant.

"not collecting that information" = "manufacturing costs have plummeted so much that if we reported it here, you wouldn't both reading the rest of the boo-hoo'ing in this article"

Computer manufacturing costs have plummeted too, while computers continue to get better -- and cheaper. You don't hear the computer industry complaining about this.

Certainly, when CDs were released in the mid-80s the price almost certainly reflected a manufacturing premium of sorts due to the new technology, but I would submit that the most significant aspect of a $17.99 price point (or whatever it was, I can't remember any more) was the market premium. CDs were positioned as highly superior technology, more convenient, no snap-crackle-pop, etc. And once the format became dominant and efficiencies of scale were realized, the pricing premium dwindled. It's much cheaper to manufacture a CD but it's still very expensive to market a CD, and that's where the MSRP comes from. Despite fluctuations and occasional opportunistic pricing over the past 20 years, the average MSRP has fallen in real dollars due mainly to competition.

you wouldn't *bother* reading

.. If you shopped at fucking Camelot.

"Even as the manufacturing costs of CDs equalled and eventually fell below the cost of making records, their retail price stayed the same. Overall growth slowed in the music business during the early 90s but profits were high because CDs cost more. The reissue phenomenon further fueled this prosperity; catalogue sales blossomed as consumers replaced their scratched-up vinyl with crisp, clead CD reissues. Eventually, this bear market had to fade; as the box-set memorials multiplied, record company vaults were plunderd.
...yet the reissue boom created a backlash in a sizable group of wary, cynical customers who were in no hurry to replace their "permanent" CD collections with yet another generation of software. The latest format war ended in short-term victory for the msuic business, but companies paid a long-term price for their profits."

Overall growth slowed in the music business during the early 90s but profits were high because CDs cost more.

The economy was in a recession. In the meantime, the industry discovered that there was money to be made in CD's by selling people's music collections to them a second time, lower manufacturing costs compared to vinyl, and the "OOOOH look, fancy new technology -- and it's shiny!" price markup.

catalogue sales blossomed as consumers replaced their scratched-up vinyl with crisp, clead CD reissues ...

... that still sounded worse than scratched-up vinyl, but hey no problem, that's more money to be made via remastered editions somewhere down the line.

The latest format war ended in short-term victory for the msuic business, but companies paid a long-term price for their profits

Eventually, companies could no longer convince anyone that CD's needed to cost $25 once everyone and their brother had a CD burner and saw for themselves how cheap and easy it was to make them. So they had to get used to doing without the profits they'd been gouging people on for years.

It does indeed seem that the further increase in CD prices in many territories has been modest, and probably less than inflation for much of that time (inflationary effects being largely offset by declining production costs). So if we assume, on the other hand, that the 'frozen' vinyl price projected forward should more closely reflect the inflation rate, I guess it finally catches up a decade later!?

In other words, we were being ripped off at various points throughout the 90's, but much less so now. Right?

If basic prerecorded CDs are comparatively cheaper now (adjusted for inflation) the record companies aren't finished trying to re-sell their catalogues at premium prices. The Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio formats have been non-starters so far -- fewer SACDs sold than vinyl records in 2004. The latest scam is CD/DVD double-discs, we'll see.

Mind in Rewind's translation = 100% OTM. What I was trying to say.

certainly there are a lot of new "hot" CDs which retail for $10, which you never saw 5/6/7 years ago.

in my mind the reasonable price for a CD still hovers around $8/9. which is ridiculous, i know; and it means my tastes have shifted because i end up buying lot of used jazz and classical cds at those amounts.

The download seems like the better deal here. Maybe the liner notes are worth it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002CQUDPW/ref=snp_dp

It was released June 10th 2009, and costs $950?! Wtf?!

ah but shipping is free

Duke Ellington is gone off the internet because of you

I think this is a reaction to the Radiohead thing. Finally someone is pricing music according to what it is worth. It's fucking Duke Ellington, man, he's a genius. Do you question when a Picasso is sold for $10 million?

Product Description
New York, March 1959 by Ellington, Duke

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

!!!

I'd say go with the download.

Do you question when a Picasso is sold for $10 million?

yes

At least with Picasso you get the original and not a CD-R.

i just download Picassos for free

people like you are killing the cubism industry

people like you are killing the cubism industry

Actual lolz

I'm not going to revive the MM thread, but it's there.

forks is on it