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RIAA comes with new figures; music sales down, piracy up
Posted on 04/03/03 11:18 by Dennis
According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) shipments of music CDs dropped 8.9% last year vs. 6.4% in 2001:
Additionally, shipments of all music formats decreased 11.2% last year, compared with a year-earlier 10.3%. Total value of sales for 2002 was $12.6 billion, an 8.2% drop compared with 2001, and the lowest total since 1997. Total retail units were down 7.8%, while total retail value was down 6.8%. "A major cause of the decline in 2002 includes the ongoing problem of online and physical music piracy," RIAA chairman and CEO Hilary Rosen said. "As we have seen piracy rise, we are responding aggressively online and have dramatically upped the activities of our antipiracy unit, increasing our seizures of counterfeit and pirate CDRs by 89.5% in 2002." |
Interesting figures as always although I have some doubts on how they calculated them. The article also mentions that the RIAA is implementing new antipiracy strategies. Perhaps they should read this article first for some alternative solutions on preventing piracy..
Source: Yahoo!News
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Sales are down because the material is poor. I pay absolutely no attention to the singles chart because it is full of tat.
By the way RIAA, I purchased 5 CDs at the weekend. I download stuff and if I like it, I buy the CD. So where does that leave your link between downloading and falling sales? Twats.
Just by asking around I see that downloading is partially responsable for falling sales of music.By
Guest,
Tuesday 04 March 2003 12:42
Some people might buy more CD's as a result of downloading tracks that they like, while others buy less because they can get MP3's freely. You can argue either way, but I personally think the overall effect to be people buying less music due to MP3's. Of course, there are other reasons why sales have dropped, like DVD's and a lack of true artists being promoted.
I'm guessin' the profits may not be down as much were they to give hillary and all the other overpaid toadies the tijuana brass..........:7
Get real .. show me an industry that didn't have a down year compared to previous years. People are worrying about paying their heating bills, 'Yeah Honey, let's go buy that latest CD tonight .. to hell with keeping warm"
These people just have jobs to try to keep .. if pirating music didn't exist and if they didn't make it out to be bigger than it is .. they wouldn't exist.
By
Guest,
Tuesday 04 March 2003 13:48
Reduce the cost of Cd's and sales will go up. It's not fricking rocket science. We're being overcharged for CD's - plain and simple.
Still trying to justify why they can't put out a full great album. I'll be damned if I go out to but a high-priced CD and I've only heard one song. Many a times when I was young I was suckered into that and HATED the rest of the album. They let you listen to the CD at the store first but why leave your home if you don't have to. I've downloaded two songs from a tip I got from this site and guess what...I BOUGHT THE ALBUM!!! So much for RIAA and their presumptious Bullshit!!!(...is presumptious a word???...)
In my country, for a regular monthly wage you can buy 5 to 10 CDs. can someone please tell me how the hell should I listen to all the music I like without using the Internet and pirated mp3s? if I could buy 200 CDs every month with my salary then I would have bought 50 and pirated none. But so, I buy maybe none and pirate 50.
And, by the way, my first album is to be published in the US. The album will cost $4.99 and I'll receive $0.00 for every sold copy. That is because I asked them NOT to pay me for my music. It's free. And so it will remain. My songs are freely available on the Internet, at www.mp3.com and in all filesharing networks.
By
Guest,
Tuesday 04 March 2003 16:29
Does anyone else remember those 48x CD-burners pirates used that the RIAA counded as three or so "normal" burners? They probably count piracy statistics the same way...last year sales were down 3%, this year 4%, so that totales 7% :4
as TeeCee pointed out, there is no mention of the fact that spending is down in all sectors due to a weaker economy. Bas music, ridiculously high prices and less than ideal economy always = less sales. Do the math you RIAA shitheads. 
if we couldn't download the mp3 what make you think we would buy because we couldn't download it. Dollars lost figures are all bogus. RIAA believe what we sell is ours and even if you bought it ist's still ours.
By
Guest,
Tuesday 04 March 2003 17:15
UK music is shite and nobody wants to buy it.I have a reasonable income and money left for leisure etc. But the music industry can only offer shite products and I don't buy shit.
i agree with you all but it would make them sound bad if they admitted that it was because of them making sh1t music and overpricing the consumer. so they have to compound it on the one problem that isnt under their control piracy. they seem to have a small understanding of business economics by diverting the blame from their obvious mistakes but a lack of understanding in what constitutes a good quality product.
