Within a week of "Beatles day" (the release of their remastered catalogue, among other Beatles related releases) The Beatles had yet again set numerous records across the world, with roughly 2.25 million copies world wide in a week. Before I get to my point, let's look at a few staggering sales figures....
- On Billboards Comprehensive Albums Chart, The Beatles had 18 titles listed, 5 out of the top 10, and nine out of the top 20.
-In Japan, all 14 remastered titles made Japans top 25, including seven of the top 10.
-In Italy and Belgium, The Beatles have 17 titles in each countries top charts, a record for both countries record sales.
-The Beatles hold 16 out of the 17 slots on Korea's Hottracks album chart.
Now I'm not saying that this is proof that CD's are still completely relevant, and I'm definitely not saying that many (if any) bands have the ability and pull to do even close to what The Beatles have done this month. But I do think that The Beatles make the case for the continuance of strong marketing plans for physical copies of music.
I would venture to guess that almost everyone who will read this was aware of The Beatles big release day well before the ninth of September. While that has a lot to do with The Beatles being The Beatles, I think that the facts above help make the case for the physical release.
Perhaps marketers should put a little more effort into pushing the CD's that are wasting away on the record store shelves; It seems that every ad I see for a new release has the iTunes logo on it somewhere, and while iTunes is a huge way of revenue, Beatles day proves that if people think that a record is worth it, they will wait, and they will pay for it.
-Eric Hart
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I myself love buying CDs. When I purchase music, I want some sort of physical product to show for it. Not some digital file on my computer or iPod. I will always be a supporter of physical releases, and I do believe that they are making a slight comeback. Of course this belief could simply be denial, but one can always hope, right?
ReplyDeleteIn the case of The Beatles, I believe it is partially because it is "The Beatles." While they are universally popular, they do have quite a bit of an older audience in their fanbase. This factor would probably account for some of the success that you discuss within your article.
- Derek Jenkins