The future of the "Album"

I was just reading an article on yahoo news about the RIAA filing lawsuits against another 500 people today for illegal music downloading. While the illegal downloading music is quite its own topic all together one thing in the article got me thinking.

The RIAA maintains that Internet piracy has taken a huge bite out of album sales. Compact disc sales fell from $943 million in 2000 to $803 million in 2002.

Many experts add that the sales drop also is caused by a steady trend toward buying music song-by-song on the Internet, a jump into the future in terms of distribution but also a step backward to the early days of rock 'n' roll when the 45rpm record ruled music sales.

Basically...does anyone ever think there might be a day when artists don't even record whole albums anymore? Keep in mind that the people in this forum don't represent the "average" music fan. We tend to be a little fanatical and we are in the small demographic of people who listen to albums the whole way through. I know so many people who just listen to 1 or maybe 2 songs on a CD...then they take it out. Anyways, what are your thoughts?

That's a good issue that I've been pondering time to time for the last year or so. What really made me think about that is when I bought myself an iPod last June. Since then I've always had this mock additude about how "CDs are so primitive." But everything is really shifting towards online music...not necissarily (just look at the Apple Music Store). Eventually, I think CDs will be almost completely phased out (though to this day they still make vinyl for new releases!). I don't like downloading...I really enjoy all of the inserts and artwork that come with the CD. And as for not even entire albums...I would hate that! I'm such a stickler when it comes to the ways I listen to my music...haha...it's almost a sacred process. If I start an album, I must finish it. It's very rare that I don't find a way to finish it. A lot of people also just mix up all of their music on their computer and listen to it...I can't do that either. I believe every album has a heart and soul, and needs to be heard all together (especially Floyd albums).

I've thought about how future portable music might be like...this may sound kinda far-fetched but I see iPods and the like being like cd players (and end up being dirt cheap compared to what they are now). Then, just like most electronics, it will be wirelessly integrated with the internet...you'll be able to download an album in 10 minutes...the cost will be put on your credit card. Just like that. I can really see it happening...

Or it could just be that a lot of new artist are just putting out crap.

That's funny, just the other day I was talking to my friends about bringing back the 45 RPM record. I figure, since so many people want just one or two songs... why not start offering 45s online, of current hits? And get Sony or someone to start hammering out cheap, self-contained 45 players?

It'll *sound* better than a swirly MP3, I'm sure.

It'll sound better perhaps, but what about cost, and durability? What beats the CD for capacity and durability?

I can squeeze almost 182 songs on a 700MB CD at 128 kbps MP3. Anyother medium? I doubt it.

I honestly feel very few "artists" put out albums any more, and I 'm not just speaking of conceptual albums, it seems to me they just make a bunch of, what they hope are singles, and throw them together

But what do you give up in fidelity, bass response, and overall sound quality...

I gave up listening to bad AM reception in '71, I'm not going back to the New Mellinium equilivalant.

I was going to write a technical dissertation on the drawbacks and advantages of various media, but I don't want to just bore y'all out the door. Plus, I don't think it's got a lot to do with the music industry from a business or real-world perspective, nor do I think it's what Riv was really talking about in his first post.

But here's my philosophical view, for what it's worth:

Most of what the recording industry does is rapidly being made obsolete by the advent of the internet and, in particular, low-cost high-speed digital communications.

In the past, what sold records was radio play, and that is still true - but it's rapidly changing. I think that the middlemen of the industry are becoming redundant. When the net matures to the point that you can market and sell music directly on the net, when a musician can rent some studio time and encode their music electronically, ready for instant download by millions, no record company advances or assistance required, the idea of huge factories making CD's and standing in line at Tower Records is kind of silly.

No receptionists in short skirts required, no industry execs deciding who gets play and who doesn't, no A&R guys buying loads of drinks. No wonder they're worried.

As far as whether musicians record 3-minute songs, concept albums, or whatever; whether you buy whole albums or individual songs, will be determined by the people who spend the money to buy the music, not some suit at Columbia or MCA. I suspect it will remain the 3-minute radio limit for quite awhile, as that's what people are used to, but it will be interesting to see what happens.

You brought up some good points, DT. With internet based music sells, the middle men, the record companies, will be come obsolete. I think this will be a move for the better. It will make it so much easier for up-and-comers to get exposure, without having to sell their soul.

My thoughts exactly! The reason the album is dying, and people only listen to some of it is because the album does suck.

Fulghers: Me being a commuter, I'd rather have my songs on me. And admittedly, I don't really notice that much of a difference between the two. 128 kbps works pretty good for me, and with a Bass Boost and kickass headphone, I've quite satisfied

On the contrary... I think music is better now than it's been in a long time.

Are you looking at it in terms of mixing and layering? If so, I completely agree with you. Linkin Park is a perfect example of that.

Mixing is getting better in some departments. However, a mix can ruin an album (Avril Lavigne's 'Let Go', for example).

I was talking about the quality of popular music. Maybe I'm just opening my eyes a little more, but I'm liking pop music these days more than I used to.

yeah...i know what you mean, and i believe in the future, there may be no albums...i my dad is a musician, he doesn't believe in downloading music,i am the same...i love to listen to an album, and i love every minute of it all.
anyway, so, yeah, I think albums are completely gone...i really do....and its very very unfortunate...its terrible, and there's reallynoting we can do about it...the internet has taken over