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CD single

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ACD singleis amusic singlein the form of acompact disc(CD). Originally theCD singlestandard (as defined in theRed Book) was an 8 cm (3-inch) "mini CD"(CD3);[1]later on the term referred to any single recorded onto a CD of any size, particularly the 12 cm (5-inch) "full-size" disc (CD5). From a technical viewpoint, a CD single is identical to any otheraudio CD.The format started gaining popularity in the early 1990s, but quickly declined in the early and mid 2000s, in favor ofdigital downloadedsingles and CDalbums.[2][3]

A CD single (specifically CD5) of "The Catalyst"byLinkin Park.It contains a second track (comparable to aB-side): "New Divide (Live)".

Commercially released CD singles can vary in length from two songs (anA side and B side,in the tradition of 7-inch 45-rpmrecords) up to six songs like anEP,which would be marketed as amaxi singlein some regions. Some contain multiple mixes of one or more songs (known asremixes), in the tradition of12-inch vinyl singles,and in some cases, they may also contain amusic videofor the single itself (this is anenhanced CD) as well as occasionally aposter.Depending on the nation, there may be limits on the number of songs and total length for sales to count in singles charts.

History and sales

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Full-size CD singles were normally packaged in slimmer jewel cases (labeled here as '2') as compared to CD albums (labeled here as '1')

TheMini CD singleCD3 format was originally created for use for singles in the late 1980s, but met with limited success, particularly in the US.[4][5]The smaller CDs were more successful in Japan[6]and had a resurgence in Europe early this century, marketed as "Pock it" CDs, being small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. By 1989, the CD3 was in decline in the US (replaced by the 5-inch CD single, called CD5).[6]

During the 1990s, CD single releases became less common in certain countries and were often released in smaller editions, as the major record labels feared they were cannibalizing the sales of higher-profit-margin CD albums.[citation needed]

United States

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It was common in the 1990s for US record companies to release both a two-track CD and a multi-track (usually "remix" ) maxi CD.

Pressure from record labels made singles charts in some countries become song charts, allowing album cuts to chart based only onairplay,without a single ever being released. In the US, theBillboardHot 100made this change in December 1998,[7]after which very few songs were released in the CD single format in the US, but they remained extremely popular in other countries, where charts were still based solely on single sales and not radio airplay.[citation needed]

In the year 2000, the RIAA reported that CD single sales fell by 39%, with internet downloading serviceNapsterbeing blamed.[8]In October 2001,Targetwhich was the fourth largest music retailer in the United States, announced that it will stop selling CD singles in many of its stores due to a fall in demand.[9]

United Kingdom

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CD singles were first made eligible for theUK Singles Chartin 1987, and the first number 1 available on the format in that country was "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"byWhitney Houstonin May 1987.[10]At the end of the 1990s, the CD was the biggest-selling single format in the UK. Record companies would also release two CDs but, usually, these consisted of three tracks or more each.[citation needed]

Smaller 3-inch CDs were made mostly in a small square case/cover form only, some including a 5-inch CD adapter to use in normal compact disc players. Although the format was not widely available in the United Kingdom, several artists have released singles in the format.[citation needed]

Sales figures

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CD single sales
Period Sales Percentage Other sales
January–December 1999 34.3 million[11] Probably 95%+
January–December 2004[12] Less than 50% DL: more than 50%
January–June 2006[13] 19%

DL:?/76.7%
7-inch:?/1.7%
12-inch:?/2.1%
Other:?/0.4%

January–June 2007[13] 8.1%

DL:?/88.9%
7-inch:?/1.5%
12-inch:?/1.2%
Other:?/0.3%

January–December 2007[12] 8million DL: 72.6million
January–December 2008[14] 4.6 million DL: 110.3million
January–1 October 2009[15] Less than 1.6million Less than 1.4% DL: 115.4million
January - September 2021 60,000[16]

At Q4 1996, there were 24.2 million CD singles shipped in the country. At Q4 1999 CDs made up 74.6% of single sales, withcassinglein second place and12 "singles in third place.[17]By 2003, CD singles had significantly dropped from its peak while albums reached an all-time high. This was in part by an increase in the price of singles, which was about £4 and provided worse value for money compared to an album for £10.[18]