By
Guest,
Tuesday 04 March 2003 18:26
i hear all the time on the radio that there are so many people these days that must make a choice between heat or food. i just read something that says over the last year people have been buying less coffee at places like 7-11. people are also not buying 12 packs of soda pop like in the past. now, people tend to be buying more singles. i'm sure the delusional riaa would blame decreased expensive coffee sales on piracy too. every time i see an article like this i figure the riaa is just digging it's grave deeper
boo hoo...
less money for millionaires
i feel so sorry for them.
Kill the RIAA!! Buy all of your CD's and DVD's used. Not one stinking dime will go to the recording industry this way.
I dont buy into any of that crap about "music sales are down becauase of ppl downloading mp3s". People were buying 1 copy of a cd (split x number of times) and then spinning off multiple copies for everyone. This is also not rocket science here. Hell, I know ppl that used to do that back WAY before mp3s ever existed.
3-4% is reasonable when compare with growing rate of p2p network 
if doesn't have p2p, the % number sales drop might be @ 2 digits 
if doesn't have p2p, the % number sales drop might be @ 2 digits Car Sales are down, also are they going to blame the chop shops for the downfall? 
By
Guest,
Wednesday 05 March 2003 02:31
if you want to analyze their statistics - while shipping 11.2 % less product, they only had an 8.2 % drop in sales.
and of course, 73.4 % of people know that 82.6 % of statistics cannot be readily verified by anyone other than the statkeepers themselves.
By
Guest,
Wednesday 05 March 2003 03:05
The music sales may be dropping, but the music industry is still making a lot of money. I am so sick and tired of the RIAA whining and bitching about losing money because of online music file swapping. An 8.2% drop in music sales from 2002 to 2001 is hardly anything. That really shows you that they are very greedy and can think of nothing but themselves. I would'nt see any other company bitching about an 8.2% sales drop. Music sales could of dropped 1/10th of a percent and the RIAA would still be acting like the music industry is going bankrupt. I hate the RIAA and so do all other high school students!!!!!!!!
By
Guest,
Wednesday 05 March 2003 04:35
im i taking crazy pill's or what? why is it that the riaa thinks the entire economy can be down, but cd sales should remain the same. no job = no new britney spears album. sales of cars are down too and it has nothing to do with file sharing ... isn't that vierd 
There were 2 good CDs released last year, and I bought both of them. RIAA, you better realize that the reasons CD sales are down are because 1 - The economy is in a downturn - we don't have as much $ to spend, 2 - CD prices are way too high, and 3 - You're releasing CRAP! Nobody wants the garbage you're trying to shove down their throats. I already have over 500 CDs of the music I like, purchased over the last 17 years or so. There's nothing new coming out that I want. So why would I buy a CD? And since there's so much crap out there, I'm not about to buy anything until I hear it first. That's where file sharing comes in - if I download an album and like it, I'll buy it. If I can't hear it first, there's no way I'll buy it. So the bottom line is, with file sharing AND good releases, you'll make sales. Without BOTH, you'll make none. If you continue to attack P2P filesharing or even manage to shut it down, I and many like me will never buy another one of your lousy CDs. So all you're doing with your present strategy is cutting your own throat.
"...But sales are slumping and no one will say why. Could it be they put out one too many LOUSY RECORDS?" - Dead Kennedys, "MTV Get Off The Air"
I wonder if the RIAA reflects back on the memories of years gone by where there was not any file swapping, I wonder how much the sales drop was from the Hendrix, Doors, Joplin era as we entered the degression into the 70's (that artless decade of relentless annoying my sherona is stuck up my ass crap)... what were the percentages by the 80's as a loss...there probably wasn't a big upswing until Van Halen or Pink Floyd came out with an album! People do not spend their money on SHITTTT! Although the Disco era really surprised me...thank you Steve Dahl you fat retarded man who wore Hawaiian shirts...Sox Park (Comiskey) and vinyl may hate you but Real Music Lovers Salute You!!! Down with the RIAA- PUT THAT SHERONA TO REST YOU BUZZARDS ON ROAD KILL!!! LET THE REAL MUSIC LIVE!!! ...and maybe you'll see a rise in those corporate pants...
By
Guest,
Thursday 06 March 2003 18:44
bottom line is: Downloading MP3s is affecting cd sales and everyone on this board knows it regardless of how many excuses you attempt to come up with; we all like to think that we are free as free can be on the internet to do as we like and it is indeed a wonderful feeling; but the realityis its a virtual world linked directly to our own realities and what we do online directly affects our own lives. Taking somone elses property is illegal and that is the issue in question; no one is forcing people to BUY the cds right?? that would be considered illegal. Then how is copying legal? The whole reason a cd is out in the first place is as a result of work, effort and time on the artist and industry part and in order to keep up the quality of processes of cd creation/ musical content at a listenable level there has to be funding from somewhere right? people have to be compensated for thier efforts and those who appreciate their work and efforts are ready to purchase a cd in return for the joy that listening to the music the artist created brings them.
