Are CDs REALLY making a comeback? Well…
[This was my weekly column for GlobalNews.ca. – AC]
You may have seen stories about how after years of decline, CDs are making a comeback. The most dramatic report came from Techcrunch which breathlessly wrote “CD sales are making an unexpected comeback amid a retro tech boom,” pointing to a claimed sales increase of 60 per cent in the US, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. That’s not just a boom. It’s a nuclear blast.
Rolling Stone is a little more reserved, using statistics from Luminate, the watcher of all things to do with music consumption, citing an increase of about 16 per cent in CD sales. That’s still very healthy.
So on the surface, this looks like a replay of the vinyl resurrection where records and turntables have once again become must-have things for music fans. Another physical format is back! The revolution against an all-virtual, all-digital, non-tangible, and non-physical musical existence is gaining strength? Are people scooping up CDs the way they used to in the 90s when HMV had its famous “buy 10 and get one free” frequent shopper card? Is the music coming out of passing cars from CDs playing in the dashboard? Are stereo shops stocking up on inventory for a rush on CD players this Christmas?
Not really. This is one of those situations that falls under Mark Twain’s assertions about “lies, damn lies, and statistics.” Let’s deconstruct things.