Asdastopped selling CD singles in 2007.[3]Woolworths Group,which previously accounted for one third of all CD sales in the country, stopped selling CD singles in August 2008, citing the "terminal decline" of the format as customers moved to digital downloads as their preferred method of purchasing single tracks[12][19](the Woolworths chain itself would collapse the following November). In March 2011,Mercury Recordsannounced that they were to stop manufacturing CD singles for lack of demand and loss of money on the format in 2010.[20]

In July 2009,The Guardianreported thatFlorence + The Machine's single 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)' sold a CD and 7 inch vinyl combined total of 64 copies, where it reached number 16 in the Mid-Week Chart.[21]

'Bad Habits' byEd Sheeranwas the best-selling CD single as of September 2021 with 11,000 copies.[22]

Elsewhere

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In Australia, theHerald Sunreported the CD single is "set to become extinct". In early July 2009, leading music storeJB Hi-Ficeased stocking CD singles because of declining sales, with copies of the week's No. 1 single often selling as few as only 350 copies across all their stores nationwide.[23]While CD singles no longer maintain their own section of the store, copies are still distributed but placed with the artist's albums. That is predominantly the case for popular Australian artists such asJessica Mauboy,Kylie Minogueand, most recently,Delta Goodrem,whose then-recent singles ( "What Happened to Us","Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)"and"Sitting on Top of the World"respectively) were released on CD in limited quantities. TheARIA Singles Chartis now "predominantly compiled from legal downloads", andARIAalso stopped compiling their physical singles sales chart. "On a Mission"byGabriella Cilmiwas the last CD single to be stocked inKmart,TargetandBig W,who then concluded stocking newly released singles.Sanity Entertainment,having resisted the decline for longer than the other major outlets, has also ceased selling CD singles.

InGermany,CD singles continue to be regularly issued by all major and some minor labels, and both of domestic and foreign artists.[citation needed]

InChinaandSouth Korea,CD single releases have been rare ever since the format was introduced, due to the amount of infringement and illegal file sharing over the internet, and most of the time singles have generally been album cuts chart based only on airplay, but with the advent of digital music the charts have also occasionally included digital download counts.[citation needed]

InGreeceandCyprus,the term "CD single" is used to describe anextended play(EP) in which there may be anywhere from three to six different tracks. These releases charted on theGreek Singles Chart(before it abandoned tracking altogether) with songs released assingles.

Mini CD (CD3)

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Mini CD single
A Japanese "Mini CD" single
Media typeOptical disc
Capacity80 mm holds up to 24 minutes of music, or 210 MB (210 × 220bytes) of data.
StandardRed Book
Dimensions8centimeters(3.1inches)
UsageAudio storage
Released1987;37 years ago(1987)[24][5]

The originalCD single(sometimesmini CD singleor3-inch CDorCD3in the US) is amusic singlereleased on amini Compact Discthat measures 8 cm (3.1 in) in diameter, rather than the standard 12 cm (4.7 in). They are manufactured using the same methods as standard full-size CDs, and can be played in most standard audioCD playersandCD-ROMdisc drives.[5]

The format was first released in theUnited States,United Kingdom,Japan,France,West Germany,andHong Kongin 1987 as the replacement for the 7-inch single.[25]While mini CDs quickly fell out of popularity among most major record labels (partly due to their incompatibility with many slot-loading CD players), they lasted longer as a popular, low cost way for independent musicians and groups to release music.[5]

Capable of holding up to 20 minutes of music, most mini CD singles contain at least two tracks, often consisting of a single edit and aninstrumentalversion in the same way as 7-inchvinylsingles.[26]

From a technical standpoint, a 3-inch CD is the same as a standard CD (Red Bookstandard for CD digital audio) with the major difference being the smaller physical size of the disc allowing fewer data sectors, meaning the disc can store less audio. The majority of audio CD players and CD-ROM drives have a smaller circular indentation in the CD tray for holding these discs. Most slot-loading drives, such as those found in some car CD players, are unable to manipulate the smaller discs or their adapters. Laptop drives generally only require the centre hole to hold the disc so the smaller diameter is irrelevant.[citation needed]

Japan

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8 cm CD single with case, released in Japan

In Japan, 8 cm (3 in) 3 "CD singles were initially released commercially in 1988 in a long flip-out sleeve snap-packs (Japanese:Đoản sách;tanzaku).[27] The plastic inserts in the sleeves could be snapped in half and folded into a small 8 cm (3 in) square, rather than the original 15 cm × 8 cm (6 in × 3 in) length when originally sold.

