Best Buy stores will stop selling music CDs, and Target could be next

[ZLoth]

From Digital Trends:

Best Buy stores will stop selling music CDs, and Target could be next

With the popularity of digital music surging, Best Buy is officially pulling the plug on music CDs, and another retail giant may soon join them. Although CDs remain a relatively popular format worldwide, sales in the U.S. dropped more than 18% last year, prompting Best Buy to drop the format entirely.

Billboard is reporting that the retailer has informed music suppliers that it will stop selling CDs and pull them from shelves on July 1. Although Best Buy used to be the top music seller in the U.S., nowadays its CD sales generate a relatively low $40 million per year.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

I'm not surprised at all. Nowadays, a portable music player can hold how many dozen CDs as MP3 or FLAC files. Yes, I know that the audio purists have the "overcompressed" nature of MP3 files, and at a lower bitrate, you can tell the difference. I recently re-ripped my entire CD collection at a extremely high bitrate, and I can't tell the difference between the CD and the MP3 file. Yes, the files are bigger, but storage space isn't a premium like it was just ten years ago. Another consideration is that some of the CDs in my collection are soundtracks that are long out-of-print, and getting a replacement means purchasing a used copy at a premium.

Another indicator of this trend is how audio is going with new cars. When I purchased a new car in early 2006, a CD player was a consideration even though I duplicated my CDs to CD-Rs for playback. At that point, Apple had yet to introduce the iPhone. Eight years later, when I was shopping again, the big consideration was Bluetooth integration so that I could play audiobooks and music from my smartphone. While a CD player was also included, I know it works, but it has been two years since I used it. Even the lower-end vehicles I looked at which lacked Bluetooth still included an Aux input, something even the car I had purchased in 2006 lacked and could not be added easily. I ended up using a FM modulator which allowed me to plug in my mobile phone or audio device and rebroadcast it to a specific frequency.

Car manufacturers are adapting to the changes as well. The last vehicle to include a tape deck was a 2010 Lexus SC 430. Now, CDs are disappearing. Take a look at this Forbes article from March, 2017:

It's Time To Say Goodbye To The CD Player In New American Cars

Yesterday, NPR reported that Ford is planning on replacing CD players in all future models, instead opting for a screen that allows drivers to access streaming services and satellite radio behemoth SiriusXM. The news came as something of a surprise to many, as it appears to be the end of an era. No more playing CDs in the car? Has it really already come to that?

What is actually shocking about this news item is that Ford is somewhat late to the game. Major car manufacturers have been ditching CDs for years now, and soon, there won't be any left who feel the need to continue to include this option in their new makes. Many of the new 2016 cars manufactured by major players like Honda and Toyota also didn't include CD players. Tesla did away with the feature long before those giants. In the near future, there are sure to be more American drivers roaming around without even the option to insert a disc and hit play. According to research firm IHS Automotive, 46% of cars sold in the U.S. won't have CD players by 2021.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

I'm not surprised by this decision. To an auto manufacturer, that's five pounds of very complex parts taking up valuable dashboard real estate that can put to better use. And, auto manufacturers are slow to adapt to technological change, as the lack of a feature will make or break a sale. I know that one of the required features in my next car is Android Auto integration, which excludes Toyotas and BMWs.

In a way, though, this is spelling the end for physical media. I remember when DVDs first came out, they were a great improvement not only in the picture quality, but in features as well. With their smaller physical size, multiple audio tracks for commentary, and extra materials, some of the titles would qualify as a film school in a box. Sadly, that is going away slowly in favor of streaming media. I don't believe they will completely go away, as there are too many Internet deserts where there is no broadband or the broadband providers are capping how much traffic you use in a month.

[oscar]

I'm noticing the trend as I shop for a new car, to replace my old pickup truck. That 2006 truck, and the 2008 car I'll be keeping (still going strong at 288K miles), both had 6-disc in-dash CD changers. Now many new cars have no CD players at all, and the ones that do have only single-disc players.

[bing101]

Not surprised though given the way things are going like mp3's or Dashboards apps at play.

