I've watched it loads of times, very cool btw
Luckily, songs are easy to find on iTunes, even I have a single in there *hint hint*
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| Celtic Radio Community > General Discussion > Where's The Celtic Music Gone? |
| Posted by: Robert Phoenix 30-Aug-2009, 11:58 AM |
| I just came back form Dulth yesterdya. I was hoping to pick up some new Celtic music but no such luck. My question is what's going on? I visited barnes aa & Noble, target, Best Buy, Walmart, and KMart. The CD selections, especially world music, are pathetic. The only bands I had no problem finding was Gaelic Storm Yay) and Celtic Thunder (ugghh). Barnes & Noble seems to be switching over their video section from DVD to Blue Ray so I'll give them some slack. But they were the ones I usually went to when I wanted something new and they still have the largest selection. Best Buy was next since they were usually cheaper. But KMart and Walmart seem to be stocking the top pop CDs and that it. has anyone else notice this. There seems to be this move to only stocking the top 100 and some classic rock stuff. Celtic isn't the only music genere to be hit. Soundtracks, classical, and comedy are almost non existant. So anybody now what is going on? has the internet taken over so much that we may not be able to buy CD's in stores anymore. I also notice the same thing with action figures-no DC comic stuff. |
| Posted by: englishmix 30-Aug-2009, 12:37 PM |
| For me, its always been a poor selection at the stores. So much so that I think its true that every celtic tape or CD I own has been purchased at a festival, concert or online - or was won through celticradio.net. And the least expensive way to purchase is online. Perhaps they are realizing that its not worth stocking in a brick & mortar store anymore? |
| Posted by: flora 30-Aug-2009, 02:00 PM |
| I'm a Barnes & Noble fan too and I have noticed the selection has dropped. It is also hard to find speciality magazines such as Ireland or Scotland now. They are probably cutting back just like the other businesses. I just checked on Walmart.com and they had over 300 in the "Celtic" class cd's. Plus point for that is that you can listen to samples before you buy which I don't believe you can do at the Walmart store (if you could hear it with the crowd). I find too that if a business doesn't have in stock what I'm looking for they don't bother to offer to order it in, leaving me to search and buy on the internet. I most definitely would support local businesses if they had good customer service but that seems to have gone to the internet also. Flora |
| Posted by: stevenpd 30-Aug-2009, 04:23 PM |
| What you are seeing is a double strike in the music world. One, traditional retail outlets don't see the market that they once did. The brick and mortar stores just can not compete with the internet: wider variety in music selection. Think iTunes. Two, the musicians themselves are finding it easier to market themselves because of the internet. They can focus their marketing expenses by selling over the internet with specialized retailiersm i.e. CDBaby. Future sales will be more virtual along the lines of iTunes where you will not be able to buy a physical cd or dvd. This shift in sales will allow the individual musicians to sell directly to the people that want their music using a mp3 format (or something similar to mp3). Personally, I find the internet more liberating. I can find almost anything. I even have purchased music from Australia that I have heard on Celtic Radio. Small groups are easy to find and the music more varied. |
| Posted by: Patch 30-Aug-2009, 06:14 PM |
| I buy direct from the musicians and to date have not been denied. Slàinte, Patch |
| Posted by: englishmix 30-Aug-2009, 10:27 PM |
| Aye, now there's a suggestion! If we buy direct from the musicians, then they get most of the cut - which they rightly deserve. Their websites are not hard to find with search engines, either. |
| Posted by: Shenaniganz247 31-Aug-2009, 12:06 AM |
| i only wish there were more celtic fest around so that I could buy directly from the artists instead of buying off the internet. too bad there is a lot i'd love to pick up |
| Posted by: Keltic 31-Aug-2009, 09:49 AM |
| Here I go wading into what quite often can be a contentious issue. The bottom line to all of the big box stores is profit and nothing but profit. Culture? Walmart, Target, Kmart... couldn't give a rats ass about culture or community unless it pads the accounts of their shareholders. This is what they exist for. If they can fill that one square foot of store space that world music fills with something that sells 100 times faster, then they will. This is why, especially for cultural items, if you want the availability to continue and thrive, you should go to the source or at least a business that is based in the community and support those businesses. Most of the responses here have been right on the money. Shenaniganz247: There are over 1000 Celtic festivals, Highland Games, Irish Festivals and so on, taking place in just North America each year. I have a list of festivals taking place around the world on my site and there are thirteen that I have listed for Virginia alone. At most festivals, you will find a CD vendor or a vendor that has a number of CDs on hand. |
