On the 1 May 2010 Sony will cease the distribution of physical promo Cds in favour of their online digital preview system. A move that will please the environmentalists, make distributors of jiffy bags look over their shoulders and split the music world.
On the one hand, reviewers will be pleased that they will have a reduced stack of CDs on their desk come Monday morning. However, others believe anything digital can be too easily overlooked and ultimately forgotten about.
It’s hard to argue against the idea that a physical copy will have a greater impact that a digital one. Physical copies can be the perfect accompaniment to any song. Though the way that music distribution is going, surely it is only a matter of time until the whole process is digitalised?
When asked about the move Ged Doherty (CEO at Sony) is quoted as saying “Digital promo is set to become an industry standard as other major and independent music companies also make the switch. Physical stock is expensive, difficult to store and environmentally unfriendly. The digital e-card system that we have developed and tested in-house will provide all our partners across radio, television, press and retail with the same sound quality you are used to as well as artist images, pack shots, press clippings and other content to give you a complete picture of each release”.
This all sounds terrific and very much up the CueTracks street. With a major company supporting digital promotion gives us hope of a bright future, though the system is not without its critics.
Davd Hepworth (Music Journalism Guru) responded to the announcement by saying on his blog “I know all the arguments about the decline of physical product but this move shows that record companies don’t understand what goes on in the head of a hack who gets scores of new records every day, most of them by people he’s never heard of. I’m sure there are lots of good reasons for Sony making this move. Should send a shiver through the Jiffy Bag business for a start. I also predict that within a year when they want reviewers to take notice of something they’ll start sending out copies again”.
This is one prediction to keep a close eye on, if Sony were to backtrack on their move to digital promos it may put off the other major players and put a major doubt in the future of digital distribution and promotion.
Tags: Digital Distribution, online digital preview system, Sony, Sony Promo, Sony Promo Cds
