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Warner Music launches DVD Albums
DVD album with extras
As in-store CD sales continue to trend downward, the music industry has been experimenting with ways to reconnect with diminishing consumer demand. Warner Music Group Corp. has invested in a new format called DVD album by which an entire digital album, along with various other extras including music videos, ring tones, and photos will be stored on the disc. As a result of playing the content through a DVD player, consumers can opt to listen in either stereo or surround-sound formats. Warner, along with struggling music retailers, hopes for the best with this new concept but most experts agree that its success is far from certain.
Attempt to boost slow sales
Over the last few years the music industry has tried to augment its diminishing CD sales through a variety of new formats. Super-Audio CD's and DualDisc technology, among others, are intended to increase both the quality and content of a product; yet a general misfire with consumers has all but marginalized these avenues. Warner Music points out that whereas the DualDisc format limits content storage by using one side of the disc for music files and the other for video, no such problem exists with the DVD album which can contain four times the data of a DualDisc. Still, the DVD album has several noticeable drawbacks which may impact its success with increasingly conscious consumers.
The Drawback
First, a DVD album is just that-a DVD. It cannot be played in most CD players, which may very well represent a problem for people who enjoy music on home or car stereo's. Second, the content on these albums will be protected by the same anti-piracy software included on DVD's, making it impossible for the consumer to copy the content onto their computer. Finally, though Warner would like to see retailers sell DVD albums alongside traditional CD's, the format and extra content will likely increase the general cost of the product. In all, the odds are stacked against the DVD album but Warner Music feels consumers are eager to try new things
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