| Posted by: Nilsemann 31-Aug-2009, 09:54 AM |
| Selections are slim to none existant in my local record shops, I found a live dvd with the Dubliners in Germany, but thats about it I've watched it loads of times, very cool btw Luckily, songs are easy to find on iTunes, even I have a single in there *hint hint* |
| Posted by: Robert Phoenix 31-Aug-2009, 05:55 PM |
| I believe I going to have to agree with you Keltic on most of what you said. One thing I have noticed too is the decline of Wal mart. We just had a new "Super" Wal Mart open here in Ironwood last year. Its horrible to shop there. The older Walmart 45 minutes away has a better selection ogf stuff. I can even find the occasional Dropkick Murphey and Flogging Molly CDs. I don't know what's happening with Wally Worl but even KMart is getting stuff in faster here. Example GI Joe movie came out what three weks ago. Kmasrt got the action figures in the week before. Smart movie I say. Now the movies been here and gone and Wal Mart just got the figures in today. They are just going to sit there now. I too enjoy the festivals and you can always find something you like. Or sometimes not. I went to Irishfest in Milwaukee which is considered the biggest. Aside from the performers own CD sales they have only two CD vendors. Both were out of Runrig, Albannach, and Barleyjuice. I did manage to point the CD vendor at Bristol Ren faire to this site. So as tactile as I am as a shopper looks like I'm going tohave to start internet shopping. Never thought I would see the day I would miss musicland. |
| Posted by: flora 04-Sep-2009, 01:08 PM |
| And Walmart takes another bite: Wal-Mart To Sell Goods From Other Vendors On Web CHUCK BARTELS, AP Business Writer Posted: 10:44 am EDT August 31, 2009 Updated: 3:25 pm EDT August 31, 2009 LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has launched an addition to its online business that has outside retailers selling nearly 1 million new items through Walmart.com, a move that could help the world's largest retailer catch up in the online world. The Walmart Marketplace has products from categories that include home, baby, toys, apparel, sporting goods and sports memorabilia. The company said it picked the retailers -- including eBags, CSN Stores and Pro Team -- because they have large product assortments and solid customer service track records. Retail consultant Burt Flickinger III said Wal-mart can use online sales an area for growth, especially considering how the company's stores have saturated much of the U.S. market. He said Wal-Mart can also draw online customers from the European continent and South Korea, where it no longer has stores. "This gives Wal-Mart a chance to close the widening gap with Amazon.com and Apple," Flickinger said. Apple has knocked off Wal-Mart as the top music seller, and Amazon has posted healthy sales gains of late, though its second-quarter earnings in July came in below expectations. In its second quarter, Wal-Mart posted its first drop in sales at stores open at least a year, indicating a need to find new growth areas. "Online is one key growth frontier Wal-mart has yet to conquer," Flickinger said. Bringing in established companies is faster than the company developing such a massive addition itself, he said. Flickinger said that with Mike Duke taking over this year as Wal-Mart Stores president and CEO, the company has moved other managers into place to build sales across Wal-Mart's divisions. "Wal-Mart is fully focused on winning against every key competitor on land and online," Flickinger said. On the Web site, payment for products ordered from the partner companies is handled by Walmart.com. The partner retailer will handle shipping and customer service. Wal-Mart says it plans to add more companies. The names of the different retailers are listed on individual product pages. The Marketplace had centerpiece placement on the Walmart.com site Monday. Flora |
| Posted by: Robert Phoenix 06-Sep-2009, 05:25 PM |
| After looking through the CD section I can see how easy it would be for Apple and Amazon to beat Wal Mart in sales. My Kmart has one aisle for CDs. Wal mart has two and they are mostly the top (editied) 100. Soundtracks section is all taken up with Hannah Montanna and High School Musical. I think at this point Kmart is were Pamida was years ago before they were boght out by Shopko. And WalMart is were Pamida is at. I usually watch the action figure toy aisle to see how healthy a store is. Right now KMart beats WalMart hands down. Toys R Us could actually and easily take their lead back as #1 toy seller if they wanted to. If they could bring their entertainment selection back up they could possible pull ahead of WalMart. Since KMart merged with Sears to stay alive I'm guessing that Walmart will find that it overextended itself (the fact that they no longer have stores in Europe gives a hint of that) and will probably merge with JC Penny. |
