What is the ridiculous price of CDs? They are bloody expensive to produce, manufacture, disribute and promote. Unless I'm selling 10's of thousands per year, I can't make a living off CDs sales (at a price of around $15 each). I realize big record companies have economies of scale that reduce their costs, BUT their costs are still very high, and they cannot make profits unless they are selling in the tens to hundreds thousands range, and every flop they release cuts into the profits they make elsewhere ... I just don't see the record business as being particularly profitable. It is highly risky, nad unless you can sell into the millions, you are likely to burn most of your profit operating your business. Everyone is after the great big winner ... few are pushing for small, moderate and purely artistic success.