a lot of information there, but a lot not said..

" but a lot is spent for promotion, to persuade people to buy it." ..how much?

"(And then a lot goes to pad the record company's bank account.".....how much?

"The "top" artist does't see much of that $20 at all..."....how much?

specific answers to those are NOT required

I still am curious about the large price rise when record albums gave way to CDs...(that took art and cardboard and printing & shipping and promotion...etc....too)...and with records almost NO one could do it alone, except perhaps some promotion. Now CDs 'can' be done at home..(I know someone who is doing it).

Perhaps Sandy Paton, who has dealt with both records & CDs for many years, can shed some light. Is it just general inflation? Are folks compensating for digital copying/stealing? Are artists re-evaluating the value of their product? I truly do not know the answers to these things, but I see lots of 'products' today which raise questions in my mind.

(p.s...I also question whether Ice cream from Baskin-Robbins, Häagen-Daz, and Ben & Jerry's is a 'fair' price, or just pushed to the limit of what the yuppies will pay)

(p.p.s., I also have questions about the REAL cost of prescription drugs and hospital bills, but those are MUCH easier to complain about than struggling musicians, hmmm?)