As a panicked music industry contends with the growing threat of piracy, one corner of the business is enjoying immunity. No need to think out of the box when it comes to the box set, a hardy perennial that even the most cyber-savvy collectors still covet.
“You can download the music, but you can’t download pride of ownership and the experience of holding a tangible piece of art,” says David Dorn, senior vice president of media for Rhino Records.
Rhino, noted for its prolific output of box sets, hasn’t put the brakes on its assembly line despite the industry’s financial doldrums.
“We haven’t slowed down at all,” Dorn says. “We’ve put out the same number of box sets in the last four or five years, and we have just as many or more planned for next year. We feel box sets are as viable today as they were 10 years ago. There are hard-core fans out there asking for this type of presentation.”
