{"id":1222,"date":"2014-04-15T19:23:38","date_gmt":"2014-04-16T02:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/?p=1222"},"modified":"2014-04-15T19:23:38","modified_gmt":"2014-04-16T02:23:38","slug":"at-the-record-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/04\/at-the-record-store\/","title":{"rendered":"At the record store"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/jack-black-high-fidelity.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1224\" alt=\"I just called to say I love you\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/jack-black-high-fidelity-300x198.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/jack-black-high-fidelity-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/jack-black-high-fidelity.jpg 760w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>I used to love going to record stores when I was a teenager. I couldn&#8217;t buy much &#8211; a back-of-the-envelope calculation tells me it would have taken me 3 or 4 hours of work at my Saturday job at the Oasis Car Wash (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.oasiscarwash.ca\/\">it&#8217;s still there!<\/a>) to afford one LP &#8211; but it was enjoyable to browse, and make the occasional carefully selected purchase. When my friend Mike and I would make the drive from Vancouver to Seattle we would always make a point of going to the neighborhood around UW where there was a handful of used-record shops.<\/p>\n<p>So I am not completely unsympathetic to those who hope for a revival of the record stores of old, with stacks of vinyl. But this story from the Chicago Sun-Times, &#8216;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.suntimes.com\/entertainment\/26739947-421\/retailers-bring-back-the-indie-scene-with-record-store-day.html#.U03ieHddUTE\">Retailers bring back the scene with Record Store Day<\/a>&#8216; strikes me as iffy. Buried in the story of indie record stores making a comeback, expanding floor space, hiring staff, is this:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Independent record stores, while growing, still represent the underdog regarding the ways consumers purchase music today. While digital sales accounted for more than 60 percent of recorded music revenues in the U.S. in 2013, according to the London-based International Federation of the Phonographic Industry data, physical sales accounted for 30 percent, or $1.35 billion.<\/p>\n<p>Where those physical sales take place: Largely at mass merchants like Walmart (14.1 million units sold in the first quarter of 2014, according to Nielsen SoundScan); chains (7.5 million units); non-traditional CD merchants like Starbucks (8 million); and independent record stores (4.1 million units). All outlets posted recent declines in sales, but if there is a silver lining for local indie shops, it\u2019s that their declines (16.6 percent) are much less than chains and mass merchants (24 percent each).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Sales at indie stores declined 16.6 percent. The time frame isn&#8217;t clear in the story, but still: a decline in sales by 16.6 percent. In other words, the anecdotes about successful stores are not illustrative of the larger truth about industry trends. More and more we shop online, not just for downloads but also for disks.<\/p>\n<p>This is not a bad thing! Online shopping for records and books gives buyers a huge selection at good prices. It&#8217;s good for music listeners and book readers. Reporters covering record stores and book stores tend to focus all their attention on the entrepreneur trying to make a go of running a store while neglecting the much larger story of the vast degree to which music and literature has become more accessible for customers. Why has what we listen to, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/02\/is-amazon-good-for-readers\/\">what we read<\/a>, taken a back seat to laments for the decline of brick-and-mortar shopping? There has never been a better time to obtain music recordings and books.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I used to love going to record stores when I was a teenager. I couldn&#8217;t buy much &#8211; a back-of-the-envelope calculation tells me it would have taken me 3 or 4 hours of work at my Saturday job at the Oasis Car Wash (it&#8217;s still there!) to afford one LP &#8211; but it was enjoyable [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1222","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-issues","8":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/jack-black-high-fidelity.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3dIW5-jI","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2069,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2016\/07\/the-size-of-the-arts-sector-is-not-a-rationale-for-public-funding-of-the-arts-sector\/","url_meta":{"origin":1222,"position":0},"title":"The size of the arts sector is not a rationale for public funding of the arts sector","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"July 26, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"In yesterday's post, I wrote (as an aside): I see a lot of advocacy that follows the '1.\u00a0the cultural sector is bigger than you thought it was, 2.\u00a0???, 3.\u00a0deserves more public funding'\u00a0model. Conveniently, this morning we get this story\u00a0from The Scotsman on the Edinburgh Festival: Flagship events like the Edinburgh\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"???","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/gnome-300x168.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1201,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/04\/the-logic-of-collective-action-in-music-recording\/","url_meta":{"origin":1222,"position":1},"title":"The Logic of Collective Action in Music Recording","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"April 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The New York Times reports on efforts in the music industry to coordinate lobbying: When it comes to the music industry\u2019s lobbying efforts in Washington, it is time for some harmony. That message has gained momentum among music executives, who worry that squabbling among the various players \u2014 record labels,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"unorganized","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/music-listeners.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1063,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/02\/today-in-tax-advice-the-winner-takes-it-all\/","url_meta":{"origin":1222,"position":2},"title":"Today in tax advice: the winner takes it all","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"February 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The Guardian reports on Swedish tax incentives: The glittering hotpants, sequined jumpsuits and platform heels that\u00a0Abba\u00a0wore at the peak of their fame were designed not just for the four band members to stand out \u2013 but also for tax efficiency, according to claims over the weekend. Reflecting on the group's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"you can dance, you can jive","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/abba.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/abba.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/abba.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1284,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/05\/we-switched-round-and-round-til-half-past-dawn\/","url_meta":{"origin":1222,"position":3},"title":"We switched &#8217;round and &#8217;round &#8217;til half-past dawn","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"May 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A new report from the Nielson company: According to Nielsen\u2019s forthcoming Advertising & Audiences Report, the average U.S. TV home now receives 189 TV channels\u2014a record high and significant jump since 2008, when the average home received 129 channels. Despite this increase, however, consumers have consistently tuned in to an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\"Zero marginal cost, you say?\"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Family_watching_television_1958.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Family_watching_television_1958.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Family_watching_television_1958.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":965,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2013\/07\/amazon-and-the-independents\/","url_meta":{"origin":1222,"position":4},"title":"Amazon and the independents","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"July 30, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Two stories linked by artsjournal.com today about Amazon: gigaom.com (?) on how Amazon is further cutting prices on hardbacks, and the American Booksellers Association upset that President Obama held a major speech on jobs at an Amazon warehouse. Observations: First, while I possess no special insights into what goes on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"can I help you find something?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/youve_got_mail_063udz92-300x168.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":696,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2013\/04\/internet-sales-should-be-taxed\/","url_meta":{"origin":1222,"position":5},"title":"Internet sales should be taxed","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"April 21, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The Washington Post reports that the Senate is soon to vote on the issue of sales taxes on goods sold over the internet: The Senate is planning to vote on a bill as soon as Monday that would give states the authority to collect sales taxes on all Internet purchases,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"new shoes!","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/package_from_zappos-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}