Do you still buy CDs? Downloads?

[Farpoint Kevin]

As we all know, CD sales have taken a huge downturn in favor of downloads and, more recently, streaming. I'd appreciate any feedback from everyone to help me make the best decision I can regarding the future of my recorded music.

The seventh and most recent Farpoint album, PAINT THE DARK, was released in 2014. Sales were decent, but but the trend away from physical CD purchases was already pretty evident by then. As much as Farpoint has been an intense labor of love for me for 20 or so years, I had sort of resigned myself that PtD would be the last physical Farpoint CD. Since then we've released a couple of digital-only single releases, with varying degrees of success, but owning my own studio I can release them that way fairly inexpensively.

A few months ago, I wrote a new, roughly 10 minute song that I really feel is among the best, if not the very best, "prog" oriented song I've ever written. I've been holding onto the demo, not sure exactly what to do with it. Naturally I asked my long time friend and Farpoint cohort Rick Walker to add some drums to it. Although it does move in some directions I've not experimented with before, it still SOUNDS like a Farpoint song. Now, the dilemma...What should I do with it? Release it as a stand alone digital single? Try to write some more stuff to make an album's worth? And if so, release it digitally-only? I'd love some honest feedback...How many of you, if your heard a new song and liked it, would purchase a physical CD at, say, $10-$12? Even if it was readily available to stream somewhere like Spotify or Youtube? I make music because I have to, but for the last 4 years it's how I've made my living and I can't afford to dump a bunch of money into a big physical release if no one is going to buy it. However, I really feel like this song has a lot of potential.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or opinions.

[Tzirhk]

Personally, as an avid music fan, I still buy (collect, we might as well say) CDs and other physical media, because of their collection value and because I establish a 'closer' link with the music I love. But, speaking also from the musician's lane, in practical terms, physical media is nowadays just an 'added value' for many people and bands. I mean, your most loyal fans will buy your physical CDs or live concerts or whatever; they'll be willing to pay those bucks for having the "whole" experience of listening to your album the way it might have been conceived by you (and your band, if applies). But most will prefer firstly giving it a try on Spotify or any other streaming platform and, then, only if they're totally convinced, buying your physical CDs. In a nutshell, my opinion? Being fully aware of how expensive a physical release can be, first release it digitally, sell it digitally. If it really works and your single/album is actually well regarded in the digital world, then take the next step and make physical versions.

Hope it is helpful for you.

Greetings!

[rcarlberg]

I’d say put your new song on Bandcamp for a buck or two. You’ll be able to gauge interest, you’ll get lots of feedback, and you may develop some interest in older Farpoint music.

You might even make some money!

[progeezer]

As a product of a different generation than most here, if I'm still alive when they stop making cds entirely, I'll rely on my present collection, as well as various forms of the internet/my smart tv for all my aural needs.

[GuitarGeek]

I'd say do it as a single. It was perfectly good enough for bands to do that back in the 50's, 60's and 70's, why not keep going that way. If you feel you're not likely to come up with another 30 or so minutes worth of material, a single 10 minute track is fine with me.

BTW, I must say I haven't been keeping up with all things Farpoint. I recently listened to and thoroughly enjoyed Paint The Dark and Cold Star Quiet Star. So I was thinking, "I wonder what they've been doing lately". So if there's been some new stuff since Paint The Dark, I must apologize for not looking into it yet.

[SteveSly]

For what it is worth I still buy CD's.

[MudShark22]

I only buy physical media. I don't believe in downloading at all. I stream content but only spend cash on things I can hold and then resell if I need to for whatever reason.

[GuitarGeek]

Oh, and I would buy a physical release, sure. I buy CD's all the time.

[Shadow]

I've yet to have my cds or vinyl crash and lose them all.

[spacefreak]

I'm still buying ...I'm a dinosaur.

Downloads are worthless... More worthless than the discredited CD. Meaning that I refuse to pay for "thin air". So, if in informational need for any, I always get them for free and offer them for free to anyone interested. With no remorse.

[rcarlberg]

"Discredited"? By whom?

[Rarebird]

I still love and buy CD's.

Downloads, no thanks.

[proggy_jazzer]

I still buy CDs. I'll download only if there is no other option and it's something I really must have. Can't bring to mind at the moment when that last occurred, though...

[Farpoint Kevin]

Thanks so much for all the responses. This gives me a lot to think about. It seems more people, at least here on PE, still prefer physical CDs. And I thought I was the only one.

[Farpoint Kevin]

Personally, as an avid music fan, I still buy (collect, we might as well say) CDs and other physical media, because of their collection value and because I establish a 'closer' link with the music I love. But, speaking also from the musician's lane, in practical terms, physical media is nowadays just an 'added value' for many people and bands. I mean, your most loyal fans will buy your physical CDs or live concerts or whatever; they'll be willing to pay those bucks for having the "whole" experience of listening to your album the way it might have been conceived by you (and your band, if applies). But most will prefer firstly giving it a try on Spotify or any other streaming platform and, then, only if they're totally convinced, buying your physical CDs. In a nutshell, my opinion? Being fully aware of how expensive a physical release can be, first release it digitally, sell it digitally. If it really works and your single/album is actually well regarded in the digital world, then take the next step and make physical versions.

