How much harder is it now to go platinum?

[36 ounces]

^

 

[you big dummy]

Originally Posted by Fantastic4our

I wouldn't blame the internet.

You'd be surprised how many people don't know how to download an album off of the net (not using iTunes anyway). I've had to learn a few people on how to use WinRAR

You can't limit the impact of the internet to just the number of people who personally download albums themselves

A number of people download albums then burn/distribute copies to all of their friends. Everything I dl is usually passed along to atleast one other person.


I'm also surprised no one else has mentioned the impact youtube has had on album an mp3 sales. These days you can listen to entire albums/mixtapes/singleson youtube without downloading or winrar'ing a single thing. Whenever someone tells me about a new song, especially when I'm at work, I go straight toyoutube before going anywhere else to listen to it. I've seen songs off leaked albums uploaded on youtube with millions of views.

 

[incredibleev]

I think a major factor is the popularity of buying the single on itunes and ringtones. It used to be that people would buy an album based off the single...nowit is so easy for people to buy the single on itunes or anywhere else that it eliminates the need to buy the album. The rise of ringtones also factors intothat.

In hip hop you pretty much will only go platinum if you have crossover appeal and pop success. You can't go platinum just off the hip hop fanbase anymore.

I think the easiest way to go platinum is to be a country artist. They sell mad records.

 

[illphillip]

Originally Posted by QuaniBoiXi

Originally Posted by M16

You just need 3 key factors. (for rap anyway)

1. Big catchy singles that get huge airplay.
2. Appeal to females, teeny boppers.
3. Hype/buzz; which comes from the first two, but not always.

Lil Wayne's C3 basically did all 3 to PERFECTION.

Going plat right now off being "good" ?

, good luck. Most 90's classics would barely go gold in this market. Goal went from making "good music" to "appeal to as many people as possible" in around '97.

not necessarily

flo-rida or souljah boy arent close to platinum

but artists like ti and wayne, which albums were decent (carter 3 not as much), went big

Flo-Rida and Soulja Boy could still be considered "new artists". TIP and Wayne been going hard for 10 years +.

Consumers invest in artists moreso now when it comes to albums. They'll download a hot single.

Flo-Rida and Soulja Boy haven't proven they can do much more than a hot single, so they don't sell albums.

Internet is a big reason for this. Yes, the labels did not embrace the digital era as quickly as they could have. But they knew that embracing it, eithersooner or later, would lead to a serious profit loss. $17 for a physical album vs. $.99 a download or $10 for the whole album.

Either way, it was going to kill them. Either sooner or later.

The internet made it too easy for people to get free music. Even some of the rappers you guys love to most, y'all don't even BUY their !%**.

How is that not an enormous part of the problem?

 

[illphillip]

Originally Posted by eye see soles

It should be easier given all of the media outlets and promotional vehicles.

Most of it's poor management/marketing.

That's just ridiculous......

 

[czur1127]

Originally Posted by EnEyeKayEe

Originally Posted by M16

You just need 3 key factors. (for rap anyway)

1. Big catchy singles that get huge airplay.
2. Appeal to females, teeny boppers.
3. Hype/buzz; which comes from the first two, but not always.

Lil Wayne's C3 basically did all 3 to PERFECTION.

Going plat right now off being "good" ?

, good luck. Most 90's classics would barely go gold in this market. Goal went from making "good music" to "appeal to as many people as possible" in around '97.

MEB comes through this time FTW

this man juss killed the thread theres no more u can say...

 

[akuratl02]

Originally Posted by ScottHallWithAPick

Lil Wayne "Lollipop"
T.I "Whatever you Like" - what you know about that

There's a demographic that buys albums

fixed!

 

[quaniboixi]

some of yall are forgettin about burning cds too..

u take away internet, and the ability to copy cds, selling cds would be some much more common again