The classical record industry in the United States

Abstract

The classical record industry affects all segments of the music community. The most obvious beneficiary is the consumer who can listen to his favorite compositions whenever he wishes and become familiar with music he may never have the opportunity to hear in live concerts. Recordings are also important to performers and composers who benefit economically not only from the recording fees and royalties but also from the exposure to a wider audience than they would otherwise be able to reach. Several artists, such as Alfred Brendel and Ivan Moravec, first became known to American audiences through their recordings. The careers of many composers have been advanced in the same way (1). Few people have had the opportunity to hear the clarinet and oboe concertos of John Coriogliano or the string quartets of George Rochberg in live performance, but successful recordings of these works have made them well known throughout the country. The Schwann catalogs (2) list approximately 10,000 classical records in print in the United States, and these are issued by over seventy different companies. These numbers would seem to indicate that the industry is prosperous and healthy, but the general opinion is that this is not the case. Important changes have taken place in the structure of the industry over the past thirty years, and there is some doubt that the policies and practices of the industry have met the challenge presented by these changes. One person closely associated with the industry says simply that "the classical record industry is in a mess" (3). This paper will examine the structural changes that have led to the conclusion that the condition of this important industry is less than healthy. Before 1950 the classical record industry was completely dominated by two companies, Victor (now RCA) and Columbia (now CBS). Recording equipment required a