Hope it is helpful for you.

Greetings!

This makes a lot of sense. Thanks for taking the time for that well thought out reply.

[Farpoint Kevin]

I'd say do it as a single. It was perfectly good enough for bands to do that back in the 50's, 60's and 70's, why not keep going that way. If you feel you're not likely to come up with another 30 or so minutes worth of material, a single 10 minute track is fine with me.

BTW, I must say I haven't been keeping up with all things Farpoint. I recently listened to and thoroughly enjoyed Paint The Dark and Cold Star Quiet Star. So I was thinking, "I wonder what they've been doing lately". So if there's been some new stuff since Paint The Dark, I must apologize for not looking into it yet.

No need to apologize! I appreciate the kind words. Since PAINT THE DARK we have released 2 digital singles:
A cover of the Moody Blues "Story in Your Eyes," which I released to all venues...CDBaby, Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, etc: www.cdbaby.com/farpoint9
And a new recording of "To the River," a 14 minute song from our first album. I was never happy with the recording quality of that early version, so we re-recorded it in 2016. So far I have just released this one on Bandcamp: https://kevinjarvis.bandcamp.com/tra...the-river-2016

Both are available to sample fully on YouTube as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pijKCwAxWjo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjaHqkWhFGw

[progeezer]

Thanks so much for all the responses. This gives me a lot to think about. It seems more people, at least here on PE, still prefer physical CDs. And I thought I was the only one.

Yeah, me too, Kev!

[Gizmotron]

Count me in. I want the best sound possible, I want something to look at, play in various players, and I don't quite trust that my digital files will always be there.

[spacefreak]

"Discredited"? By whom?

Pie is from 2013, we are farewelling 2017...

Area of origin? US? In Europe almost nobody buys CDs in niche market musics (where our interests are). Even 2nd hand ones. Specialized retailers are 99% vinyl...

I can find the CDs I'm after solely online, these days...

[rcarlberg]

Provide evidence or it didn't happen.

Hint: We've been down this road before. You're wrong.

[Facelift]

Provide evidence or it didn't happen.

Hint: We've been down this road before. You're wrong.

While CDs will outsell vinyl at a rate of about 6:1 in 2017, there's a reason why the actual stores are focusing on vinyl. The customers who buy a lot of physical media are buying vinyl, not CDs.

[Gizmotron]

Pie is from 2013, we are farewelling 2017...

Area of origin? US? In Europe almost nobody buys CDs in niche market musics (where our interests are). Even 2nd hand ones. Specialized retailers are 99% vinyl...

I can find the CDs I'm after solely online, these days...

I am not sure what you are trying to say.
Perhaps you might clearly restate your points.

[rcarlberg]

While CDs will outsell vinyl at a rate of about 6:1 in 2017, there's a reason why the actual stores are focusing on vinyl. The customers who buy a lot of physical media are buying vinyl, not CDs.

In person, you must mean?

Because 6:1 still indicates CDs are outselling vinyl. Mailorder, presumably, according to your logic.

And both physical formats are surviving just fine, not being eclipsed by downloads. Not YET anyway. Sales of all formats are down across the board -- again, presumably due to the wealth of streaming opportunities (and changing fashion).

[Facelift]

In person, you must mean?

Because 6:1 still indicates CDs are outselling vinyl. Mailorder, presumably, according to your logic.

And both physical formats are surviving just fine, not being eclipsed by downloads. Not YET anyway. Sales of all formats are down across the board -- again, presumably due to the wealth of streaming opportunities (and changing fashion).

Sorry if I wasn't as clear as I could have been:

The Third Quarter music industry stats are now available and, assuming that the proportions stay more or less consistent through the 4th quarter, overall US CD sales, on a unit basis, will be about six times that of vinyl. I suppose if vinyl has a big Holiday season, it could get pushed closer to 5:1, but that's as close as it can possibly be this year.

But walk into just about any dedicated record (using the word loosely) store and it's pretty clear that vinyl is now the focus. So, based on that, I would say that physical music media purchased over the counter, in person, at a store mostly dedicated to selling music (and maybe also movies) on physical media, is much more proportionally vinyl than the overall numbers (1:6) suggest. Maybe it's half. Maybe it's more than half. Maybe it's a lot more than half, at some stores. Sure, mega sellers like Adele, Taylor Swift, etc. will sell *way* more CDs than vinyl, and that's what creates the numbers that we have. But what the actual physical stores are stocking is no mirage - these are businesses that having been hanging on by threads. They haven't got the room to take chances on what to stock. You think that they would be focusing on vinyl without the preferences of their customers to back that decision up? These places can't afford to make business decisions like that.

[Zeuhlmate]

CD's, occasionally second hand vinyl.
Downloads only if there isn't anything else to get.