Wired News: Record Stores: We’re Fine, Thanks:
High prices, rather than file sharing, are what usually stop a kid from buying a CD, Wiley said.
Typically, the music industry wants stores to sell CDs for $18 when they should be going for $15, he said. That $3 can make the difference in terms of whether or not a CD is going to sell.
“The file sharing, the Internet — just makes them music junkies,” Wiley said.
Paul Epstein, owner of Twist & Shout, a store in Denver, agreed that piracy has helped his bottom line. He said it’s like radio, another form of promotion that spurs sales.
“File sharing is a danger, but it really turns a lot of kids on to music,” he said.
I hinted at this a while back: selling commodity music artifacts won’t keep music stores open. I think even $15 is too much, especially since we know how little of it is needed to cover the manufacturing costs.
People will go to stores staffed by knowledgeable people who can help them make purchases or explore new sounds. Try getting that kind of help at Wal-Mart . . . .