3 "CD Production of Recorded Music
Trend of Recorded Music Production[28]
Year Units
1988 25,557
1989 47,094
1990 61,820
1991 88,776
1992 110,559
1993 153,795
1994 138,271
1995 164,581
1996 166,294
1997 167,827
1998 154,260
1999 86,333
2000 33,124
2001 9,788
2002 7,967
2022 34
2023 186

Beginning in 1999 some labels began to package mini CDs in 12 cm (5 in) slimline cases. As thetanzakusleeves slowly morphed into the use of slimline jewel cases, the mini CD single was halted from production in the early 2000s.

As popularity diminished, one of the last Japanese 8 cm CD single released was a reissue and repackaging of "I Was Born to Love You"byQueenin 2004. Many of the artists who released 8 cm CDs are from that era, includingWink,Madonna,Phil Collins,Michael Jackson,Queen,U2,Prince,Metallica,Bros,Huey Lewis and the News,Bon Jovi,Kylie Minogue,FalcoandGeorge Michael.Some singles packaged in 12 cm single jewel cases contained a 12 cm CD adapter.

Most were sold at around¥1,000 (£6 or$9) at the time of release during the late 1980s, early 2000s to the present day.

However, there has been a small revival as limited edition mini CD singles with Japanese artists such asHibari Misorawith a reissue of her 1989 single "Kawa no Nagare no Yoni" in May 2019 in original longtanzakuform, by the record companyNippon Columbia[29]and in July 2024 with girl group Wink Music Service releasing To Rome with Love.[30]

United States

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US versions were often packaged in cardboard slipcases, either 3-inch square or 6-inch by 3-inch gatefold. Others were released in 5-inch slimline single cases, which allowed an adapter to be included with the CD. At the time of first release in 1987, their retail price was between $4 and $6, at least $3 less than even the least-expensive 5-inch discs.Delos Records,a small, independent label, issued the first commercially available 3-inch CDs in 1987 with 20 classical and jazz titles. The Massachusetts-basedRykodiscissued Frank Zappa's “Peaches en Regalia”the first pop 3-inch CD. Initially when released, 300,000 of the discs were shipped to retail outlets.[5]Noted oldies labelRhinohad a series of over 60 3-inch CDs released throughout 1988 entitled "Lil' Bit Of Gold".[citation needed]

Longevity

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In theUnited StatesandUnited Kingdom,the format barely lasted into the early 1990s, partly due to inconvenience of needing to attach an adapter on every disc (very few packages were issued with one) before playing. Sonyremained in support of the 3-inch CD having had plans to launch a 3-inch CD player for the Japanese market in 1988.[31]

Among major labels, it was largely replaced by putting less music on a regular full-size CD. The full-size discs are a more standard manufacturing process and so ended up being cheaper to press. The CD single format continued in larger production until the early 2000s with forJapanesereleases, but continued to the present day in much smaller numbers.[32]Despite the unpopularity it survived with publishers adopting the 3-inch CD as an inexpensive way of presenting bonus material with books.[33]

Technical specifications

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  • Data: 185–210MiB (compared to 650–703MiB on a 12 cm CD)
  • Audio: 21–24 minutes (compared to 74–80 minutes on a 12 cm CD)[34][35]

The slimjewel boxesused for 3-inch CDs are nearly the same size as 3.5-inchfloppy disks,making storage boxes for 3.5-inch floppies usable for 3-inch CDs as well.

