Wal-Mart is going to kill music one day.

[Agent Proto]

Please forgive me mods, I posted this originally at FG, so there'll be swearing, but luckily the censorship will catch it. xD

Ok, I was listening to the radio and on this talk show, they were discussing about how Wal-Mart is going to kill the music industry. But, first, allow me what Wal-Mart is doing.

You know you can get music at any Wal-Mart for about ten dollars. Which is cheap and affordable. But the music that you buy at Wal-Mart is never the same kind you'd find at a local music store where the same CD would be about twice the price of that Wal-Mart is selling. Also what's wrong is that Wal-Mart sells editted CDs, and they often don't sell certain artists, like Eminem and most rap artists considered "hardcore." Wal-Mart sells these editted CDs for 10 dollars. They buy the CDs for 12 dollars, but sell them for $10, which would mean them losing money for selling under the price of purchase. But, don't get me wrong, Wal-Mart is not losing money because of this, as they make most of their money on other stuff rather than on music.

Now, Wal-Mart wants the music industry to sell their stuff to them for 10 dollars rather than $12 dollars, and if the music industry doesn't comply, Wal-Mart is going to stop selling editted music CDs.

Now, why would this kill music? Well, at most places in the US, there is always a Wal-Mart, and usually, that's where people will buy music. Because it's cheap and affordable. And $10 dollars is really cheap. Not only that, but most people who purchase music at Wal-Mart will have the crappy editted version, which the artists usually don't want the consumers to buy. Wal-Mart is going to sell the editted crap at a cheap price, to the point where it can drive out local music competition in the smaller stores.

What's also ed up, besides the music thing, since Wal-Mart is going to sell "editted" crap no one really wants to hear, they sell movies and video games, usually rated and "uneditted." Which is ing stupid. But that's not the point. The point is that Wal-Mart ing sucks that they might kill the music industry, because the music industry relies heavily on Wal-Mart to spread music across America, yet Wal-Mart doesn't really need music to make a profit.

[Martyr]

What do you want me to do about it?
Because I honestly don't think that I have an answer for you right now.

[edczxcvbnm]

I could care less. Let the music industry die. Its too ed up a buracratic as it is. They don't listen to people or care about them. They didn't try to make MP3s and online music sellable. They tried to kill it ONLY when music sales went down. Then they tried to kill and they declined worse. They have no clue what they are doing and if it dies then it will eventually get revived again but with people with a vision and those that are smart. These people suck.

[Agent Proto]

Well, that's not what I'm really concerned. I'm more concerned about what Wal-Mart is doing, because this will eventually kill of competition with the small stores that sell uneditted music at a more "expensive" price than Wal-Mart.

[edczxcvbnm]

Well then the music industry will just have to say no or the artists will have to take a stand. One or the other. People have to step up to Wal-Mart and tell them how it is going to be. If Wal-Mart stops selling music then imagine how many complaints THEY will get. After people can't get their music then they will shop else where. K-Mart, Target and other places and then Wal-Mart may lose customers.

Wal-Mart shouldn't have its way and I don't think they will.

[theundeadhero]

A majority of Wal-Mart's Cd's are not edited, and when they are, the Cd is marked as edited. How this helps the problem I don't know, but I can honestly say most of my friends don't buy music from Wal-Mart.

[Optium]

It'd be cool if Wal-Mart and the music industry went to war and it came
down to a standoff where if one of them made a move, the other would
counter it and both would be completely destroyed. I'd plant a bomb in a
shopping cart and wait until the deadly firefight ends, then the refugees
(artists) would finally be free of these tyrannical leaders and actual
ing music could be made.

Who's with me!?

.opt

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

I can't say it will affect me too much because the type of CDs I listen to are put out by companies like Deutsch Grammophon and Walmart or any other company'd have no reason to edit them, most don't even have lyrics after all. As far as the repercussions of this, I can't really say what I'd like to see happen, I'm just not involved in either side enough to have it really effect me.

[MoonsEcho]

First off, a lot of people don't WANT edited music, so they'll pay the extra few bucks to get the unedited versions.

Secondly, I've seen more edited cds at Target than at Wal-Mart.

Also, I don't think this is really going to kill the music business, but if it did, I feel the same about that as ed. Even if there was damage done, music itself, real music, good music, will never die.

[DMKA]

A majority of Wal-Mart's Cd's are not edited, and when they are, the Cd is marked as edited. How this helps the problem I don't know, but I can honestly say most of my friends don't buy music from Wal-Mart.

Actually, both my parents work at Wal Mart, and yes, they are. Did you not all hear about Wal Mart getting sued recently over the unedited Evanescence CD that slipped through somehow?

No, I don't think Wal Mart is going to kill the music industry: I think bitchy people who want the world to raise their kids for them already started killing it along time ago.

[Wuggly Blight]

These industrys only sell popular already bands new people cant get a break and with this power they can say whay goes now, Im not kidding when I say bands have changed songs and titles for them.

[Shlup]

Saying that Wal-Mart is going to kill the music industry is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. I just don't see how that would possibly happen. I can't even think of anyone I know who buys music at Wal-Mart except for my stepmom, and that's 'cause she works there.

[Agent Proto]

Well, let's see. Most places in the midwest don't have a Best Buy or some store that sells music only, and Wal-Mart is cheap. Besides, if they do make the music industry to sell their CDs at $10.

Anyway, here's where the money usually goes for a CD that costs $17.
* Retailer: $5
* Record label: $4.92
* Distributor: $2.40
* Giveaways: $1.80
* Duplication/recording: $1.10
* Artist royalty: 83 cents
* Songwriter license: 60 cents
* Producer royalty: 27 cents
* Musicians union: 8 cents

When the price of the CD drops down to $10, everyone loses out.

[Doc Sark]

Agree with Shlupquack

Supermarkets in the U.K, namely Asda (owned by Walmart) sell C.D's at a reduced price but this will not signal the death of the music industry. I agree with those who ask, who actually buys music from the supermarket? No one I know. The real danger for the music business is still the illegal distribution of files over the internet.

They tried to kill it ONLY when music sales went down. Then they tried to kill and they declined worse.

This is actually incorrect. This year for the first time saw a rise in album sales. In the UK, Album sales hit record amounts this year. Also the introduction of sites such as iTunes and legal Napster has brought about the download chart which has proved to be a massive success.

The music industry is not going anywhere. They simply adapt, and carry on with business. Those of you who talk about the death of the music industry bringing about some revolution where great music will make a come back are misguided. How are the record companies supposed to promote "real music" if they go out of business. Don't expect anything to chancge drastically until the next technological improvement in music forces it too.

[Doomgaze]

Some of you, because you are smart enough to use a computer, really understimate how much white trash depends on Wal-Mart. Trust me, far more people buy all of their music at Wal-Mart, and that number will probablly only go up.


That said, who cares about the music industry?