[telefunker]

No doubt a lot of you will have heard of the record industry mutterings concerning their uncertainty over the commercial viability of the 'music album' in the digital age.

Do you think we are approaching a time, or a generation is emerging that will reject the album as a concept and focus instead on singles and all the playlisting and mixtaping inherent?
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no fat chicks

[maxxy]

I actually started the same basic thread a while back, and the general response was "no, you just have to look harder."

[ZebraRock]

I think there's something to Maxxy's comment.
Also, people have been predicting the end of the album since CD's. And yet OK Computer was released on CD primarily, and you don't get much more "album-y" than that!
The Album might be undergoing a time of hibernation, but I think that there will always be bands creative and interested enough, even if there aren't a lot right now.

As to commercial viability, bands really do not need the record industry anymore. One could, potentially, release music solely through one's website, charging whatever you want. They could make an album, post it online, charge X amount of money (so long as it was less than iTunes or Amazon) and then people would be forced to buy the whole album.

[Robert Anton Wilson]

No

[alelsupreme]

I doubt it, albums still sell loads. Look at 21 - Adele.

[Kiki]

I saw a display in HMV today saying "The Return of Vinyl". They had twice as much vinyls than the vinyl section one year ago.

[revolver94]

Although there is a general shift away from albums, I highly doubt they'll die off- the physical music industry would have to die, too, for that to happen, which is highly unlikely. Even if this were to happen, purists like us would keep the medium alive 😄