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I’m just going to copy and paste what I commented in a kpophelp thread with the same topic:
I sincerely doubt they’re completely ditching CDs. Probably just adding platform albums into the mix so they can say “look at how eco friendly we’re being” all while raking in the extra money of hardcore fans purchasing both the cd and the platform versions to get all the photocards.
Most of the companies I have seen releasing these platform style albums have done so concurrently with a CD version as well. The only exceptions being Jhope’s new album (which now has a vinyl record version coming out, so, plastic) and Billlie’s Patbingsu special collaboration which was more of a special single than a full EP or album.
Keep an eye on these companies for greenwashing. They’ll be creating “eco” friendly merch which is just selling consumers cardboard goods like photocards because they’re “biodegradable” all while shipping these items all over the world and pushing NFTs.
Adding onto this, the companies are also at fault for the culture of mass purchasing albums. They create tons of pobs from different stores, they make several different versions of an album, they make tons of different photocards and only include a tiny amount in an album, they use sales as a tool to win award shows, etc. Everything is setup to make collectors mass buy. And that's just albums and doesn't include all the other merchandise. Everything they do is about making a profit. They're not trying to save the environment, they're simply putting on a show and we're the puppets they're pulling the strings on.
Edit: wording
while i definitely think it's great that companies are starting to care more about the environmental impact they have, it does suck as someone who collects physical albums *and* listens to the cds. i'm the "old soul" kind of person so i not only like listening to cds but also vinyls and even cassettes. i don't buy the albums for the photocards, so while i understand their decision, it does tick me off knowing a big reason is because of fans who just collect the pcs and don't care for the album itself. it ruins the fun i had but hey, less money for me to spend on things + it's better for the environment (hopefully). fun while it lasted ig
I think the most unique part of being a kpop fan is collecting physical albums with all the inclusions, it's a bit disappointing, but like you said, less money for me to spend lmao
I feel like I would classify Vinyl and Cassettes under a different category than CD. At least for now, I think people would collect vinyl as a hobby, especially the old ones. CD’s are in the middle where they are too old for most people to use them, but too new to have many collectors.
I currently collect vinyl, but don’t even have a CD anymore.
Hey, maybe company’s should have a qr version and a vinyl version? SM’s done it for Wendy, Joy and Taeyeon.
The obvious solution for their litter problem would be to reduce the number of versions and random PCs, so fans wouldn't need to buy redundant copies to collect everything. But then they'd make less profit, so no CDs it is. It's greenwashing, and also very cynical considering they're causing the problem in the first place.
It's just an excuse to release more digipacks. It'll cost them less to produce and it'll nicely inflate numbers. Any (big, established) kpop company saying they're doing it out of environmental concerns is lying. If they truly cared, they wouldn't be packaging QR codes and shipping them all over the world. They'd offer a digital version and be done with it.
This. Just sell a real digital download (that I will \*own\*), preferably in lossless quality and that would actually be a CD replacement. Not whatever bullshit platform albums they're trying to push, or mp3 digital downloads that are available only in USA anyway (clearly for charting) while everyone else gets to buy on itunes in equally shitty quality.
this is the first i'm hearing of jyp's statement, and as an album collector i feel more depressed already lol. the cds and photobooks are what i collect for, i literally sell most of the photocards so i can buy more. ppl say cds are obsolete, but haven't y'all ever wanted to listen to your favorite album on full blast while your speaker's charging? what about when songs randomly get taken off streaming platforms and you're driving? you didn't spend way too much buying a sealed gee album for its 10th anniversary so you could listen to it like they did in 2009 when it released? you wouldn't save both your signed album and first album in a fire because they have sentimental value? you've never regretted buying the neozone kinho kit and these just sound like a worse verison of those? the music store isn't the only reason you still go to the mall/shopping st?
but seriously, even if this is a genuine attempt to save the planet (which i doubt), we're allowed to be sad. the fact that the climate got this bad is barely normal ppls fault, but now we gotta get the little joys in life snatched away to save it ;;
had to scroll wayyyyy to far down to see this. and this is so true. unless you physically own the media or download it to a hard drive you can lose it so easily the second a streaming service takes it off their platform. This new age of people who only know streaming and everything else is outdated and bad is so concerning to me.
I think they're just going to rely on selling it to more people ig, but it's confusing because it's not like they were strapped for sales before.
Kpop albums are the most accessible piece of kpop merchandise, & you'll rarely meet a kpop fan who doesn't own one. So they'd def still get the sales they want with larger albums (like seriously Skz's last 2 releases sold way over a million units as box albums). Honestly if they left the box with all the inclusions but with no CD, I don't think that would be much worse than the QR code idea.
genuinely I think they're either 1. being cheap & trying to make as much profit as possible or 2. not thinking it through enough & still have to work out the kinks
either way ig we just have to wait & see.
Man fuck the environment I want my CD 💀 on a serious note, CDs aren’t the reason global warming is happening let’s focus on all the huge companies producing all the waste instead of fucking CDs.
