Music World Kolkata is shutting down

[pratimbayal]

Music World is exiting the business. There will be no more "Music World" at Park Street. Extremely dissapointing news.

What next ?

Regards

 

[Vijay_s]

Music World is exiting the business. There will be no more "Music World" at Park Street. Extremely dissapointing news.

What next ?

Regards

At least 5-6 music store known to me closed down in Bangalore. Landmark store nearby reduced the music stock significantly those racks are now occupied by video games.

 

[arj]

Buy all the music you care about. else in the future you may only find Cra&&y Mp3s

 

[Finyl Vinyl]

As someone who worked for MW for 6+ years and was part of the team that opened the Park St store, I am disappointed. But then I also was part of the team that opened the Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Cochin stores, so the heartbreak for me is even more. But truth be said, they deserved to close down. We didn't have senior managers who had the ability to look beyond the next quarter. They didn't see it coming. Same with Planet M. Same with Tower, Virgin etc

 

[EthenHunt]

Yes.. Those days when one of my favourite hang out places was Music world in Cochin.
Now the store is closed and gone are those days also..

 

[prepress]

We had above five stores in Chandigarh, but all are closed before Jan 2013 Couple of years back I have sold more than 300 CDs from my collection after backup (unfortunately took all at 320kbps mp3) but now realizing I did a big mistake. Collecting those titles again to keep them as Wave/Flac in my iPOD. But my city is almost empty with ACDs

 

[grubyhalo]

As someone who worked for MW for 6+ years and was part of the team that opened the Park St store, I am disappointed. But then I also was part of the team that opened the Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Cochin stores, so the heartbreak for me is even more. But truth be said, they deserved to close down. We didn't have senior managers who had the ability to look beyond the next quarter. They didn't see it coming. Same with Planet M. Same with Tower, Virgin etc

...and Landmark too. It is pretty sad. I guess that's what happens when music becomes another line-entry in your ledger. Sad, but inevitable, perhaps? Maybe we will see a string of brick-and-mortar stores, like Rhythm House, open and survive because the promoter does it out of passion and/or his actual bread and butter comes from an online presence or other businesses? Maybe someone should open a music/books/cafe/club that also sells music? Maybe I will? Maybe there should be more concerts in the first place, which I think would help with sales. Maybe this would force-start a lot of 'collective' organizations instead of the traditional music companies to which artists would align themselves and sell their music direct to people who actually want to buy the music. Maybe the un-avoidable future of buying music online is here, sooner than we expected. Maybe the newer generations are being weaned into newer 'passions' that comfort and fuel their lives more than music, or even reading does. Imagine sitting in a spot for hours, just listening to 'sounds' from a box and nothing to see with your eyes! Worse still, to close your eyes and be forced to dream! Where did I leave my 'smart'phone?! I remember GeorgeO telling people a few times that one would know when one finds their Holy Grail. Maybe a lot of people find it hiding in their phones, tabs and TVs. Maybe I'm just being anachronistic and jaded. Maybe I'll start hoarding music media and make a killing out of them in a few years...

On another note, Finyl Vinyl, were you working in the Middle-east for awhile before returning back? And did you attend the 2nd Maiden concert in Bangalore? And also, were you part of a group slugging rum 'n Coke in the parking when the marketing head of EMI was accosted by a black-market seller trying to sell him pirated concert DVDs of the labels that his company represented? If so, I think we've met. If not, we should!

 

[Vijay_s]

Statement from Planet M regarding closing down few of their stores... News from Hindu Busines line

"The economy may be witnessing a decline but mall rentals are certainly growing. We have shut some of our stores in malls and are now coming back with 100-sq ft kiosks. All our future stores are going to be in the kiosk format with limited categories such as telecom and accessories, said Sanjay Karwa, CEO, Planet M Retail." details...............

 

[haisaikat]

Closing down was inevitable, after all in today's era of online shopping, portable music player in mobiles and of course piracy rackets who would prefer buying CDs / DVDs and that too at MRP all the time?

 

[jls001]

Move to vinyl. At least that medium is facing a resurgence:lol:

On a more serious note, one can order all the CDs one needs and wants from Rhythm House. They are really the most well-stocked music shop in the country.

For Mumbai folks, Planet M at Powai and Satyam Collections at Churchgate (behind Eros Cinema) are viable, but lesser, alternate destinations.

 

[hemantwaghe]

Planet M at Powai and Satyam Collections at Churchgate (behind Eros Cinema)

Are they still there??
Esp Satyam -- was regular there - now not visited in last 10-12 years!!!
Orignal plannet M was at TOI bldg right?

