cygweb

You forgot "Joe Consumer has less disposable income thanks to the economy."

That, too. :)

I can't speak for Joe, but Scott Consumer has decided long ago to cut back on CD purchases. I sure wish the FBI would imprint a warning on shipping jobs overseas. After-all, if they really want to look at the economy, what impact has the outsourcing of jobs overseas had on Joe Consumer's income and on the US economy?

Sometimes I seriously wonder what the government and those that decide the laws in general are thinking. They certainly are not looking at the big picture if they think downloading music and movies is the reason why an economy takes a dip. Too many lawyers.

Personally, I've gotten a lot more selective about my CD purchases. I don't walk into Tower/Best Buy/Mr. Cheapo's and come out with $100 worth of discs anymore. Partially, it's because of the mortgage, but a big part of it is that I just don't listen to new music anymore. The largest chunk of my collection is stuff released between 1994 and 1997.

There's also the fact that I've downloaded more and more stuff (legally, JFTR - thank you sharingthegroove.org and BitTorrent).

I've gotten more selective as well, and I have enough "favorite bands" to sustain my new purchasing. I've been dipping back into the archives more and more lately.

One aspect of CD collecting that I think the RIAA doesn't want to acknowledge is that as someone builds a CD collection, they are most likely less inclined to listen to more new music. Or at least, to purchase new CD's at an equal or higher rate. The durability and sound quality of the CD format enables this.

I like BitTorrent as well Don.

I am in the same boat as both of you. I have a CD collection and a mortgage which enables me to always switch around to different music to pop in. I also thankfully have a friend that introduced me to many artists on the Indie circut. So the CD's I find myself buying, are put out by Labels who are not part of the RIAA.

Let's be honest, the majority of the "new" music that the RIAA puts out is exactly what you see on American Idol. Many of the finalists on that show can sing, but most if not all on the show and on the RIAA labels are far from what I would call artists. Not much original good music if any coming from these people, they have a born talent to sing but that is where it ends. They sing songs written by others and the songs are put out so fast that they have the creative sound lyrically and musically of a Hallmark card. That is why I do not buy it.