Singles

[rach 1]

Anyone else here with fond memories of singles? I remember looking forward to buying some, but the rules around them (well in the UK) and the ridiculous price make them a bit of a joke. Whats the single market like in other countries? Alive or dying?

 

I found this about them.

 

DEATH OF THE SINGLE Feb 2 2004

By Gavin Martin

 

ONCE they were the passion of millions of teenagers, the first thing they spent their pocket money or tiny pay packets on.

Everyone wanted the latest single, and programmes such as Top Of The Pops thrived on them.

 

But not any more. The single may have had its day, killed off by the internet, MTV and mobile phones. Last week the music industry suffered its worst slump in singles sales since records began.

 

To many the crash marks the death knell for the market, which has struggled to survive since CDs arrived in the late 1980s.

 

Just 400,000 singles were bought across the UK in the week ending January 25 - the worst performance in 35 years and just half of those sold in the same week four years ago.

 

A mere 10 singles managed to sell more than 10,000 copies, compared to three times that amount five years earlier.

Dance act Boogie Pimps became the lowest seller to enter the top three, selling an embarrassing 16,000 copies of Somebody To Love.

 

In the past few decades the pop music world has become hugely more competitive, and the drop in singles sales is the first casualty of a bitter battle for supremacy.

 

TODAY there are so many more ways of getting hold of a song than just buying the single.

Pop fans can download tracks from the internet, buy them as a ringtone for their mobile phone, or record them from MTV.

Another cause of the slump is that radio stations now play songs for up to two months before they are released, boring punters to death before the single is even in the shops.

 

Dr Fox, who hosts the Hit 40 UK chart show on Sunday nights, which has 2.6million listeners, claims the increase in numbers of radio and TV stations playing music has also hit single sales.

He says: "When I was a kid all we had was Top Of The Pops and Radio One. If you loved something, you had to buy it. You couldn't get it anywhere else, but now there are so many places you can hear your favourite music.

"Twenty years ago you didn't have 10 different music channels or 300 radio stations playing pop music."

 

And he also blamed the endless supply of compilation albums. He says: "The record companies have only themselves to blame. Just about every single released will be on a compilation album the same week.

"Would you want to spend three pounds on one song or get 40 tracks for a few quid more?"

 

With CD albums costing as little as £8.50, compared to £3-£5 for singles, it is not surprising people are shunning singles. Another nail in the single's coffin is the speed at which artists release a new album after their single hits the charts.

 

The average time-lag between the release of an artist's single and album was historically six weeks, but that has changed.

Albums are now being released within two weeks of the single - so shoppers prefer to wait then buy the album.

 

And while once record companies would wait until a band had released three or four successful singles before launching an album, today's artists commonly release just one single - to promote sales of their album.

 

Last year 65million singles were sold in the UK, compared to 75million ringtones for mobile phones.

Dozens of websites cater for the ringtone market, charging £1.50 for reproduced hits that have been converted into mobile phone tones. Some sites even offer them for free.

Beyonce's Crazy In Love was the best-selling mobile phone ringtone of 2003, reducing the need for thousands of young fans to buy the actual single.

 

And it's become infinitely easier to get into the charts. All This Time by Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus shifted just 35,040 copies to claim a third week at number one.

 

Yet in the past, a single would have to sell many more than 100,000 a week to clinch the top spot - something that happened only seven times last year. Five years ago that happened 43 times.

 

Rob Corlett, managing director of Hit 40 UK which compiles Top 40 charts, says the drop in sales is something the industry must take seriously.

"Single sales have been in decline for a long time," he said. "They are only one element of people consuming pop music - downloads and ringtones are now serious competition.

 

"But record companies have been talking about dropping the price of CD singles as well as including video clips in a bid to regain customers. And they're moving into the download market."

 

Alan Jones, chart consultant with industry magazine Music Week, doesn't believe the figures signal the death of the single.

