During the past month, three pop and three classical labels have started new budget CD series, allowing buyers to pick up older titles for less than the average $14.99 price. These include:
— CBS, with its Nice Price album line, featuring mostly compilation albums with a suggested retail price of $11.98.
— PolyGram, which is offering 36 CDs by such acts as Cream, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers, Genesis and the Bee Gees for an $11.98 suggested retail.
— Everst, which–through a new label called BesCol–has released collections by Buddy Holly, Little Richard and others for a $10.99 list price. — MCA Classics, which has put out 40 discs priced at $10.95.
— Harmonia Mundi France, with 15 titles priced at $10.99.
— Pro-Arte, which has released 10 compilations from composers such as Bach, Handel and Mozart for budget prices.
”They can do nothing but help the CD business,” said Roman Kotrys, owner of Repeat the Beat in Dearborn, Mich. ”Especially for older material, this is a good way to put them on the market.”
Added Roy Burkhart, a Harmony House buyer: ”A lot of people get upset paying big bucks for one album that`s only 30 or 35 minutes long when they know a CD can hold up to 74 minutes. (The lower price) bridges the gap for them.”
Most retailers expect other major labels to follow suit by reducing prices for their catalogue items on CD. ”There`s a pack mentality,” Kotrys pointed out. ”As a rule of thumb, they all seem to follow suit.”
”This is definitely a step in the right direction,” Harmony House`s Burkhart said.
