My car was broken into the other weekend. I parked it in a nice safe residential neighbourhood and forgot to lock it. Naturally, growing up in the 90’s I have gathered an extensive CD collection in my car. Every Zeppelin, Smashing Pumpkins, and 2Pac album was in there, and yet they were all left untouched.

At first I was shocked that the thieves took nothing. Who would not want these sweet shiny plastic discs?… But wait, this isn’t 1999, this is 2010. Compact discs are a dead and dying medium. Or at least they are dead for the opportunists who looked in my car.

And I think I know who it was. A group of young punks, 12 to 15 years old tops. Each of them probably has an iPod or an iPhone with more music contained on one gig of memory than I have in my entire car. So of course they wouldn’t have any use for a physical disc, nobody does, unless they’re living in the stone age.

If your audience is between 5 and 45 years old then you’re wasting your time pressing CD’s. You’ll still sell a few discs here and there, but CDs are quickly becoming nothing more than a token item a fan can purchase at your show to show you support.

Why not direct them to a download card instead? Perhaps they could buy a t-shirt that yields you way more profit? Or press vinyl. Vinyl is physical music in its true gloriousness. The record becomes a piece of art for that fan instead of being filed away in some dusty CD drawer. And let’s be honest, for most casual music fans iTunes has become the main way to purchase music.

Compact Discs are a obsolete for your fan base. Do yourself a favor, save your money, save the landfill and don’t press CD’s.

Take Control of Your Music
Voyno