High prices killed the CD
The reason so many people flocked to Napster in the first place is the same reason why home taping was so common, because the price of a legitimate CD was far too high. At that time, the ability to play an MP3 was very limited, so there was no argument for convenience. You used your desktop computer, because there were no iPods, no MP3 support in DVD players, etc.
I have to say I will only purchase a physical object. I own a large number of CDs, but have reached the point where I rarely buy any more, solely based on price. If it's not already too late, it's time to cut CD prices in half, and then figure out how to cut them in half again. The manufacturing costs are negligible. The royalties are negligible. As far as distribution, if dollar stores can get items from the manufacturer to the store shelf for a dollar, maybe the music industry can take a few pointers.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
