# Is youtube detrimental to record sales?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-youtube-detrimental-to-record-sales/429074>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [December 6, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-youtube-detrimental-to-record-sales/429074 "2007-12-06T22:45:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Key_Lime_Guy)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-youtube-detrimental-to-record-sales/429074/21 "2007-12-23T16:48:48Z")

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[QUOTE=Lemur866]  
Records–that is CDs are obsolete. Even digital music files are obsolete, …  
[/QUOTE]

I remember predictions like this about software ~10 years ago.

My view is: companies like to sell things, and people like to own things.

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**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-youtube-detrimental-to-record-sales/429074/22 "2007-12-23T19:46:29Z")

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ISTM that the only reason software still comes in CD form is because it’s easier to control licensing that way, or at least it functions as a security blanket for the company that makes it–they _feel_ it makes it easier to control licensing.

I used to think I liked to own an arsenal of floppy disks, too, before flash drives became cheap and ubiquitous.

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**Author:** ![Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Key_Lime_Guy)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-youtube-detrimental-to-record-sales/429074/23 "2007-12-23T19:52:34Z")

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[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect]  
ISTM that the only reason software still comes in CD form is because it’s easier to control licensing that way, or at least it functions as a security blanket for the company that makes it–they _feel_ it makes it easier to control licensing.

I used to think I liked to own an arsenal of floppy disks, too, before flash drives became cheap and ubiquitous.  
[/QUOTE]

To clarify, I remember predictions that software would not even reside on your computer; you’d use it online as needed (kinda like the youtube player).

I suppose such a change still could happen, but I think one of the primary barriers is that people like to possess (in some form) what they pay for.

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**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-youtube-detrimental-to-record-sales/429074/24 "2007-12-23T20:15:36Z")

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[QUOTE=Key Lime Guy]  
To clarify, I remember predictions that software would not even reside on your computer; you’d use it online as needed (kinda like the youtube player).

I suppose such a change still could happen, but I think one of the primary barriers is that people like to possess (in some form) what they pay for.  
[/QUOTE]

Ah. In that case, yes, I agree with you. Especially since available disk space keeps getting bigger and bigger-- why would anyone want to rely on an outside source for all of their personal possessions? Home entertainment moved from broadcast TV to home video (and now to “downloaded” TV), not the other way around.

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