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Re: GG: Re: Kunst ist tot?
Well, even though I previously chimed in with a complaint about
CD prices, I have to admit you have a point. Particularly when
I compare the situation now to when I was growing up, you really
cannot complain. You still have to go to a first-class record
store to have a really good selection of classical CDs, but you
can find a few GG records at any store, even a cheesy one in the
mall; and that just was not the case when I was growing up,
particularly in small towns.
As to the prices, well, what the hell. You want to play, you
have to pay. That's why I have a job, to support all my bad
(and good) habits . . .
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: GG: Re: Kunst ist tot?
Author: reinout@pobox.COM at internet
Date: 1/11/97 1:39 PM
Hello everybody,
I was surprised to read that (certain) US music stores are downsizing their
classical CD collections, referring to Europe as the Walhalla for the classical
music lover. Let me give a view from the other side of the Atlantic.
In continental Europe CD prices are significantly higher than in the
UK or the US. For example here in the Netherlands the traditional labels
like Deutsche Grammophone, Philips and Sony charge more than twice as
much, nearly US$30, a fullprice classical CD. The situation in France
and Germany is much the same.
The reason for this is the fact that the music industry fixes the
prices; retailers that offer CDs at lower prices are not supplied, and
stores that import their own CDs (from the US instead of via the
'official' suppliers) are sewed in court succesfully. Last year they
even claimed that ordering CDs over the internet is illegal.
The industry defends this strategy by pointing out that they need the
higher prices to support the large stock of CDs that are hardly sold.
Lowering prices would mean that only the most popular titles would
remain in print.
At first sight they seem to have a point. If competition would not be
reduced, prices would be much closer to competitive levels, thus
lowering the return. But when I visited the US last year I was
surprised to find that the average music store in US offers
about twice the number of titles that a European CD store has in
stock, at prices that are 50% lower. Apparantly, low prices are no
direct threat to the variety of CDs that are offered.
In fact the music industry in Europe successfully reduced competition in
the CD market in continental Europe, and there is no evidence that the
prices ought to be that high in order to support a large collection.
Reading about the current situation in the US, I think it is the
not the competition or the low prices that is a threat to classical
music, but low demand. Perhaps the music industry would do wiser to
focus their attention to promoting classical music (with the effect
of increasing demand) than protecting the high prices (lowering demand).
Reinout.
reinout@pobox.com
Oranjesingel 12
NL-6511 NT Nijmegen
THE NETHERLANDS