Prior to the wave of Korean Pop coming to the West, the demand for CDs and physical albums was in a steady decline. There was a market for vinyl, as the niche record collectors were searching for their vintage jams. Yet overall, with the advent of streaming services such as Spotify, Itunes Store, and Soundcloud, more people are turning to digital listening as their way of consuming music media. Youtube and its growth since the early 2000s is also a key player in this digital shift, with the shift from channels like MTV to music videos on the web. The era of CDs was looking as though it was reaching an end in the west, as the cost of a physical album was more than a monthly subscription fee to a streaming service. International music markets, however, were not showing the same decline.
The other music markets had evolved to find a way to create an experience that would entice consumers to purchase a physical copy of the music. There will remain those who purchase physical CDs just as those who search for vinyl. On a large scale, how do you convince buyers of the need to own a CD as opposed to having seemingly unlimited music at their fingertips on their phone? This is something that the K-Pop industry developed that the west did not: the ability to create a fan experience within the album buying process that goes beyond the simplicity of purchasing and playing a CD.
There is a large difference in the expectations of receiving an album. Traditionally with a western artist, when one goes to buy an album the expectation is that you will receive a CD and an insert in the front cover that contains possibly the song lyrics, a few pictures, and the team credits. The experience is simply that you’ve received a CD, and now you have a physical copy of the music in your hand.
With K-Pop groups and even solo artists' albums, the experience goes beyond just listening to a disc. The album buying experience has changed, some fans even purchasing more than one of the same album. Albums can often have different versions, ranging anywhere from two to the number matching that of members within a group. The main difference lies within the contents of the "albums." On average, albums will include the CD, a poster, a lyric book, a photo book, and a random photo card of a member. These items are subject to change by version and could contain more or less gifts depending on the group, company, and number of members.
For Example, BTS’s latest album, Butter. The CD featured a total of four songs: “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” as well as their instrumental versions. This album features two different versions, Peaches and Cream, accompanied by a variety of different items within them; a standup picture of all seven members, as well as a group polaroid, sticker sheets, and two cards that have the lyrics and credits. Additionally, each album has a different photobook and photocard, the photoset and photocard varies by album version. There are a total of 16 different photocards that can come in either album, or 8 per version, as well as 7 message cards that are randomized by member. This doesn’t even scratch the surface of content, as additional photocards and film strips were given out as part of a pre-order gift in Japan and on Weverse Shop.
The gap between western artists and K-Pop artists’ album sales is vast. The experience that the latter have been able to cultivate has created many fans who strive to collect all versions, photocards, preorder gifts, etc. The market has increased, and while the album price varies considerably from western to K-Pop, the payoff is in the content recieved. There is a level of excitement and a rush that can be found in getting a K-Pop album and having the surprise of a random photocard. This fuels the album market, and as long as fans are excited about a product and artists are willing to produce, fans will continue to buy with their hard earned cash.
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Written By: Skylar
Edit By: Juju
Checked By: Aury
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