RIAA wackiness

[TnT]

Here's a nice article about the RIAA's report on sales decrease.

http://www.kensei-news.com/bizdev/publish/factoids_us/article_23374.shtml

Forget the confusing percentages, here's an oversimplified example: I shipped 1000 units last year and sold 700 of them. This year I sold 770 units but shipped only 930 units. I shipped 10% less units this year. And this is what the RIAA wants the public to accept as "a loss."

[az]

For the RIAA, units shipped ARE units sold - sold to the stores. How many THEY sold to customers is another thing, but this doesn't generate revenue for the RIAA. So their reasoning is actually correct this time.

AZ

[mmp121]

Originally posted by az
So their reasoning is actually correct this time.

AZ

He's a RIAA spy! lets sack him!

[az]

Now that I'm awake and my brain is working at least partly, their reasoning IS flawed: Less units sold to the stores (while they in turn sell MORE to customers) surely isn't a result of piracy, but of stores handling their inventory better, with less surplus stock.

AZ

[Umfriend]

I was just going to say that....

[Belwarrior]

700 out of 1000 = 70% sales
770 out of 930 = 82.8% sales

You can see it as a 12.8% gain in sales despite having less stock..
statistics can be fun

[az]

Well, what I said in my first post still holds true: This does indeed mean 7% less sales for the RIAA (though 10% more sales for the stores, while buing 7% less stock). The reason for this is not piracy, however, but stores managing their inventory better.

AZ

[KvHagedorn]

I hate the RIAA with a passion. They are all a bunch of sleazoid suits who never wrote or performed a song in their life.. just a bunch of vampires who are whining because someone found a way to circumvent the process that supplies them with money they get for exploiting artists. They got so freaked out on cocaine in the 90s that they signed a bunch of crappy, whining wusses and killed rock and roll on the spot. Guess what? People stopped buying that shallow worthless garbage. And now they are looking for a totally unrelated scapegoat for their crimes. Recording execs are scum.

[Umfriend]

I'm with KVH on this.

[Greebe]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
I hate the RIAA with a passion. They are all a bunch of sleazoid suits who never wrote or performed a song in their life.. just a bunch of vampires who are whining because someone found a way to circumvent the process that supplies them with money they get for exploiting artists. They got so freaked out on cocaine in the 90s that they signed a bunch of crappy, whining wusses and killed rock and roll on the spot. Guess what? People stopped buying that shallow worthless garbage. And now they are looking for a totally unrelated scapegoat for their crimes. Recording execs are scum.

Same thing happened in the late '70's early '80's (~78-82)

[TnT]

Store efficiency is killing the music industry

[rylan]

Damn those store owners! Prosecute them for not buying enough surplus inventory!

[Wombat]

Originally posted by az
Well, what I said in my first post still holds true: This does indeed mean 7% less sales for the RIAA (though 10% more sales for the stores, while buing 7% less stock). The reason for this is not piracy, however, but stores managing their inventory better.

AZ

No, it doesn't necessarily mean that. There are returns, as well.

[Umfriend]

Could you elaborate on that pls? Returns from customers to stores or from stores to RIAA?
The latter would still constitue better inventory management. The former would not negate that statement either...so I don't understand.

[Wombat]

A lot of the time the labels force shipments down stores throats. The burden is then on the store to return the unsold albums to the labels, and get the money back. With the inventory management improving, many stores are refusing these automatic shipments.