Remember when cassettes were replaced with CDs? Were you among the music lovers who believed firmly that vinyl is better and that CDs could never replace that raw sound you had fallen in love with? Well now it seems that CDs too have had their day – replaced gradually by the digital age.
According to figures from the BPI and the Official Charts Company, CD sales suffered a massive year-on-year drop during the first quarter of 2012 – with sales slumping by 25 per cent to 15.3million – down from 20.5million one year ago.
The rise of digital
While CDs suffer, digital sales appear to be filling the gap. Almost a third of all albums are now being bought digitally and this has led the Entertainment Retailers Association to comment that more needs to be done to make CDs more appealing.
It is believed that CDs are now widely viewed as being outdated even though they are still the market leader for album sales. One solution that is being considered is that when people buy CD formats they should also be able to get the digital functionality that they are craving when buying online. It could be that a system is created that allows music transfers automatically between your MP3 player, tablet or computer as soon as a CD is scanned at a till.
What to do if you still want to buy CDs
There is still some interest in CDs however, with Gotye boasting the biggest selling single of the year so far; and Adele’s 21 being the largest selling album. In particular it seems that CDs are remaining popular with those aged 30 plus.
If you’re interested in buying CDs but want them at a fair price, then your first stop should be a price comparison website. Don’t assume that big name retailers such as HMV, Amazon and Play.com will be the cheapest for CDs – it may be that you can get better value from a “lesser name” in online retail. The way to ensure you’re getting value is to use a price comparison tool such as that available at Moneysaver.ie to quickly compare the prices available from both leading retailers and lesser names.
In addition, it’s also worth looking out for music voucher codes.
There is a music, movies and games voucher code section at Moneysaver.ie with some substantial savings to be enjoyed including: 10 per cent off all orders in April at consolesandgadgets.co.uk; free next day delivery on consoles bought at TheHut.com before April 30; and 13 per cent off all headphones bought from MyMemory.co.uk – also expiring on April 30.