CDs Always in Stock

[maestrob]

This puzzles me and pleases at the same time. Whenever we have a discussion about a certain piece of music, I'm always able to look it up on Amazon, find the specific album cover, and then paste it into the discussion. I'm frankly flabbergasted that after 60+ years of stereo recordings, 99% of what I'm looking for remains available and in stock, even considering all the changes that have roiled the CD industry, plus we have these magical maxi-boxes of complete oeuvres, from Heifetz to Murray Perahia. It's a wonder to me, and I feel like I'm living in a golden age of recorded music. Any comments?

[John F]

My guess is that Amazon has so much warehouse space that it doesn't need to return CDs and books that aren't selling, as real book and record stores with limited storefront space have to do. We don't know what's really out of print with the publisher until Amazon's supplies run out. If I'm right, then yes, it's another advantage that Amazon's way has over the old ways of selling and buying books and records.

The megaboxes are a different issue, and I believe they're all tightly limited editions and won't remain in stock as long as conventional single-disc or single-work CDs do.

[maestrob]

Amazon is indeed a wonder. All the megaboxes I've bought so far remain in stock, albeit at a higher price tha I paid at the initial release. For example, the Heifetz box now starts at $272 plus shipping, still a bargain. The Sviatoslav Richter set has nearly doubled in price to $795.

Wow!

[BWV 1080]

And I have yet to see Amazon run out of any of the digital versions of their music or books

[John F]

If by digital versions you mean downloads instead of physical copies, it isn't possible to "run out" of them. But it's a good question whether Amazon's contracts with book publishers for Kindle editions expire when the publisher declares a book out of print, or if not, whether the publisher can terminate the contract at will.

[BWV 1080]

Well Amazon does not run out of digital versions because every time one is downloaded an Amazon employee in their digital warehouse quickly orders a replacement copy from the publisher - because the digital versions travel to Amazon so much quicker - at speeds of 400 million miles per hour instead of 50-60 miles per hour for a truck hauling CDs or books, their inventory nearly always gets replentished in time

[Modernistfan]

Yes, but I just wish that Amazon would make its downloads available in a lossless format such as FLAC rather than the antiquated, lossy mp3.

[BWV 1080]

I can't tell the difference between Amazon's 320k MP3 compression and cd audio on my equipment (which in total has a low 4 digit price tag - so decent but not audiophile crazy - and there are numerous double blind studies that tend to show that very few people can tell the difference even in more high end equipment. And lossless or sacs is a complete waste

[maestrob]

My ears can hear the difference, thus I only buy CDs and never download from Amazon.

[John F]

Well Amazon does not run out of digital versions because every time one is downloaded an Amazon employee in their digital warehouse quickly orders a replacement copy from the publisher

Do you know that for a fact? After all, if Amazon.com has one copy in digital format on its server, it can technically download the file countless times - no need to obtain a "replacement copy." I should think neither Amazon nor the publisher would want to burden itself with such a needless and cumbersome procedure. All that really needs to be done is for Amazon to account to the publisher for its sales and pay them the contractual fee. But of course I don't know what actually goes on in their "warehouse" of digital stuff.

[BWV 1080]

Well Amazon does not run out of digital versions because every time one is downloaded an Amazon employee in their digital warehouse quickly orders a replacement copy from the publisher

Do you know that for a fact? After all, if Amazon.com has one copy in digital format on its server, it can technically download the file countless times - no need to obtain a "replacement copy." I should think neither Amazon nor the publisher would want to burden itself with such a needless and cumbersome procedure. All that really needs to be done is for Amazon to account to the publisher for its sales and pay them the contractual fee. But of course I don't know what actually goes on in their "warehouse" of digital stuff.

Of course you are right, was just having some fun

[maestrob]

Update on the Richter set: It's now available in a white box edition (same contents as the black box) for around $400 from Finland and the Classical Music Store, for those who still might be interested. My own experience with the blackbox edition (I'm up to CD 11) is very good, most of the CDs except the first two are stereo in good sound, live concerts with encores included.

[slofstra]

And I have yet to see Amazon run out of any of the digital versions of their music or books

LOL.

[slofstra]

If by digital versions you mean downloads instead of physical copies, it isn't possible to "run out" of them.

Is it possible to say "Captain Obvious" in a jocular, non-malevolent way?

[slofstra]

Well Amazon does not run out of digital versions because every time one is downloaded an Amazon employee in their digital warehouse quickly orders a replacement copy from the publisher

Do you know that for a fact? After all, if Amazon.com has one copy in digital format on its server, it can technically download the file countless times - no need to obtain a "replacement copy." I should think neither Amazon nor the publisher would want to burden itself with such a needless and cumbersome procedure. All that really needs to be done is for Amazon to account to the publisher for its sales and pay them the contractual fee. But of course I don't know what actually goes on in their "warehouse" of digital stuff.

LOL. I don't know what's funnier, BWVs whimsical description of digital downloading, or your (plural) flat reading of his posts.

[John F]

If by digital versions you mean downloads instead of physical copies, it isn't possible to "run out" of them.

Is it possible to say "Captain Obvious" in a jocular, non-malevolent way?

Obvious to you and me but not to everybody. More generally, when a statement is made that's wrong (to put it in a non-malevolent way) and not obviously a joke, it shouldn't be left uncorrected. Jokes need not be signaled with a , but sometimes it helps.

[slofstra]

If by digital versions you mean downloads instead of physical copies, it isn't possible to "run out" of them.

Is it possible to say "Captain Obvious" in a jocular, non-malevolent way?

Obvious to you and me but not to everybody. More generally, when a statement is made that's wrong (to put it in a non-malevolent way) and not obviously a joke, it shouldn't be left uncorrected. Jokes need not be signaled with a , but sometimes it helps.

Some people do find strange what passes for humour among computer technical types. Along this line I highly recommend Series 3 Episode 4 of the IT Crowd, "The Speech", available on NETFLIX. Off topic I know but it's a hilarious example of a couple of IT guys having one on.