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Cdとは - It dùng từ từ điển".
  2. ^Gallo, Phil (2005-10-04)."Music fans burn CD biz".Variety.Retrieved2024-05-03.
  3. ^ab"End of the CD single".The Telegraph.2007-05-23.Retrieved2024-05-03.
  4. ^"3-INCH DISC IS TO CD AS 12-INCH SINGLE IS TO LP".Chicago Tribune.November 5, 1987.RetrievedJuly 23,2024.
  5. ^abcde"3-inch Compact Discs Aim At Singles Market".Chicago Tribune.August 6, 1988.RetrievedJuly 23,2024.
  6. ^ab"CD News" by Pete Howard for Rolling Stone magazine, 14–28 December 1989, page 216
  7. ^Trust, Gary (2018-05-30)."In 1998, 'Iris,' 'Torn,' & Other Radio Smashes Hit the Hot 100 at Last After a Key Rule Change".Billboard.Retrieved2024-05-03.
  8. ^"Napster blamed for CD singles slump".2001-02-26.Retrieved2024-05-03.
  9. ^"Target signals the death of the single in the USA".2001-10-28. Archived fromthe originalon 2001-10-28.Retrieved2024-05-03.
  10. ^"CD single sales surge in the UK as Ed Sheeran, ABBA, Coldplay and more return to the format".Official Charts. 24 September 2021.Retrieved1 January2022.
  11. ^"CD single sales surge in the UK as Ed Sheeran, ABBA, Coldplay and more return to the format".Official Charts. 24 September 2021.Retrieved1 January2022.
  12. ^abcWallop, Harry (26 May 2008)."CD singles off the shelves at Woolworths".The Daily Telegraph.London.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-01-12.Retrieved20 August2009.
  13. ^abDangerfield, Andy (23 July 2007)."Can the CD single be saved?".BBC News.London.Retrieved15 November2012.
  14. ^Sean Michaels (8 January 2009)."UK singles sales hit record high in 2008".the Guardian.
  15. ^Khan, Urmee (23 October 2009)."Sales of music singles hit record levels thanks to internet downloads".The Daily Telegraph.London.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-01-12.Retrieved15 November2012.
  16. ^"CD single sales surge in the UK as Ed Sheeran, ABBA, Coldplay and more return to the format".Official Charts. 24 September 2021.Retrieved1 January2022.
  17. ^Williams, Paul (26 February 2000)."Cassette goes into freefall as growth of CD fails to make up the shortfall"(PDF).Music Week.pp. 10–11 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  18. ^"Album sales hit all-time high - but profits slide".Independent.co.uk.17 August 2003.
  19. ^Ruki Sayid (26 May 2008)."CD singles to be axed as sales fall".mirror.
  20. ^metrowebukmetro (25 March 2011)."Arcade Fire's label Mercury Records abolishes physical CD singles - Metro News".Metro.
  21. ^Rosie Swash (15 July 2009)."A chart hit with 64 sales?".the Guardian.
  22. ^"CD single sales surge in the UK as Ed Sheeran, ABBA, Coldplay and more return to the format".Official Charts. 24 September 2021.Retrieved1 January2022.
  23. ^Adams, Cameron (2 July 2009)."JB HiFi stops selling CD singles because of declining sales".Herald Sun.News.au.Retrieved15 July2009.
  24. ^"3-INCH DISC IS TO CD AS 12-INCH SINGLE IS TO LP".Chicago Tribune.November 5, 1987.RetrievedJuly 23,2024.
  25. ^Thompson, Dave (September 2002).The Music Lover's Guide to Record Collecting: CD-3s Good Things Don't Always Come In Small Packages.Backbeat Books.ISBN978-1-61713-202-5.RetrievedJuly 23,2024.
  26. ^Thompson, Dave (September 2002).The Music Lover's Guide to Record Collecting: CD-3s Good Things Don't Always Come In Small Packages.Backbeat Books.ISBN978-1-61713-202-5.RetrievedJuly 23,2024.
  27. ^"HOME > Statistics > Annual Data > Trend of Recorded Music".The Record Industry in Japan.Retrieved18 August2024.
  28. ^"HOME > Statistics > Annual Data > Trend of Recorded Music".The Record Industry in Japan.Retrieved18 August2024.
  29. ^Kawa no Nagare no Yoni 8cm CD by Hibari Misora. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  30. ^"Wink Music Service – To Rome With Love".Disk Union.RetrievedJuly 23,2024.
  31. ^The Music Lover's Guide to Record Collecting- By Dave Thompson
  32. ^"HOME > Statistics > Annual Data > Trend of Recorded Music".The Record Industry in Japan.Retrieved18 August2024.
  33. ^Thompson, Dave.The Music Lover's Guide to Record Collecting.
  34. ^"80 mm CD: Minus size - plus portability - ExtensivelyReviewed".pricenfees.
  35. ^Red Book (CD standard)
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