I'm guessing a CD cover mount is still regarded as important for selling the magazine from the news-stand, as most of the other Rock & Pop monthlies still persevere with them too.

As a reader of several other Rock and Pop publications I could do without more free plastic in my back room to be honest.
It used to be really exciting when NME or Record Mirror attached a free 7" or a flexidisc to the cover. Now, every magazine does it every month, just another one for the enormous pile, although at least The Word one has new stuff on it.

Don't want to do 'Magic' out of a job but I'd like to see 'Now Hear This' become a page of downloads offered on the website instead, with all the recommended tracks on separate section of this Word site that you can add up arrows and comment on the songs you like..make it interactive. Great feedback for the labels who want to promote their acts too. I'd be much more likely to listen to them that way. Preview each track, download the ones you want for keeps and maybe there are links through to where to buy the LP from.
I presume the tracks are offered by the labels for free, and the cost is just the cost of manufacturing the disc/printing the sleeve so financially not an issue?

But I'm also pretty lazy and utterly saturated with music and other media all competing for my attention.

I get the CD, stick it into iTunes and rip it on the spot. I'll get round to listening at some stage on the go or in bed or whenever. It could be months before I realise it's full of gems, but I get there eventually.

There's a podcast?

There's a magazine?

Personally speaking, I still like to receive the CD with the magazine. If they're were a download option, I would probably forget to download it, or not even bother. Each to their own though.

The CD is on the cover because we think it provides value, because we think it's good, and because of the uplift in sales it provides to the issue it appears on. As for providing a download alternative, that's a tough one. First, because downloads generally don't help sales. Second, because record companies are much less likely to provide a licence in the first place. And thirdly because it's technologically pretty difficult to manage and not particularly user-friendly - each individual copy of magazine would need its own individual download code each month, and so on.

..... how much of the magazines cover price, does the cd cost me ?

or the podcast, but I do flick through the mag.

And, recently, it has been 'flick' I'm afraid. But hey, it's probably me. Usually is.

It's probably difficult to measure how the cd affects sales without going for an issue or two without one.

The front cover shot used to be a factor, but it seems that that is going to be largely irrelevant as we are catering primarily for a subscriber base with recent decisions, so you get what's in it and that's fair enough as you are getting roughly 12 issues for the price of 8 and so there's bound to be more than a 2 out of 3 hit rate.

It'd be interesting to know what subscribers do with the cd. I think many like me have really big collections and that they rarely pull out CD's or vinyl and if they do it's to rip for the ipod.

Most listening is on the pc or on the move and so a free cd will either be ripped or ignored.

At best it's played once and it's a format that is becoming largely irrelevant, not because we necessarily want it to, but because you can't change change.

Personally, I get enough exposure to new music and the writing in the magazine perks my interest enough to try something.

I can honestly say that I wouldn't miss the cd if it wasn't there, I'd listen more to what the writers say than actually listen to a disc.

It's just the way listening habits have changed.

The computer has done for the cd, dvd and is working steadily through books, it's going to hit the magazine and it already is and I can see a time when Word is pdf or web based only.

It's not yet, but it will come.

I still think the podcast decision is a bad idea. Word has lost a great Marketing tool and also alienated Retail Sales.

Whilst understanding the decision, I don't think it's the right one.

There were also some glib replies in the post announcing the decision, if you don't think it's great value, fair enough sort of comments may only alienate the customer base, having already weakened the potential of gathering new converts.

The CD as an object has zero perceived value. They are used freely as bird scarers and vehicle reflectors and decorative wind-chimey mobiles by the Third World peoples (of which, one, am I). They are GIVEN AWAY by newspapers and magazines. That's how much they're worth as currency: nothing. Zero. Nada. Zilch.

CDs are office equipment, part of work. Loading a CD is work. CDs are stupid, sharp-edged, insanely packaged pieces of landfill.

Adding a CD to a magazine does not increase the perceived value of the magazine. Adding a CD to a magazine decreases the perceived value of the compact disc, and compromises the integrity of the magazine. Everybody knows that these buggers cost next to nothing to make. The "music industry" (pardon my mirth) is writhing in a death-throe frenzy because they're trying to sell an object that everybody perceives as worthless in itself. It's a piece of junk. The latest trend to add a zillion layers of cardboard to the packaging (throwing in some marbles or sunglasses or some other stupid piece of tat) is indicative of a business which has lost all sense of direction and purpose.

What the Word Podcast did was to spread a little human warmth (and love for music). The free CD does none of that. Recorded music, if we're brutally honest, is available for nothing, worldwide. That's the real elephant in the room. Until the "music industry" produces product that has inherent value, quite independently of the packaging, it's a headless chicken.

Given that I have bought at least half a dozen albums off the back of tracks that are on the CD, I'd say that its definitely of value and long may it continue.

That said, we have crap local radio which is mainly chart based, so it is one of my main avenues for hearing new and interesting stuff.

motorists who have a CD player in their car, I find the cover CD great fun; slap it in the drive and listen while you commute. If a track stands out under those circumstances, the chances are I'll pay attention to any reviews the artist receives, and the chances are better than good that I might shell out for the album.

Until cars can routinely download or stream music straight from the web, the shiny plastic disc is a reasonably convenient mechanism. It's only a matter of time, of course, but for now it's fine by me and, I suspect, a good few others.

I never understand why anyone would object to a free CD. It's an opportunity - you get a chance to listen to some stuff you wouldn't normally listen to, chosen by some people who know their music. If you don't like it, nothing lost, if you do - and I'll usually find at least one track I like on each CD - then that's expanded your listening that little bit more.

Personally, my only problem with the CD is the amount of extra money I've spent on whole albums by the artists in question. Most recently it was Jake Morley - an excellent album from someone I'd never have encountered any other way.

If I was to make one alteration, it would be that I'd quite like the magazine to cover all the related albums in the reviews section. Other than that, please carry on.

I actually prefer the themed CDs some "other magazines" do, and especially when they do a "famous album re-recorded by other people". Especially when 50% or more of the tarcks are recordings unique to that cover CD.

Of course - depends on the theme/album/artists recording unique tracks. But that's my preference. Doesn't have to be a really strict theme, Uncut's "Americana 2004" was a pretty loose connected thing but probably sold me 12 albums by artists I hardly knew/didn't know at all (at the time). If there were only 10 tracks then 10 albums. Whatever. The point is - it worked for me (found new music I liked) and it worked for the mag' (showed they had good taste) and worked for the bands/record companies (sold me albums, and several bands I stuck with - bought up back catalogue and new releases since).

can I just say the slim version of the covermount that Word uses is infinitely preferrable to the jewel case.

And don't get me started on freebies with women's monthlies.....

I may be being a right div, but the podcast decision has turned me off the magazine.

It may be that it's just that I've always felt that we were a gang and it's like realising that you are not, that business decisions take over.

I fear the love affair is over and I feel like a right wimp and that I should be more adult or worldy. but it's how I feel and I feel it's time to move on to other avenues.

Do I need help?

In a way it is like tuning into an old John Peel broadcast...not much of this music would get out there without this valuable outlet.Keep it up.