 

[krish199]

Extemely disspointed. But you can't servive agianst the tide. When MP3's or even Flacs are free of cost who will buy CD/DVD for 99/199 bucks. THe best bet would have been to redice the price in a acceptable level say 25/50 but sad its not gonna happen and we are going to see such closing in near future too

 

[jls001]

Are they still there??
Esp Satyam -- was regular there - now not visited in last 10-12 years!!!
Orignal plannet M was at TOI bldg right?

Yes, Satyam is alive and they still have decent collection. I also went there after like 6 years.

Planet M original store in ToI building was shut down many years ago. Later they moved to a store in DN Road within walkable distance from VT but that also has shut down. The Powai store has a surprisingly good collection of Harmonia Mundi and some Naxos titles in western classicals.

 

[pratimbayal]

Apart from buying CDs - The park street " Music World " was a nice meeting point. It also happend during some official work at Park Street , we just stepped in at the MW and spent some time - just looking at the stocks ( sply new) in those long racks.

I suppose many music lovers have same nice experience.

I remember my first interaction at Music World - I spent almost 2 hours,with two young sales ( female ) executive helping me to get right music, and finally bought two imported music CD ( Rs.500 each around 13 years ago) as they suggested.

With music shops with big places shutting down - there will be no interaction will buy music online with out any human touch.

 

[Rupam]

Planet M in Park Street was the first place where I heard Bose system first in my life 13 years ago. Last time I went there its about 2 months ago, their international collection was reduced. BTW I was wondering is this also the trend in abroad (USA, UK)?
Do you know that The French government is considering introducing a 1% tax on the sale of smartphones and tablets to help fund French film, music and images which are getting affected by illegal downloading. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22522491

 

[srramanujam]

Demise of a store is not the same as demise of CD listening. The stores have competition from online shopping and increasing rentals.

 

[mpw]

Demise of a store is not the same as demise of CD listening. The stores have competition from online shopping and increasing rentals.

============================================

the symptom and the cause are being misunderstood.

The demise of the store is only symbolic of the way digital content is available online now vis a vis few years back when digital content was more stored on physical media like discs.

It is not just this store ( which is like an icon on park street in Kolkata ) but also few other large stores in UK and elsewhere ( owned by major brands ) which are pointers the inevitable disapperance of the CD.

I wish what you mention were true though.. but i think it is not.

rgds,
mpw

 

[Finyl Vinyl]

that's what happens when music becomes another line-entry in your ledger.

On another note, Finyl Vinyl, were you working in the Middle-east for awhile before returning back? And did you attend the 2nd Maiden concert in Bangalore? And also, were you part of a group slugging rum 'n Coke in the parking when the marketing head of EMI was accosted by a black-market seller trying to sell him pirated concert DVDs of the labels that his company represented? If so, I think we've met. If not, we should!

Grubyhalo, exactemundo. There will always be the smaller brick and mortar specialty stores that will survive and thrive.

I did work in the ME for a while, but I came back to join MW and this was in 99. I think you are referring to an ex-colleague of mine, Christy Charles if it was the Maiden concert.

If you're talking about the Waters concert, it was me. And I remember one guy doing his headbanging routine to time :indifferent14:

 

[srramanujam]

I am not claiming that CD purchase is going up. I am simply stating that store closure should be seen as stores not being viable or relevant. Just like travel agents dying does not mean air travel is dying.

Separately, CDs are threatened species, but that cannot be inferred just by the number of physical dedicated stores closing down.

============================================

the symptom and the cause are being misunderstood.

The demise of the store is only symbolic of the way digital content is available online now vis a vis few years back when digital content was more stored on physical media like discs.

It is not just this store ( which is like an icon on park street in Kolkata ) but also few other large stores in UK and elsewhere ( owned by major brands ) which are pointers the inevitable disapperance of the CD.

I wish what you mention were true though.. but i think it is not.

rgds,
mpw

 

[mpw]

I am not claiming that CD purchase is going up. I am simply stating that store closure should be seen as stores not being viable or relevant. Just like travel agents dying does not mean air travel is dying.

Separately, CDs are threatened species, but that cannot be inferred just by the number of physical dedicated stores closing down.

=======================================

the main reason for the store not being financially viable is the online or alternative content download. there are no 2 ways about that.

the number of stores closing down is an indicator to the demise of the CD.

Alternatively if the CD's were gaining in popularity.. the number of stores would increase or even online sales would increase.

Even online - folks like flipkart are not having a good run.... inferred by the limited choices available online. Its only the product mix that keeps them going.

There are no PURE CD online sales portals ( maybe except rhythmhouse.in ) to my knowledge.

Please correct me if required.

mpw