[D-Dey65]

The CD selection at most of these chain stores isn't that great anyway. I recently learned that Lush reunited, and put our an album in 2016, but I don't know of too many Best Buy, Target, or Wal-Mart stores that had any copies. And that's just one example.

[LM117]

My dad is gonna be pissed about Best Buy, but this announcement doesn't surprise me. FYE also seems to be slowly doing away with CD's. When I was in Goldsboro, NC two months ago, we went to FYE in Berkeley Mall and they only had one shelf of CD's. That was it. Ol' pops was not pleased. They used to have aisles of CD's when I last lived there 10 years ago. Hell, I remember when it was Camelot before it became FYE.

[jeffandnicole]

This is nothing more than time rolling along.  Most purists didn't like CDs and preferred LPs instead when CDs became popular.

[cjk374]

This is nothing more than time rolling along.  Most purists didn't like CDs and preferred LPs instead when CDs became popular.

And now LPs/vinyl is making a comeback. What is old is new again.

[1995hoo]

My wife's 2015 Acura has only a single-disc CD player; it will rip the CD to a hard drive, or you can connect an iPod or similar device or stream via Bluetooth (no CarPlay or whatever the Android equivalent is). While having the iPod interface is convenient, to me the major annoyance is (1) finding the music while you're driving and (2) invariably it starts playing on the first track on the device by alphabetical name ("'A' Bomb in Wardour Street" by the Jam) until I pause it and then twirl the menu knob around to find something else. There's got to be a better way to do this.

[ZLoth]

And now LPs/vinyl is making a comeback. What is old is new again.

I can understand the comeback of LPs. I don't understand why people would want cassette tapes or VHS tapes to come back.

[Stephane Dumas]

This is nothing more than time rolling along.  Most purists didn't like CDs and preferred LPs instead when CDs became popular.

And now LPs/vinyl is making a comeback. What is old is new again.

And now it's the turn of the casette tapes to comeback. https://www.marketplace.org/2017/11/22/business/cassette-tapes-make-comeback
https://blog.landr.com/are-cassette-tapes-making-a-comeback/

What's next? 8-Track cartridge to return?

[Rothman]

Eesh.  Audio cassettes were a wrong-way turn on media progress.  Stupid things degrade after the first play.

[abefroman329]

Target IS going to stop selling music CDs, according to the news report I heard last night.

The trouble with owning digital copies of entertainment (as opposed to owning copies on physical media) is that there isn't much stopping the company from providing the copy to me anymore (Apple yanking a copy of a movie or TV show or song from my iPhone, or Amazon suddenly deciding it's not going to let me stream the movie I purchased any more).  I don't have to worry about anyone from a movie studio or record label coming into my house and taking a handful of CDs or DVDs.

[Takumi]

https://youtu.be/NlM3CKXJs5k

[cjk374]

This is nothing more than time rolling along.  Most purists didn't like CDs and preferred LPs instead when CDs became popular.

And now LPs/vinyl is making a comeback. What is old is new again.

And now it's the turn of the casette tapes to comeback. https://www.marketplace.org/2017/11/22/business/cassette-tapes-make-comeback
https://blog.landr.com/are-cassette-tapes-making-a-comeback/

What's next? 8-Track cartridge to return?

I'm ready for that already. I still have 2 stereos that can play 8-tracks. 

[ET21]

I still prefer to have CDs of albums I listen to frequently. But I have gone towards the trend of just streaming playlists... I still would like to have CD players in my cars just in case I want to play something that's not on a streaming service yet (Like the NFS III: Hot Pursuit soundtrack)

[LM117]

I don't understand why people would want cassette tapes or VHS tapes to come back.

Me either. They degrade and sound/look like ass.

[formulanone]

Eesh.  Audio cassettes were a wrong-way turn on media progress.  Stupid things degrade after the first play.

True, but they because cheaper and obviously more portable. Playing an LP or EP in your car was a cruel joke. If you sprung for good quality tapes (not Type I), used an archival source (not radio), and decent equipment (not Radio Shack-spec), it was pretty good.

Early MP3 players and quality were equally poor, until storage capacity and re-sampling quality increased. So there's a curve for everything.

