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2023

Last Man Standing

The CD at 40 Project

What does the future hold?

Here is a familiar sight, captured at the Lit and Phil in early 2023, which can be found all across the UK: a treasure trove of high-quality audio recordings for sale at a highly discounted price. Some of these recordings would have retailed for as high as £12.99 in the 80s and 90s. Today they can be found for as little as £1 – and often for less. It remains to be seen if the secondary market for compact discs will grow, as customers in the connected North become wary of the dominant model of recorded music consumption, streaming. Image by CD at 40.

Is the CD in decline or is there still a bright future for the format? Listen to different thoughts on the subject and let us know: are you optimistic or pessimistic?

The CD at 40 Project

The CD at 40 Project

The CD at 40 project is a research impact project funded by Durham University and led by Dr Eamonn Bell (Department of Computer Science). It investigates the history of compact disc manufacture and use in the UK, since the invention of the format in the early 1980s.

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