Country Music Sales Down 30%

Marlin Smoot · Post by **Marlin Smoot** » 27 Mar 2007 11:28 am

Looking at Country, first quarter CD numbers are down closer to 30%, mostly due to variances in the release schedule. However, internet piracy, fewer specialty music retailers and declining music floor space at the larger retailers certainly have the attention of Nashville’s record labels.

Sony BMG Chairman Joe Galante said, “It’s too early to draw any conclusions about 2007.

In Country, changes in the retail marketplace will be felt “More of the catalog will be hit and entry level artists will have a tougher time,” Galante says. “The big boys and girls are fine. It’s the records that aren’t moving as quickly.”

Johnny Rose, Show Dog VP/Sales & Marketing says, “There’s definitely reason for concern when we see the industry take this kind of plunge. Country’s also enjoying a wave of younger fans who have been led in by Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood. We have a big opportunity if we can maintain our traditional fan base and build with this new audience

Marlin Smoot · Post by **Marlin Smoot** » 27 Mar 2007 11:39 am

The Nashville labels are slow to move on anything. The style of music being processed out of twang town is not getting the attention of the record buyer and Nashville can't react quick enough. Decling sales of 30% is a huge number.

It almost seems like Nashville wants their steak grilled 'well done and juicy'

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 27 Mar 2007 12:07 pm

Tower Records is history, FYE and Sam Goody's are downsizing, record/CD/tape sales are off major "soft to forecast"...

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 27 Mar 2007 12:41 pm

Galante... even the name turns Dad

Country's been losing "30%" for several years now, according to the same column that comes out every year. We should be down to about, oh, -150% by now... they're turnin' in more than we're pressing, boys!

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 27 Mar 2007 12:51 pm

Slight problem with your math there Michael.

Marlin Smoot · Post by **Marlin Smoot** » 27 Mar 2007 12:56 pm

Actually, country music did ok in 2004 postings gains - but slipped in 2005 - and now at a 30% decrease for 2006. The slip in 2005 of 10% does not have the impact of 30%.

2004 - Country sales reached 31.3 million units through the first six months of this year, compared with 28.1 million units for the same period in 2003, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Overall albums sales also were up, from 286 million units to 306 million -- a 6.9 percent increase.

2005 - Through the week ending Oct. 2, country music sold about 45.2 million units, compared to 50.2 million units for the same period last year — a 10% drop, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 27 Mar 2007 1:00 pm

Some people just don't understand "tounge in cheek," do they?

pfffffff...........................................t.

Marlin Smoot · Post by **Marlin Smoot** » 27 Mar 2007 1:06 pm

Yeah, you're right about that.

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 27 Mar 2007 1:40 pm

[quote]mostly due to variances in the release schedule. However, internet piracy, fewer specialty music retailers and declining music floor space at the larger retailers certainly have the attention of Nashville’s record labels.
Its funny, they blame the problem on everything but the actual lack of good music.
Hook

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 27 Mar 2007 2:51 pm

Hook, believe me... there are those of us who know. We're just not in a position to do anything about it...

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 27 Mar 2007 2:57 pm

You know guys, I am not convinced that the dropping country music sales is are due to piracy or lack of marketing or anything else like that.

Country music is not country music anymore. In fact I am not sure what genre one would classify it as.

How many so called country artists today have a string of same genre (country) song hits? Accuse me of being old and stuck in the past or too stubborn to move forward with modern music; however, country rock, uptown country is not country music: its head banging rock & roll and that’s all there is to it.

We have an advertized uptown country band playing a three day gig at a local bar right now and there is no way in hell that anyone can remotely call that country music. Everyone of the musicians are tuned for rock and the rock bass, drums and screaming lead guitar are about all you can hear. Even the off key babe who was screaming into her mic couldn’t be heard over the music that was supposed to be backing her up.

Yup; uptown country alright.

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 27 Mar 2007 3:50 pm

I believe Michael And btw, great midnight jamboree pics !
Hook

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 27 Mar 2007 5:20 pm

Its funny, they blame the problem on everything but the actual lack of good music.

I agree. And Michael - I think most of us know that the problem isn't a lack of great writers, singers, and players in Nashvegas. I want to see these marketing types turn you guys loose to create what we all know you could. But, IMO, they're so busy hawking to the "desirable" demographics because - to get played - they need to sell targeted radio advertising. As a result, they've forgotten about just creating great music that people will spend money on. It's the tail wagging the dog.