Looking at sales figures going back to 1969, he believes it is actually cyclical.

"Although people look back on the 1960s as the glory years, the most singles ever sold in any one year of that decade was 48million. Yet in 2002 the total singles sale was more than 50million."

 

And Dr Fox agrees. "Last week no big artists released records. When big artists like the Darkness do release records, they are selling one million singles."

 

SO maybe there is still life for the single - but for how much longer?

 

Some artists are simply no longer as interested in single success, preferring to concentrate on marketing their albums.

These include jazz star Jamie Cullum and singer-songwriters Katie Melua and Amy Winehouse who have an older fan base and have been championed by radio stations such as Radio 2 and London's Jazz FM.

 

Lesley Douglas, controller of Radio 2, said the station is less reliant on singles and plays more album tracks.

"Singles are really a marketing tool for albums, but albums are a better indicator of the work of an artist," says Lesley.

 

Dr Fox adds: "It costs a fortune to put out a single - at least £100,000 for a song, but they make it back on album sales. Singles are a great way of promoting albums."

 

But with some stations, like Radio 2, now choosing to play album tracks rather than singles, record companies may no longer be under pressure to produce a single to promote an album.

 

Dr Fox remains optimistic though. He says: "The drop in singles sales does not signify a lack of interest in pop. Eight and a half million people listen to the charts every Sunday night so love of new music is still there."

[scouser 4]

I remember searching the shops on a Monday morning for the 12 inch of How Soon Is Now. Once I found it, I had a coffee.

[sunrise 0]

The article is right - there would probably be more single sales if the price were more reasonable. Though singles aren't always indicative of the material on the albums. I've read lots of complaints about top selling artists' albums being filled with crap and only just a couple of good songs, hence the popularity of paid downloads for single tracks off albums of people sick of paying for a whole album with only a few good songs on it (audio quality of course isn't as good as buying a CD). I don't agree that song swapping is hurting sales anywhere near as much as the RIAA would like us all to think as it's really not that much different from making cassette copies of albums. Sure, it might be at a larger scale but most of those who make copies probably wouldn't buy the album (or the single) if they couldn't get a copy. Peer to peer is good for artist publicity as you can gain a new audience that might not have heard much of the artist otherwise, though it's possible that it's more beneficial for indies than majors in that respect. And paying customers like song swapping because they like to try before they buy so that can benefit sales too. Gone are the days when you can listen to any album in a record shop aside from the few that are set up at listening posts. Peer to peer definitely benefits the artist in terms of fans for concerts. If you like the music you'll pay to see the concert. Of course the record companies don't see so much profit from that (my heart bleeds for the big 5). Indies don't usually make singles in general - too expensive, this article is referring mainly to major acts.

 

I don't think lack of singles sales mean the music market is dying at all.... it's just changing.

 

I bought singles when I was a kid, but after that I always wanted the album.

[JellyBelly 1]

I've never bought one, they're a rip off. They seem to be popular here in Japan though still.

[frannyo 2]

I read somewhere that there are some pretty ridiculous rules about what can go on them now as well. Limit of something like 10 minutes (so 2 tracks) or something like that. So value for money doesn't come into it.

[2pints-mate 0]

Singles are for under 12s. It makes the official chart a complete joke.

[stripper on coke 0]

I buy lots of 12 inch singles, but none of them are 'pop' music, or are they going effect the 12 year old's top 40.

 

I buy lots of dance music (house, trance, ambient, etc). There is a lot of electronic music on vinyl that never makes it to a cd. A lot of it will never even make it to a long play record either.

 

Mind you, I do miss the days of the Kiss 'picture single' and other such nonsense. They used to have some real corkers with all the coloured vinyls.......

[2pints-mate 0]

"There is a lot of electronic music on vinyl that never makes it to a cd"

 

Why do they do that??

[Goemon 0]

The record companies want you to buy all of the different mediums since each one offers "exclusive" tracks (ie only available on vinyl, only available on cd single, only available in Japan, etc.).