The CD selection at most of these chain stores isn't that great anyway. I recently learned that Lush reunited, and put our an album in 2016, but I don't know of too many Best Buy, Target, or Wal-Mart stores that had any copies. And that's just one example.

It's been about 5 years since I bought an album in a store; I have to go to an online retailer to find actual albums. You can find the latest (and "greatest") in stores, but that's about it. Between most record stores going belly-up, major retailers are going with safe bets, so I suppose it's taking up space. I don't really blame retailers for removing the albums, as keeping up with demands must be a tricky process that yields diminishing returns.

Probably won't be too long until the DVDs go away, but there still seems to be a steady market for new releases, new TV seasons, and box sets. For now, you can't (legally) get every movie online.

[hbelkins]

When Best Buy first opened in Lexington, it was a CD buyer's haven. They carried all sorts of obscure titles, imports, etc. My future wife and I spent many a Saturday evening in Best Buy, browsing and buying.

I can't remember the last time I bought a new-release musical performance in any form, however. Pretty much everything that's being put out these days is awful. I'm not into pop, rap, or anything else that is "hip" these days. What's a metalhead going to do these days?

Target IS going to stop selling music CDs, according to the news report I heard last night.

The trouble with owning digital copies of entertainment (as opposed to owning copies on physical media) is that there isn't much stopping the company from providing the copy to me anymore (Apple yanking a copy of a movie or TV show or song from my iPhone, or Amazon suddenly deciding it's not going to let me stream the movie I purchased any more).  I don't have to worry about anyone from a movie studio or record label coming into my house and taking a handful of CDs or DVDs.

The solution, obviously, is to burn an audio CD of the digital tracks you download, and also burn a data CD of those files (AAC if you're buying from Apple). If you have them that way, physically, they're untouchable. Anytime I've bought something off iTunes or another digital source, which is rare, that's what I've done.

[roadman]

What people don't consider is the all important question:  What happens if my computer, mp3 player, or other device crashes?  If you've ripped your music from CDs, you can just re-rip everything.  If you've downloaded everything, you're pretty much SOL and have to re-purchase all that music.

Even in the days when I was copying LPs onto reel to reel and cassette tapes, and more recently copying music onto minidisc format, I always remembered what an audiophile friend told me in the early 1970s - Never ever get rid of your source material, as you may need it some day.

As for cassettes, I copied music onto tapes for years and never had a single tape fail or significantly degrade on me.  The key was twofold - use good equipment and use quality tapes (as opposed to the 3 for a dollar brands that were prevalent for many years.

All that having been said, I haven't bought a CD from a retail store in years.  On-line retailers (like Import CDs) have a far greater selection and far better prices.

[Doctor Whom]

What happens if my computer, mp3 player, or other device crashes?

Since I back up regularly, I can restore it from backup. What am I missing here?

[roadman]

What happens if my computer, mp3 player, or other device crashes?

Since I back up regularly, I can restore it from backup. What am I missing here?

Point taken. 

[formulanone]

What happens if my computer, mp3 player, or other device crashes?

Since I back up regularly, I can restore it from backup. What am I missing here?

I think his point is that it will become harder to find something to playback the source material. While the second-generation copy has the same or similar information, it's not quite the source.

[Rothman]

Then...why bother keeping obsolete source material after you have transformed it onto contemporary media?

[abefroman329]

What people don't consider is the all important question:  What happens if my computer, mp3 player, or other device crashes?  If you've ripped your music from CDs, you can just re-rip everything.  If you've downloaded everything, you're pretty much SOL and have to re-purchase all that music.

If you've purchased it from, say, Amazon or iTunes, you can re-download it.  If you've downloaded it illegally, then yes, you're SOL unless you can find another pirated copy.

[abefroman329]

Pretty much everything that's being put out these days is awful.

This may be the only statement you've made to date that I agree with. 

The solution, obviously, is to burn an audio CD of the digital tracks you download, and also burn a data CD of those files (AAC if you're buying from Apple). If you have them that way, physically, they're untouchable. Anytime I've bought something off iTunes or another digital source, which is rare, that's what I've done.

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I'm sure there's a way the copyright owner could prevent you from playing back those as well.