With many music fans choosing to download songs instead of paying for them and a general downturn in compact disc sales, some in the music industry are composing new strategies to drum up business and bring customers back into record stores.
Universal Music Group, an industry giant whose slate of artists includes 50 Cent, Bon Jovi and U2, announced Sept. 3 that it would lower its manufacturer's suggested retail price to $12.98 on most top-line CDs and decrease wholesale prices. UMG and local retailers said they expect the new prices to take effect in October.
Mark Treml, music manager at Borders, 3416 University Ave., said Borders would pass along the store's savings to customers and he hopes the reduced prices will spur consumers to buy more CDs.
\It seems the number one complaint is ... the price on CDs nowadays,"" Treml said.
Browsing the techno section at The Exclusive Company, 508 State St., customer Matt Vesely concurred with that statement.
""I really don't like going to the mall and paying $20 for a CD,"" he said.
Dan Jenkins, co-owner of B-Side, 436 State St., said although he did not know what the effects of the new pricing would be, his store always charges below the manufacturer's suggested retail price, a statement echoed by Chris Wipperfurth of The Exclusive Company.
The Recording Industry Association of America is also attempting to steer fans toward legal avenues of music consumption. Jonathan Lamy, RIAA spokesperson, said while suing file sharers is the strategy that has received the most attention, the association is also using other approaches to deter downloaders. He said the RIAA's other strategies include educating the public with ads, instant messages and licensing music to legal services.
""We are doing a number of things to try and get the message out that this activity is illegal and there are great legal alternatives,"" Lamy said.
However, Treml and Wipperfurth said they believed file sharing is not entirely to blame for the music industry's problems.
""Rock 'n' roll in particular right now, the mainstream, is really, really stale,"" Wipperfurth said.
Treml said the future of the music industry is unclear.
""The lowering of the price is certainly going to spark some interest. Whether or not it will save the music industry is debatable,"" he said.
This is the second installment of a two part series.
