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[MThanded]

Dear Jay-Z and Kanye West,

Independent record stores serve our communities. Our passion is music, and we convey this to the millions of customers who come to our stores. That's what we do.

Four years ago independent music stores across the country banded together to create Record Store Day. Our goal was to counter the negative media coverage about the supposed demise of record stores brought on by the closing of the Tower stores and to respond to the music business practices that fans deemed to be manipulative and onerous.

We reached out to the artist community to see if they would join us, and the response was overwhelming, with words of support coming in from Paul McCartney, Erykah Badu, Tom Waits, Chuck D, the Foo Fighters and countless others. Working with their label partners, many of these musicians created limited edition works of art, including vinyl and CDs made especially for music-specialty retail. Hundreds of these artists took the opportunity to perform, DJ, and interact with their fans in our record stores. Here in the U.S., Record Store Day lifted the entire music business by 8% and contributed to the growth in music sales. Record Store Day is now one of the biggest music events in history, with millions of people participating worldwide. We also continue to work throughout the year with labels, artists and managers and run regular promotions via physical independent retail and recordstoreday.com.

We are responding to the bad news that your new album will not be available to independent record stores until after iTunes gets a window of exclusivity. We also learned that the deluxe version (which is what the true music fans who shop our stores will want, by an overwhelming majority) will only be available at Best Buy exclusively for a period of time. We believe this is a short-sighted strategy, and that your decisions will be doing great damage to over 1,700 independent record stores -- stores that have supported you and your music for years.

We know that you are busy, and that you put most of your energies into creating great music, but we are writing to you in the hope that you will hear us and take the time to rectify this matter. As representatives of the independent record store music community, we are asking you to allow record stores and music fans equal access to your new album.

With the utmost respect,
(names in link)

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/indu...ent-retailers-open-letter-to-1005296942.story

 

[Kurdel]

I already pre-ordered on iTunes.

Fuck you compact disc and retailers.

 

[Tokubetsu]

I already pre-ordered on iTunes.

Fuck you compact disc and retailers.

SMH

 

[Ashhong]

Wouldn't this be like a mom & pop video game shop complaining about GameStop receiving pre-order bonuses? Seems a bit whiny imo.

 

[LuchaShaq]

I want my music in either drm free mp3, or LIVE. Anything else can fuck off.

 

[MThanded]

Wouldn't this be like a mom & pop video game shop complaining about GameStop receiving pre-order bonuses? Seems a bit whiny imo.

I guess its that on top of Gamestop being allowed to sell the game early.

I want my music in either drm free mp3, or LIVE. Anything else can fuck off.

Itunes store is drm free music and it can be converted to mp3 right in the program.

 

[kehs]

These guys are businesses? They sound more like charity organizations.

 

[enzo_gt]

It was all good just a week ago.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

I don't know what WTT is.

 

[sans_pants]

physical media is going to be dead pretty soon, time to start thinking ahead

 

[Ashhong]

I guess its that on top of Gamestop being allowed to sell the game early.


Itunes store is drm free music and it can be converted to mp3 right in the program.

Well iTunes doesn't get it early AND exclusive editions. They just feel like theyre being screwed since people that want the bare music will get iTunes early, and people that want the deluxe will buy from Best Buy. Still though, sending them an open letter is a bit weird.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I can sympthize with the local shops, but if sales of deluxe edition of a Kanye/JayZ album are this important to your business you are already dead. I'd imagine any record store that has a chance in hell of surviving in 5 years has to carve out more of a niche than that.

 

[MThanded]

Well iTunes doesn't get it early AND exclusive editions. They just feel like theyre being screwed since people that want the bare music will get iTunes early, and people that want the deluxe will buy from Best Buy. Still though, sending them an open letter is a bit weird.

No ,itunes does have the exclusive tracks and they get it early http://watchthethrone.com/ Am I missing something?

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Wouldn't this be like a mom & pop video game shop complaining about GameStop receiving pre-order bonuses? Seems a bit whiny imo.

Kind of whiny, but I get it. Just seems more fucked up in this case. Big game companies currently rely on gamestop to keep them big. This is about the fact that when these artists were small, they were being supported by these smaller businesses who are now being told to fuck off by the musicians they helped along to a good career.

 

[Tokubetsu]

physical media is going to be dead pretty soon, time to start thinking ahead

When Itunes start selling in FLAC or other lossless formats, I will.

 

[yacobod]

When Itunes start selling in FLAC or other lossless formats, I will.

 

[Nizz]

I can sympthize with the local shops, but if sales of deluxe edition of a Kanye/JayZ album are this important to your business you are already dead. I'd imagine any record store that has a chance in hell of surviving in 5 years has to carve out more of a niche than that.

You expressed very nicely exactly how I feel about this. I have fond memories of going downtown back in Jersey to local record shops flipping through cases and cases of music. I was a big cassette tape dude (still wish I had Raekwon's purple tape) but we live in a different era now.

 

[Ashhong]

No ,itunes does have the exclusive tracks and they get it early http://watchthethrone.com/ Am I missing something?

They dont get the packaging man!

But yea, I didn't know iTunes got the bonus tracks as well..

 

[nib95]

When Itunes start selling in FLAC or other lossless formats, I will.

Bingo.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I haven't stepped foot in a dedicated music store in many years.

Sorry, but my care level is low.

 

[sans_pants]

When Itunes start selling in FLAC or other lossless formats, I will.

it's inevitable

 

[LProtag]

Checked to see if my local record store was on there, it was. Great place. Not interested in this music at all though.

 

[Slayven]

The thought of physical media dying scares me shitless.

 

[Cosmic Bus]

Why isn't there a vinyl version of Watch the Throne? That'd certainly help make the independents and collectors happier.

 

[wenis]

When Itunes start selling in FLAC or other lossless formats, I will.

Without a price increase...I need to stress that...If they charge me the same amount as they would for a normal MP3, then I would go digital, but if they wanna mark up the price and claim its for whatever reason, they can go fuck themselves.

 

[TheOMan]

I hate digital only. Long live physical media!

 

[Salazar]

which is what the true music fans who shop our stores will want

I giggled at this point.

 

[swoon]

My record store pulled all those chuck d solo albums back in 99 when he did this same thing.

Record companies and stores will never learn just like computer engineers will never understand how to understand music. It's not just about access.