It's not that I have anything against old rock with a twang - I grew up on it - but there's not much luster in repackaging it, IMHO. Around this part of the world, tons of college students - the next adult generation - are heavily into original "classic" rock. Stones, Zep, Seger, Who, Clapton, Floyd, Skynyrd, Allmans, you name it. These guys would be a natural market for modern country - but they won't have anything to do with it because they don't like the image - I think it's become a parody of itself. If I was a contemporary country music marketeer, that would worry me a lot, and I'd be looking to find home base again.

Sometimes, you need to play the hand you're dealt, and not try to market beer as champagne - or conversely, not try to market champagne as beer. There's a market for both, to the right people. Market the right product to them correctly, and they'll buy it. I honestly think they'd be better to just label some of this stuff as "Heartland rock" or "Southern rock", image and market it that way, and go back to square one to market genuine country music. They'd probably sell about the same number of the "new country" style records - I honestly doubt new country listeners could care less whether it's called "country" or "southern rock". Initially, what's left of country would go back to its original smaller demographic. But in time, with its integrity intact, it might find new audiences. All IMHO, of course.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 27 Mar 2007 6:17 pm

Just heard an interview with the head of a niche recording company Six Degrees. He said that 32% of his business was from Tower Records. Now that Tower is out of business, I'm certainly every recording company is facing a similar decrease. Brick and Morter stores are going out of business. Digital Downloadable music is not here yet and I would imagine will come later to the country genre than the rock genre.

erik · Post by **erik** » 27 Mar 2007 6:50 pm

Bill, you can buy nearly anything in print as a download at walmart.com It's not high quality, but I'll tell you, it gives me my fix.

Bob Ritter · Post by **Bob Ritter** » 27 Mar 2007 8:12 pm

looks like it is time for Garth to get off his butt and make another record and save their bacon again.

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 27 Mar 2007 8:34 pm

That was the first time I recall hearing the "30%" thing... back several years ago, when Garth was hot, and country was selling... somebody said, "Yeah, but if you remove Garth from the picture, the overall sales are down 30%."

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 28 Mar 2007 2:53 am

keep in mind they are talking about pressed MUSIC, CD's..( make that ETCHED ) they are not talking about DOWNLOADS of MP3's or Streams.

I find it odd that they would report CD numbers without making a connection to internet sales and downloads.

If folks are paying $.89 for a download, are they thinking that this person is still going to buy a brand new CD too ?

Is McFly home ?

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 28 Mar 2007 4:14 am

When I was in Wallyworld the other day they were running a big sale on Garth's product. They had the box set down to almost nothing.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 28 Mar 2007 5:20 am

Have you really listened to what is on the country radio these days??

I am not surprised at all that the sales are down.

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 28 Mar 2007 8:53 am

Bill Hatcher wrote:Have you really listened to what is on the country radio these days??

I am not surprised at all that the sales are down.

Even worse than that, I have to play them all!

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 29 Mar 2007 1:19 pm

IF Lables are offering singles and MP3's and them little mini CD's as well.. then to me it would be obvious that CD sales would be down.

With Internet sites such as Rhapsody where you can listen first before you buy, this will really cause them to scratch there heads and maybe offer a totally GOOD product instead of maybe , MAYBE one worthy song on a $16 CD. The lables are now the victims of there own previous greed .

My wife really wanted Daryl Worleys new CD, we both really like previous CD's. BUT..she waited until it was available on Rhapsody, listend to it first and ran for cover. The new CD is nothing like the previous releases, not even close.

result..

NO SALE

And yes, Rhapsody does cost $10/mth. We all use it at home and I record countless tunes from it with my Edirol Wave/MP3 recorder. I have downloaded ZERO.

The point here though is that we would have bought the DW cd had it been a pleasant listening experience.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 30 Mar 2007 5:34 am

That must mean Rocks up 30% so the labels win either way

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 30 Mar 2007 12:01 pm

Whatever they're losing on CD sales, the're making up on digital music files and ring-tones.

CD's will be history in a few years anyway, probably being supplanted by DVDs on one hand, and digital music file sales on the other. As a desired format, it's plainly on it's last legs.

John Steele (deceased) · Post by **John Steele (deceased)** » 30 Mar 2007 12:20 pm

In the television report I saw about this, they reported that sales in all genres are down, with the exception of classical. Interesting.
-John