They did it with DVDs first: releasing an early, “no-frills” version of a given movie, and then following it up with a “special edition”, “director’s cut,” “hardcore geek nirvana” version–complete with deleted scenes, actor and director commentary tracks, alternate endings, and more.
But do we really need this for CDs?
Whether we do or not, record labels are increasingly jumping on the special-edition bandwagon. Mariah Carey’s “The Emancipation of Mimi” — which had already succeeded in selling 4 million copies following its initial release in April — spawned an “Ultra Platinum Edition”, with four new tracks, in mid-November. Usher, The Killers, Fitty, and even Elton John have all put out reissued, repackaged versions of their albums in the past year as well.
From the labels’ standpoint, it makes sense: Why spend the money to produce and promote a new album, when you can milk the old one a little longer by adding a few new tracks?
Here’s why: You’ll alienate your fan base. That is, you’ll alienate those fans who are still buying entire CDs legally, rather than ripping copies from friends or downloading the desired tracks for significantly less than the cost of a complete disc.
The same record labels who complain that downloading has destroyed their old revenue model…are seeking to piss off every one of the customers who still contributes to that model. Bought that Killers CD the day it came out? Sucker! Shoulda waited for the extra tracks. Now you’ve got to buy the whole thing all over again…unless you step over to the dark side, and simply download the bonus tracks instead.
Instead of working as intended, the “special edition” trend may simply backfire. Rather than serving as a de facto means of forcing people to replace their music catalogues (now that the days of cassette-to-CD collection conversion are long over), the new model might instead just train every person who still buys CDs legally to stop doing so. Why buy now, if the “good” version of the CD won’t be along for another few months? Honest, upright, CD-buying citizens will learn that it doesn’t pay to buy their favorite artists’ discs upon release…and so they will stop doing so. To tide themselves over until the “special” release, perhaps they will wander online…and never set foot in a CD store again.
That’s what happens when you bite the hands that feed you.
