Why do kpop fans still buy physical albums in the age of digital streaming?

  • Ikw sales are a huge part of a groups success in kpop. However what motivates fans to buy albums when the songs are freely and easily available on platforms like Spotify?


    In akb48 the albums had/have tickets for handshake events/meet and greets but in kpop there is most probably a photocard ig? I dunno.

    Desbundar

  • Why u make it sounds like people bought albums for the CD . 🤣🤣

    Honestly i think it's mainly for support and goods.


    I only used the CD like a couple Times In a car and in my old discman that i sometimes use for aesthetic/fashion purposed if im feeling oldschool.

  • For the photocards, photobooks, and other stuff that comes with it.


    The photocards are pretty and fun to collect.


    The photobooks are gorgeous and I pull my albums out every now and then just to flip through them. It's a different feeling to have the high quality printed pictures and to feel the pages, instead of just looking at digital pictures.

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  • People buy albums like they buy booster packs of collectible cards (game or not). They want the thrill of pulling their faves. Also, the booklet is a nice bonus. If you buy all versions, you may get posters and other extras. The CD itself is just a pretense. They could just sell a stick with the audio files or even better, just a code to download the music and/or access to streaming service.


    CDs by itself don't really sell.


    Yeah, in Japan is mostly to get events. In both countries, I think if you buy a ton, you also get exclusive events. In Japan, with some small groups, you may even have a "date" with your bias if you buy hundreds. Might as well just open a service akin to OnlyFans for idols and cut this extra step. So much unnecessary waste is generated by this.

  • For some fans it’s a bit more personal having a physical copy plus they can come with bonus features like DVD’s. I’m more of a fan of CD’s myself and still drag them out and have a listen of them as well as tapes and videos. I also grew up with older stuff like that.

  • People buy albums like they buy booster packs of collectible cards (game or not). They want the thrill of pulling their faves. Also, the booklet is a nice bonus. If you buy all versions, you may get posters and other extras. The CD itself is just a pretense. They could just sell a stick with the audio files or even better, just a code to download the music and/or access to streaming service.


    CDs by itself don't really sell.


    Yeah, in Japan is mostly to get events. In both countries, I think if you buy a ton, you also get exclusive events. In Japan, with some small groups, you may even have a "date" with your bias if you buy hundreds. Might as well just open a service akin to OnlyFans for idols and cut this extra step. So much unnecessary waste is generated by this.

    Theres something like this in Korea too .

    In makestar crowdfunding sites that mainly used by KPop group , like if the group don't have budget for anything like album producing , photobook ,etc and theres a Tier on it and some of them mention like cafe date .

    But thats before covid , idk about now.


    *I just check . It still is

    https://www.makestar.co/projects/singer_girlkind_03


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  • "Digital/streaming era" was also there when Adele sold 18m in 2015 & Ed Sheeran sold 7m in 2017 so it isn't just kpop fans buying them. And those two artists are known for being "GP artists". That means it's not their fans but "GP" are buying their albums. So the purpose is probably the same for k-pop fans and those "GP" buying the album.

    It's just that k-pop fans get ridiculed nowadays for "buying albums in streaming/digital era" only because these western artists can't sell them. Everyone lives off on what happens in the west. They said it's "streaming era" so it is. We cannot think on our own.

  • Why u make it sounds like people bought albums for the CD . 🤣🤣

    Honestly i think it's mainly for support and goods.


    I only used the CD like a couple Times In a car and in my old discman that i sometimes use for aesthetic/fashion purposed if im feeling oldschool.


    For the inclusions, pre-order benefits, autographs, video/phone calls. For collection purposes.

    For the photocards, photobooks, and other stuff that comes with it.


    The photocards are pretty and fun to collect.


    The photobooks are gorgeous and I pull my albums out every now and then just to flip through them. It's a different feeling to have the high quality printed pictures and to feel the pages, instead of just looking at digital pictures.

    Ooooh I'm not familiar with this. So do the inclusions come with every album or is it like a rare thing like winning the lottery. Is there a set of items that come with albums on a normal basis?

    Desbundar

  • Digital/streaming era was also when Adele sold 18m in 2015 & Ed Sheeran sold 7m in 2017 so it isn't just kpop fans buying them. And those two artists are known for being "GP artists". That means it's not their fans but "GP" are buying their albums.

    So the purpose is probably the same for k-pop fans and those "GP" buying the album. It's just k-pop fans get ridiculed nowadays for "buying albums in streaming/digital era" only because these western artists can't sell them. Everyone lives off on what happens in the west.

    I would've made it including western artist but then my thread would be moved to another thread. Since kpop fans keep better tabs on the entire process I thought I'd get a better idea here. CD players are kinda rare to find these days everything is on a pendrive or online. So I dunno if its the older gen or the younger ones who buy a bulk of these albums. Do you think album sales will decline in the future?

    Desbundar

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