Monday, February 13, 2012

Plummeting CD Sales Cause Sony Factory to Close


The advent of iPods and digital music has been decimating the music industry for a long time now. The latest damage was reported on Friday by Indystar.com:
Sony DADC Americas plans to close its distribution center in Fishers this year and lay off 248 employees.

The work done at the sprawling facility in Hamilton County will be shifted to another company, Anderson Merchandisers, which operates a distribution center in Franklin in Johnson County.

Lisa Gephardt, spokeswoman for the New York-based Sony said the plan is to begin layoffs in May and the Fishers facility will close by September.

The music industry has been rattled by dramatically falling sales of compact discs like those shipped through the Fishers center and manufactured in a Sony facility in Terre Haute.

Gephardt said closing of the Fishers facility and out-sourcing of the remaining work “is due to the continued challenges in the economy and competitive landscape.”
Of course, someday when the power grid finally fails, all of that digital music will disappear into the ether. But since most popular music recorded since the dawning of the digital music age really sucks balls, it won't be any great loss.


Bonus: Remember what happened the last time there was a technological revolution in popular music?

8 comments:

  1. Well, it's not going to happen like say- Tuesday we had electricity and then on Wednesday:Poof! no electricity...

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    1. Crash Watcher blog just did a very good three part analysis of the Texas electrical grid and how it is going to start breaking down over the next few years. Check it out:

      http://crash-watcher.blogspot.com/2012/02/texass-electrical-power-predicament_11.html

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    2. My point being that I imagine society in the future as being some combination of "Max Headroom" and "Soylent Green"; your "all of that digital music will disappear" observation is inaccurate. We'll know exactly where all our digital stuff is - right there on the hard drives we left it. And we'll be able to access it whenever it's our turn at the generators. Electricity won't simply disappear, since we know how to make it. But after some painful adjustments- for the 99% it will probably be locally produced.

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    3. I guess it depends on how far in the future you mean. In a "World Made by Hand" scenario you might be right. My belief, however, is that by 2100 collapse will become so complete that there will be no communities living above a stone age level of existence.

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    4. Humans had managed to live above a stone-age level well before they started using petroleum in appreciable amounts. Yes, big changes are coming-many millions are going to die. I still think yours is an extreme view -not impossible (or unjustified) just unlikely. In any case, by 2100 - it won't matter to either of us. By then communities may even be "post-collapse" and be on the way to achieving something much more stable.

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  2. Who needs infrastructure when you can make your electricity?

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    1. True ... since the 99.9999% who won't have anything can then target your place to loot. It'll be easy to spot since your lights will be on.

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    2. Dumbass- who do you think is going to be owning and powering those bicycle-generators?

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