| Posted by: CelticRadio 07-Sep-2009, 03:15 PM |
| It's because of other people in High Rise buildings that want to decide what you listen to. Mainly I am talking the people in control of 90% of the music industry and also governments that back them up and also their police control state. They would rather see all of our hard earn money going towards bigger and bigger corporations. The only thing you can do is support the independent musicians by buying directly from them or through an independent website like CDBaby. But even going father than that support independent hardware stores, Mom & Pop businesses and your local small business associations. Otherwise, someday all that will be left is Walmart, Target and Kmart. Their products will all come from Asia and we will be permantly indebted to these countries. Remember this statement that you use to see "Made in the U.S.A." Go into any store and start examining where the products are made and you will be horrified that every product is made in this certain country. |
| Posted by: Patch 07-Sep-2009, 03:32 PM |
| I have bought direct from musicians for some time. Only one never contacted me after I asked to purchase a CD. I try to buy American, Canadian Irish, Scottish, or from the UK. I will not buy from that "certain" country. One even has to watch at the grocery store today! Also I will not support Wall Mart other than Murphy Oil. I probably could not do this if I were raising a family. Slàinte, Patch |
| Posted by: Robert Phoenix 07-Sep-2009, 06:50 PM |
| I usually have to go were i can get them but for the most part its been a Celtic Shop in Hayward, WI. Next I head for Barnes and Noble or Best Buy but it looks like its disappearing from there. Looks like it will be internet shopping for me from now on. I can't keep traveling two hours just to see if they have any new music or not and Irishfest only comes once a year. |
| Posted by: mingkee 20-Sep-2009, 12:05 PM |
| Long time no see. Recently I listen to Iain Anderson from BBC Radio Scotland, perhaps Paul can get some good choice, and capture Celtic Zone (it's not easy to cap, because it depends on the stream control, I am unable to cap if the stream goes to BBC 5). Back to topic, I spend most of the time to shop Celtic and Folk at amazon.com and CDbaby. J&R (jandr.com) also has a Celtic kiosk, though the selection is not that much. |
| Posted by: Blackdog 25-Sep-2009, 07:30 PM |
| This is a great topic, I am a full time musician and the shift in sales over the last few years has been devastating for most of us.Retail music sales are now confined to the guaranteed "Pop schlock" and "Country Pop" genres, where easy money is guaranteed. Anything outside of this is considered fringe and not profitable, so swept from the shelves. I applaud any of you who are taking the time and effort to seek out and contact musicians directly or buy off stage at the end of shows, I cannot tell you how vital this is to musician survival, sometimes the simple purchase of a cd or two is all it takes to get a musician to their next gig. Celtic music is really struggling not to get swept over by the tidal wave of "safe" sales. As are so many other genres. If you enjoy this genre, please seek out and purchase from the artists you love or go to itunes and buy the downloads. I thank any of you who will do this. check out some of our music at www.myspace.com/rantmaggierant |
| Posted by: irishmusicfan51 07-Oct-2009, 03:16 PM |
| The best place i've found to buy direct from the artist is on myspace.Most of the so called unknown artists will answer your messages and offer you a deal.Amazon definitely has the largest selection online.If they don't have the hard copy to sell, you can usually check the MP3 download section.The only problem is you don't get the liner notes or lyrics,etc,that you get with a hard copy. |
| Posted by: haynes9 19-Oct-2009, 07:27 PM |
| I tend also to buy form the artist's website these days. I did find a couple of gems at B & N the other day, but that was the first time in a while. One good source for music I have found is Irish Music Magazine. I subscribe to the online edition since it is more cost effective for me. They review a lot of CD's and I have discovered quite a few groups there that I was not familiar with. Got some great tunes, too! I am hoping to order more from some of these artists in the future and donate the discs to CR so we can all listen and enjoy. Have a great day! |