iPod Sales are declining at an unprecedented rate.
From its launch five years ago its sales graph showed a consistent upward curve, culminating in a period around last Christmas that saw a record 14 million sold. But sales fell to 8.5 million in the following quarter, and down to 8.1 million in the most recent three-month period. Wall Street is reportedly starting to worry that the bubble will burst.
iPod Backlash?
Industry experts talk of a ‘backlash’ and of the iPod ‘wilting away before our eyes’. Most disastrously, Apple’s signature pocket device with white earphones may simply have become too common to be cool. Industry-watchers warn that the iPod could soon be regarded by teenage cynics as their ‘parents’ player’ because a mass-market product rarely equates with edgy fashionability.
Updating the iPod is time consuming.
The Zandl Group, a New York-based trends forecaster which regularly interviews a panel of 3,000 consumers aged 25-35 cited that the batteries are not replaceable which means you need a new player. Other complaints include that iTunes is overpriced and the format is not easily transferred to other players. Many iPod users claim updating their iPod is too much work and many consumers who purchased iPods had not even taken theirs out of the package.
Is the iPod in Danger of its own success?
The Zandle Group spokeswoman, Carla Avruch said the iPod is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success: ‘Some backlash is against the ubiquity of the iPod – everyone has those white headphones on the train.’
– The “A Million Ways” video featured on VH1’s “Best Week Ever”Â
– online views top 1 million.
– Ok Go performs on “Good Morning America”.
– “A Million Ways” tops MTVu’s countdown show “The Dean’s List.” Anyone seeing the signals yet?Â
– video has been streamed more than 3 million times.
– The band performs on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” then on DirecTV’s CDUSA the next day
– In its first week online, the “Here It Goes Again” video was streamed more than 1 million times; by late August, it had been viewed more than 3 million times.
We kept saying: ‘All signs point to the hit,”‘ Kitman says. “But there were questions: Do people love the song, or do they really just love the video? Do they even know it’s a band? We never really knew.”
The video has not resulted in meaningful sales for either the album or the single — even in markets like Boston where the song is getting spins.
What does this all mean? it means that a band with a gimmick with a mediocre song can’t sell alot of records. Right??
Lady Gaga – has been showcasing for majors. Supposedly La Reid and Stringer are all about her.
Facing Forward – is being repped by Nick Ferrera. Sounds like Incubus.
My Favorite Highway – If your a KOAR reader then you know about
My Favorite Highway.
Alec Smith – has collaborated with Marshall Altman (Marc Broussard, John Hiatt, Matt Nathanson), Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida (Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson), Marc Swersky (Hilary Duff, Joe Cocker, Natalie Cole). For more information contact Karl Rybacki at 646-415-8379 or krybacki@nyc.rr.com
Warm Bodies – For fans of Radiohead/ My Morning Jacket.
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Modern Time
Bob Dylan
TW 191,993
Fever You Can’t Sweat Out
Panic! At The Disco
TW 33,279
Total 1,132,628
**Video of the Year
Supremacy
Hatebreed
TW 27,249
Beautiful Lie
30 Seconds To Mars
TW 17,192
Total 341,622
Greatest Hits
Guns n Roses
TW 12,581
Total 3,146,159
Broken Boy Soldier
Raconteurs
TW 9,912
Total 271,069
**People are losing faith in Jack. The black hat won’t sell records, great songs will.
Under the Iron Sea
Keane
TW 8,309
Total 225,285
**Mediocre record
Sufferer & The Witness
Rise Against
TW 6,962
Total 147,126
**Mediocre record
This is old news but its worth commenting on. What happened to MTV VMA’s? One word! Boring. What more do you need to realize that the mainstream is absolutely dead. If this doesn’t give an A&R guy motivation to seek new talent then nothing will. The audience was literally falling sleep. Christina Augleria was good. The Killers were good. The lil’ Kim entrance “I’m a tough bitch” ain’t working anymore. It’s time to let go. Lastly, The house band Jack White the Raconteurs were awful. Seriously, awful! This guy is done.
Check out the opinions of others, its self explantory.
LA Daily News – MTV VMAs fail to shock
BostonHerald.com – Television & Radio: Low-voltage show mars MTV …
Thrill Is Gone at MTV Video Music Awards
Comment:
MTV. I dont even know where to begin. I agree with Saverio in the sense that e-videos are definetly bigger than TV videos, but I dont even see MTV in the picture. I’m 17 years old. MTV goes for my age group, but I cant remember the last time that I watched a video on MTV or on MTV.com. YouTube and Launch(yahoo) are the only 2 places that I ever watcha music video. In my opinion, I think that if MTV expanded their horizons of music more that they would increase their audience. Pop and Rap are not the only styles of music out there and most of what they show isnt good music anyway. They definetly have some stepping up to do especially if they want to get my crowd into them.
Andy
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