Michael Jardeen: In 1984 when CDs were young, we were all told that the reason you were charging $4-$8 more for CDs than LPs was because they were so new, and that prices would come down when CDs became more common. Well, it never happened, because you got attached to the teat. [Usernum 1014]
It’s even worse than that. The standard record contracts used when signing almost all new talent, and also most veterans, still contains clauses which give the artists a lower royalty on CD, mini-disc, and other “new media formats,” even though CDs are by no means new. Even stranger, the standard royalty applies only to cassette tapes and vinyl records, which most record companies won’t even manufacture anymore. Feh!