Eric Gunn has been hearing that the record industry is crumbling because CDs have been a thing of the past for more than a decade.
But the owner of Haffa's Records, 15 W. Union St., isn't worried that his business could be hurt by the potential collapse.
We're not going to do anything differently than what we've always done
Gunn said, adding that he has not noticed a drastic change in sales at his store, which is the only remaining independent record store in Athens.
Recently, many major record labels announced they would begin releasing albums via slotMusic, a 1-gigabyte MicroSD memory card with MP3 audio files.
According to the Web site slotmusic.org, these cards would be available in stores such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy and would range in cost from $7 to $10. While stores like Haffa's across the country are folding because of digital releases and SD card technology, members of the music scene in Athens are split on the issue of using technology as a tool for success.
Clay Flaherty, lead guitarist for Athens-based band Kaslo, knows firsthand how digital releases and technology can help a band. Last March, Kaslo released the Ohio EP, a six-song offering that was initially released online. Following in the footsteps of Radiohead, who released its album In Rainbows online in a pay-what-you-want format, Kaslo gave fans the option of making donations for the new tracks.
We only made $50 to $75 off of online donations Flaherty said. We sacrificed money on the initial sales of the album but we had a lot more people show up at our shows following that.
The band has used the buzz created by the online release to book bigger shows and get wider exposure, Flaherty said.
They also saved money on the recording and manufacturing costs, as Flaherty estimates that the total process cost about one third less than their hard-copy first album.
We wanted people to not feel pressured to shell out $12 for an album when they could just go home and listen to it themselves
Flaherty said. It's all about getting the music out there.
While Flaherty and Kaslo believe that embracing technology is necessary to compete in today's music industry, others aren't so sure.
There's nothing attractive about buying a USB stick or a flash drive
said Josh Antonuccio, co-owner of 3 Elliot Studios. It'd be like buying an album on a blank CD
it's boring.
Antonuccio, who produced and played bass on Kaslo's EP, said that he has not noticed the bands who come through his studio going to strictly digital releases, although he has seen bands post specific tracks online for download.
In theory, releasing an album online makes sense, Antonuccio said.
You don't usually make money on CDs
he said. You might break even
and that's what you shoot for.
Antonuccio said that, on average, a single CD can cost between 80 cents and $2 to produce, depending on how intricate the packaging is. However, he has a realistic view about how music in today's age is heard.
Most people will buy music online or steal it
he said.
While Antonuccio doesn't necessarily believe that the fall of the record industry is coming any time soon, he is aware of the huge part that technology can play in helping a band make it big.
Nobody says 'We're going to sell a million albums' anymore
he said. Albums are now
more than ever