Bottom line is copying is wrong and people like Wolverine and such need to wake up out of marvel comic world.
This current trend shows the selfishness of people who can't put themselves in their peers position. If you worked on a cd for 5 months, released it spent money on the process and invested so much of your creative talent would you like it if you weren't compensated for your efforts? NO.
Stop being GREEDY; 
u have a choice: you can buy the cds or not buy them but when you attempt to access the intellectual proerty of the artists wothout compensating the artist you are stealing that intellectual property. People are funny: Its like the law always has to be up their a** in order for them to not be act stupid; yet when the law comes knocking they wanna complain.... :8
u have a choice: you can buy the cds or not buy them but when you attempt to access the intellectual proerty of the artists wothout compensating the artist you are stealing that intellectual property. People are funny: Its like the law always has to be up their a** in order for them to not be act stupid; yet when the law comes knocking they wanna complain.... :8Dear alimoniumfood, you are absolutely right, people abuse the idea of file swapping, but if this is just used as a do I like it ok I'll buy it tool, or, no this is not my style glad I didn't buy it, I mean, people test drive cars...I played guitar and my biggest fear was someone copying my style, my riffs, my songs and my poetry so I feel for the artist that cannot collect on the illegal copying but I think some sales are down because people get to view (listen) to the content first and have a choice now...and some because people are getting only what they want from the net. I would hope that there is some honesty left in the world!
By
Guest,
Thursday 06 March 2003 20:41
i don't and cannot support all the methods the RIAA uses and i feel that there is indeed room for change with a few of their current policies.
BUT i cannot lie to myself/anyone else by saying that the RIAA is completely bad; think of how the quality of music has improved over the years and how the processes of music production have advanced to the point where it is now possible to literally create a cd in your own home.
I feel that the music business lends a form of quality control to the music production process from song creation, studio recording, mastering, all the way through to marketing, shipping of the final product. From the responses of alot of folks on these boards it is ever apparent that they either are not aware of the work that goes into putting out a quality cd or are blinded by their greed and desire to download for free. There are definetly areas where money could be saved in the process (the only way this will change is by the consumer voicing their feelings loud enough); Basically; if not for the music industry, quality levels that are currently in place alot of people posting here tody wouldn't be posting here on this topic because they wouldn't have bought cds because there wouldn't be any available or the production quality would be below par to that which we have grown accustomed to and now take for granted in todays releases. Alot of you wouldn't even know about the majority of cd releases because of a lack of funding for marketing these independant cd releases.
Bottom line is the music industry has helped the standard of music move forward wether we like it or not; it seems like we have reached a point where it the technology is outpacing the industry techniques of distribution. this doesnt necessarily make the industry bad; but rather signals a needed shift in some of the ways they do things; the downloading is ultimatley making this apparent. But at the end of the day it is the artist which will feel the blow and just because we have new technologies at our disposal does that give us the right to commit an offense (intelectual theft)?
JUST BECAUSE THE GUN WAS INVENTED DOES THAT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO KILL SOMEONE??
It is the artist who is ultimatley cornered into a situation where they have lower budgets to work with and hence down goes the quality of their work and lessens the quality which ultimatly leads to us saying their music sucks. (there are rare exceptions to this)
Think about it; whats more important being selfish or putting a point across and enjoying music, or going to jail? 
By
Guest,
Thursday 06 March 2003 21:18
alimoniumfood: YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!!!! Don't you realize that all high school teenagers download music for free? And hardly any of us see it as stealing. Property is physical not intellectual!!!!!!!!!!!
By
Guest,
Thursday 06 March 2003 22:20
you will grow up one way or another when the time comes for you to face your dues wether you like it or not ;
Wether you choose to follow what you know is right or not. as it stands you know very wellthat filesharing of copyrighted mp3s/movies is illegal and if you think that stereotyping all highschool teens to your same acts is going to somehow provide you with a free passport to free music i'm afraid you are in for a rude awakening wolverine. The law exists wether you like it or not so you have two choices concerning the issue; both of which have consequences good and bad. the choice is yours too make;
Just bear in mind that if and when you are caught doing it that you were aware of the choice you had at the time and wether you chose the right or wrong choice will depend on the consequence of that choice. All i can say is goodluck; with the attitude you currently own you will indeed need it.