 

I buy lotsa vinyl singles too.

[2pints-mate 0]

Yes, well I can understand that 'concept', but don't a large number (vast majority) of people not have vinyl players anymore? Seems a bit of a spazzy strategy....

 

What sort of tracks do they put on these vinyl records that very few people will buy? Crappy remixes???

 

??

[stripper on coke 0]

2pints,mate, a lot of time the labels (electronic) are small, usually only run by djs and friends. Sometimes they don't have the money to buy all the tracks needed for cds. There is a better cash flow with singles. Also, the numbers are just not there - I have recently had a track included on a compilation cd. The label made only 1000 copies. Many times there are only 500 or so copies pressed for single release - this means the small label is going to sell them all.

 

Unfortunately, this also means the artists doesn't get paid very much, the labels don't make very much, and not too many people actually get the track in their record box. As such, it all stays pretty underground (which is good in a way, because that's what attracted most people to the 'scene' anyway).

 

Obviously 'pop' music or commercial music/labels work in a much different way...

 

 

 Quote:

What sort of tracks do they put on these vinyl records that very few people will buy? Crappy remixes???

I don't buy crappy rmx, but for a lot of artists making electronic music, it is nicer to have a release on vinyl. Also, an artist only has to make 2 tracks and can then sell them to a label and make some money, as opposed to having to make 9 or 10 tracks for a cd (and then being paid).

 

See ya in the record store..

[Goemon 0]

What stripper said.

 

2Pints: I think there was another thread on here not too long ago about vinyl's "comeback". I thought this was especially true in England which welcomed the DJ culture with open arms. Certainly not everyone has turntables, but...enough do. With CD-mixers gaining popularity, there is still a market for CD singles too.

 

And not all remixes are crappy. I guess it depends on your definition of crappy though.

[damian 0]

Vinyl will likely be around for a while but I think it will be dying off faster than ever within the dj circles with Final Scratch becoming very stable and more popular. Heaps of people hat FS but the tide is turning pretty fast.

 

(Final Scratch lets the dj use two turntables in the traditional manner to mix mp3 files on their laptop playlist. It is pretty cool to see in operation. You still use vinyl however they are special timing marker records that communicate with the PC).

[Goemon 0]

db: You should check out the Amon Tobin contribution to the Solid Steel series (Ninja Tune). He did that mix in Australia using Final Scratch. I think you might like it.

[grungy-gonads 54]

Thats all very interesting. What artists/bands are you into then?

[grungy-gonads 54]

Thats all very interesting. What artists/bands are you into then? Do many Japanese artists release vinyl?

[2pints-mate 0]

Thanks for that explanation, it makes more sense now.

[veronica 2]

What I can't understand is why some artists release "promos" that have mixes on that are not available at all (ie not on cd and not on vinyl) - so unless you pay a lot on ebay you can't get them.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

What sort of mixes are they? It sounds like a curious strategy.

[NoFakie 45]

Deejays are the kind of people who if need be will buy a triple album for one track. Getting lots of tracks for your money is not such an issue. One "good" one is enough. Singles also get the tunes out faster, which is very important as styles change.

 

Final Scratch looks a bit of a silly gadget to me, but by keeping the "record" format, it may help some of the more hardheaded followers of dance music switch to the dreaded digital music. FS is basically just a flash way to control a stripped-down version of an mp3 mixing program called Traktor. You can do far more in the original version of the program, but then you'd have to use a mouse/keyboard and look like a sys admin instead of an "authentic" dj with his precious records. So few non-turntablism djs (or electronic acts for that matter) are interesting to watch anyway, so I don't know what they're worried about.

 

I've just been back home and it would appear that the UK No.1 while I was there was some Ibeeefaa anthem with a big sample of Stevie Winwood "Valerie" and softporn aerobics on the video. Somehow I don't think its 12 year olds that are buying it....