Are Album Download Cards Stupid?

Are album download cards stupid? I say "yes."

I've noticed these little cards before but never really thought about them until this weekend. I was at Best Buy, scanning the CD racks, looking for something good when I noticed more and more download cards betwixt the physical CDs. Some of the download cards were for albums - others were for compilations. You know, there was one called "Mullets Rock!" and I rolled my eyes. It was, naturally, all Glam bands. This download card was sort of at the end of the rock section, near the greatest hits area. If I remember right, it featured 20 songs for ten bucks - so half of what it would cost to download each song separately on iTunes. In that instance, then, I guess I understand the draw of the card...but for a regular album you can just buy and rip to iTunes...what is the point?

Say Slipknot release a new album. You're pumped and you want it the day it comes out. You can go to the store and get the physical disc and listen on the way home *then* rip to iTunes...or you can buy the download card, go home, get online, put in the access code, download the album, *then* listen.

I dunno. I'm sure these download cards are just another way the music industry is trying to stay viable, but I think it's probably too little, too late.

What do you think?

Comments

[warrant1390]

stupid idea..i hope cd's never get replaced my collection is too big

[Lucifer]

Do you mean i-tunes cards?
Because we have them in Britain, and basically it gives you 5/15/25 pounds of credit on your itunes account to buy whatever you want. Its not brilliant, but it makes a good christmas present for someone if you dont know what music they like.

[red6ixx]

i much prefer to have the physical item.

[Bryon]

I saw the light about a year ago and I'm now almost 100% digital, to the point that I'm seriously considering selling all of my CDs why they still have some second-hand value -- a year ago, I would have found that thought to be sacrilegious. Everything changed for me as soon as I got an iPod dock installed in my car. The second that happened, rifling through a bunch of CDs to find a song that I wanted to hear became really, really annoying.

[Allyson]

Nope, I don't mean iTunes cards. Love those myself. I'm talking about an actual card that would say "Slipknot: 'All Hope is Gone'" and you'd only get those tunes - just like buying the CD.

- Allyson

[britt harlow]

I think it's just an alarm for the few people left that can't hear the bell tolling for retail sales of CD's to help transition them over to downloading (the people that still go to a store to get their music). That bell's getting deafening now that Virgin Megastore has announced they're goin' out too!!

[Mike H.]

Totally dumb. Irrelevant. These will go the way of the cassingle, which is still a better deal than these cards. The cards are for people who don't appreciate the full experience of buying a CD when it comes out...the artwork, listening in your car, the tangible aspect of actually holding the music in your hand, rather than something that represents music.