And your quote "Property is physical not intellectual!!!!!!!!!!!
". Bring that quote to any lawyer and see what he has to say about it. If you had any common sense you would not post such ludicrous remarks or would at least research them first. Forgive me for saying this but maybe the RIAA should start providing free diaper coupons with their cd releases because if thats the mentality todays high school kids carry i dread seeing tomorrows business ventures. I know your smarter than that. 
:8
:8By
Guest,
Thursday 06 March 2003 22:33
Furthermore your post reflacts the lack of todays youth as seeing music for what it really is? the way you state it is as though music is just an object that can be trashed or whatever; you fail to realise that it is work and art that artists have put sweat, blood and tears into. You forget that that could be your mother or fathers work, or even your own and were that the case you would not be even posting on this forum i am sure; you would be in court doing the exact same thing the RIAA was doing if not worse. I believe that it is the mindset that you continually display which is destroying the music as much as the industry itself. Stop being selfish and support the artists, why should you be entitled to enjoy my work if you have not played any part in its creation? thats why they make album cover art so you have a glimpse of the contents. This reminds me of the hen who needed help to bake a cake but everyone was too busy to help. Yet when it was baked everyone wanted a piece. Stop being selfish you wont get far with that attitude. :8
By
Guest,
Friday 07 March 2003 00:08
Me nor none of my friends that download music are selfish. The one who's selfish is the RIAA!!!!! Just look at how many people download music. Practically everybody!!!! And look the music industry is still making a damn
good profit. Just read my other posts from today to a week ago on CDFreaks and you'll see how really against copyright laws I am and my side of the argument. Some of them are for TheTarbaby to read, but anybody feel free to read them. You, alimoniumfood have the same smart ass attitude that TheTarbaby has.
By
Guest,
Friday 07 March 2003 03:18
Wolvie: Are you saying that alimoniumfood agrees with me that you are an idiot? If he/she agrees with me, then I am betting that there are more that agree with us.
Not all high school kids download music. Maybe the kids that you are friends with do - and I am betting that isn't many. Some teenagers download music, some choose to have or create a life for themselves. Maybe you should do the same.
By
Guest,
Friday 07 March 2003 03:20
Better yet, how about you get a job at a fast food place and give all of us and your friends free food for life. If you work for McDonalds, then it wouldn't matter if you gave us free food all the time since that corporation has billions of dollars in the first place. Right?
By
Guest,
Saturday 08 March 2003 00:10
How about some proper sustainable talent and cheaper priced CDs? RIAA wake up....music is shite today and it's over priced.
By
Guest,
Saturday 08 March 2003 01:18
If I gave out free food, that would be stealing because it actually causes a product shortage. Copying is not stealing!!!!! When you copy something, there is no product shortage. Everything still sits at the place waiting to be sold. Property is physical, not intellectual!!!!!!!!!!!
By
Guest,
Saturday 08 March 2003 03:09
TheTarbaby: When I say all high school students, I mean virtually everybody, like 90%. Everyone I have talked to and asked has told me that they do download music and that includes a lot of adults too. That is all but like 2 people. I remember last school year in my computer class, everyone around the whole classroom was trading copies of Windows XP, Office XP, and Easy CD Creator. See so many people violate copyright laws. The copyright law without question is the most commonly broken law. You TheTarbaby say that prices would go down if everyone bought and no one copied. GameCube games cannot be copied and they are the same price in most stores as PS2 games and XBOX games. PS2 and XBOX games both can be copied, and they are priced no different than GameCube games. If there was no copyright law, the amount of people that would copy things really would be no different because virtually everyone copies things if they have the right equipment anyway whether it's legal or not. With so many people copying things, I have not seen any music/movie/software company go bankrupt yet. Therefore it should be legal.
By
Guest,
Saturday 08 March 2003 06:23
It is interesting that those of you who agree with RIAA also agree (indirectly) with its policy of charging legitimate 'western' consumers higher prices due to piracy. Why Western Europe and North America have to pay for what is stolen in Eastern Europe or Asia? It is obvious that since RIAA has no power in the rest of the world, whatever they want to 'fight with' is only targeted agains western consumers. Had anyone of you been on the market in Moscow or Hong Kong (I have been) you would not believe your eyes and understood the scale of piracy that is going on there. In short - you can't find even single original CD over there, I tried just for the sake of it and I didn't. Perhaps RIAA should look over there instead of declaring any war against american kids who copy their CDs to portable mp3 players...
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