The demise of the physical single format

[Wario]

I wonder if with the death of physical cds in general in the future (face it, that will happen whether we like it or not), Greatest Hits compilations will also die.

[AndyK]

Originally Posted by WarioLoaf

I wonder if with the death of physical cds in general in the future (face it, that will happen whether we like it or not), Greatest Hits compilations will also die.

Doubt it, they'll bundle the "greatest hits" tracks with a couple of new studio tracks or unreleased live tracks to entice people to download the lot for them to get hold of the new stuff. It happens already with the physicall CD so I can't see that changing.

[Sarge]

As much as I prefer physical releases, the number of physical singles I have bought over the years is very low. I'm not happy about what has become of the music biz and I hope that albums will remain to be available on CD / vinyl but a crisis (in case it really is one) can trigger innovation. Modern technology, new communication channels and the fact that music can easily be copied / duplicated are not only a potential threat to sales figures, they can also provide artists with new, more flexible and more easily accessible ways to publish and promote their work.

It requires constant hard work and creativity though, as music, art, film, literature, etc. won't be as elitist as they used to be and almost everybody will have similar tools available, so it might get harder to stand out from the crowd and attract the audience's attention for a longer period of time.

Originally Posted by evil nickname

[...] 'piracy' is the result of the entertainment industry failing to get their products to the people who want them. (Like me, who would have bought the IICHY single, but couldn't because I'm in the Netherlands and using an operating system for which there is no iTunes available. Not that I would want to use that bloatware, but still.)

Exactly. What's the point of excluding a large number of potential customers? And what's the point in making "singles" available for download without promoting them sufficiently? Neither Peace On Earth nor If I Can't Have You was properly advertised or played anywhere at the time of their release, as far as I remember. And why was Los Angeloser released as a "single" in Germany while the song was played on the BBC (!)?

[dottie]

Originally Posted by Monstro

A real shame but unfortunately to be expected, been on the cards for a while. Guess I'm just an old fart but I like the physical copy, also the collector in me finds it difficult to look at my hard drive in the same way as I look at a shelf full of CD's.

I totally agree Monstro....each and everyone one of my CD's/Vinyl has a memory attached to it......