More Music Retailers Learn To Change With The Times
from the not-so-hard,-is-it? dept
While the recording industry continues to insist that its world is dying, the music industry continues to thrive -- even if it's not in the same way it did a decade ago. One of the more interesting things about this trend is watching how music retailers have tried to adapt to the change. Not surprisingly, it involves a lot of experimenting, and quite a bit of failure -- but record store owners seem to have realized that not adapting means certain death. One of the big trends we've seen is for record stores (usually independent ones) to recognize that it's important to become destination sites, rather than just music stores. They're also recognizing that record store employees can provide value by being trusted guides. To that end, a well-known UK music retailer is opening a new larger shop, even as many are insisting that music retailing is over. However, this isn't an ordinary record shop. Instead, it's playing up the relationship between the knowledgeable employees and shoppers, providing a lot of counterspace for visitors to talk with staff about what kind of music they might like. It's also becoming more of a destination site, with free WiFi, workshops and a stage for live performances. This certainly isn't a new idea as we've seen very similar reactions from stores for many years, but it does show how more and more of these stores are learning to adapt and change with the times, while the recording industry stubbornly goes down with its obsolete ship.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: music, piracy, record stores, recording industry, retail
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Sounds like my kind of shop...
I can just imagine walking into a shop and hearing a live band play. The associate that meets you at the door tells you about the band that is playing and points you to their album (if they have one) and other music like it or if you say you aren't into that they actually ask what you are into and try to help you find it. I don't mind associates offering the deal of the moment but I get sick of it when they do nothing but try to get you to buy something instead of asking what you like (kinda like car dealers do).
The only downside to this idea is that it would only be profitable in the largest of cities with lots of different people from several different walks of life. I could see why even if this were successful for that UK retailer the idea would be slow to catch on throughout the rest of the world, especially the US.
And congrats on getting halfway through that post before using "content" or "value", not even using "content", and only using "value" once. For a moment there I thought you guys just were required to use those two words multiple times in all articles about the music and/or recording industries
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Change in music stores
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Music industry thriving? Are you serious?
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Re: Music industry thriving? Are you serious?
Just because something starts off slow and does not generate the same revenue as its predecessor from the get go does not mean that it will fail.
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Re: Re: Music industry thriving? Are you serious?
What idiots!
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Re: Re: Re: Music industry thriving? Are you seri
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Music industry thriving? Are you
Or, maybe not all downloaded songs are lost sales. Therefore, some downloaded songs are. While the industry may exaggerate this claim, it is true to some extent.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Music industry thriving? Are
I have no problem with the fact that the RIAA/MPAA is fighting piracy. My problem is the fact that they are using underhanded tactics that include bullying, extortion, and outright lying as their weapons of choice.
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good more good
sick nore sick
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yup
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Record Stores Of The Future
"...of course I snickered, because their innovative Record
Store of the Future sounds exactly like almost every store I ever worked at! What techdirt was very, very careful not to mention is that these futuristic stores are now selling used product, simply to stay alive. In Chicago, the niche stores that sold used 'content delivery units' survived, everyone else went under, because the profit margin on regular major label discs was way too low... for the retailer and his employees, that is. Jimmy Page made money, though. At least, that's what I heard."
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