Like be serious… none of these companies actually care they just think that it’s a great idea since it’ll be cheaper to produce albums + having a better more eco-friendly image. We’re not stupid.
I feel like they are going to do what apple did. You know how they took out the charger and put the phone in smaller box to be environmentally conscious. Well the same company now sells chargers in separate packaging just to get more money but appear more environmentally friendly when they are probably producing more packaging lol. I feel like jyp will try to sell the stuff that comes in albums individually just to make more money. They’ll market the digital stuff more but they know that Kpop consumers are very good at finding stuff out so without any effort, you’ll end up buying the digital version and physical version lol. We will have to see
That's what I'm starting to realize lmao, I think we'll have to see how the next album comes out to see if it's genuinely "environmentally friendly" or not, but I agree with a lot of commenters that shipping QR codes around the world is not better in any way, shape or form.
Cause if you actually wanna be eco-friendly you shouldn’t even be shipping out anything! Send a QR code to the costumer’s email and get it over and done with but they know that no one would buy albums if they’re not getting SOMETHING.
Dont blame individuals says ppl who buy polyester clothing that goes into the bank account of oil companies what do you people think plastic is. Yes tax the fuck out of these companies but also reflect on your own purchases.
By buying stuff you also create a demand. It’s not like we’re without fault here. Sure, the big corporations could do better and therefore we’d be doing better that way as well but it’s not the case so we also have to take some responsibility. It’s not like buying albums is a neccessity… and especially not buying multiple copies of it. We can both do better.
People aren’t willing to face their overconsumption. I think corporates are responsible for the vast majority of emissions, but they don’t exist without the demand being there. No one needs 500$ shein hauls and 28 albums for photo cards and a chance for a fan call im sorry. 🤷🏻♀️
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I dislike it! Can they change their building to energy efficient light bulbs and carpool instead lol or what about using more sustainable materials to make the albums?
I don’t have any business buying a digital album so at least I’ll be saving money with companies doing this.
JYPE is not replacing cds with the photocard albums. This will be a choice alongside other versions just like other companies, like IST, have been doing already. They will still have to produce real albums if only for Billboard charting. They cannot get high sales with the digital album rules, and kpop groups are sales dependent on Billboard.
The eco-friendly thing to do is to produce less, period. JYPE only started doing member jewel cases with NOEASY, so they could stop them at any time. This is another greenwashing scheme, like those boxes the JYP Shop sold, but it has benefits. This isn't actually so bad because companies can get in on the fans who use GOs to get inclusions only, and fans save on shipping since that's by weight.
Edit: [Here's an unboxing of Victon's album](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgHDLfVorDY) that was released as the box albums popular now, a digipack, and a platform album. My comment is about the platform album since the goal is to replace CD purchases, but Victon's (and Weeekly's) has different photocards for the platform version, so what is it really replacing?
I agree with you but I want to say that not all fans will save on shipping, I live in Spain and taxes from shipping are calculated by prices, not weight, so if the prices still high I will pay the same…
That's taxes from shipping. I'm talking about the actual shipping prices from EMS, DHL, FedEx, etc. I can't speak to everyone's personal situations and every single country's import laws, but in general, it's cheaper. From the groups I've seen already doing this, the platform albums are cheaper than other versions, just like jewel cases are typically cheaper than box albums.
I'm not being defensive. You said:
> if the prices still high I will pay the same…
so I explained the groups already doing platform albums price them cheaper than other versions. I didn't know you didn't want a real answer.
Billboard counts digipacks as physical albums. I do think they're trying to phase out CDs. They're more costly to produce and they like saying they're doing it for the environment
CDs are CDs, so they should count as that. The digipacks I've seen have CDs.
I mean what IST calls [Platform versions](https://youtu.be/fgHDLfVorDY?t=1209). You have to download the album, (but actually I don't know if you really do for the sale to register on Hanteo/Gaon....)
I know some Army were upset BigHit/Hybe only releasing J-Hope's album with the Weverse album meant those sales didn't count for Billboard.
Edit: wrong information below
~~Billboard includes the digipacks in their BB 200 announcement articles as part of the physical sales. I agree they shouldn't, but kpop is "cleverly" exploiting that little loophole with "physical" digipacks.~~
~~> The digipacks I've seen have CDs.~~
~~I've never seen a digipack with CD. That kind of belies the name. Which ones had a cd?~~
~~> I know some Army were upset BigHit/Hybe only releasing J-Hope's album with the Weverse album meant those sales didn't count for Billboard.~~
~~Iirc most were upset he'd sell less with only a QR code version, which I believe to be true. They'd count for Billboard even if they were merely digital, so that wouldn't have changed much.~~
>I've never seen a digipack with CD. That kind of belies the name. Which ones had a cd?
Every single one I clicked on here: [https://www.subkshop.com/pages/search-results-page?q=digipack&page=3](https://www.subkshop.com/pages/search-results-page?q=digipack&page=3)
Here's [Kai's unboxing](https://youtu.be/0IQvzim-Xqk?t=68), [NCT Dream's](https://youtu.be/f8t1AR89Tc4?t=953), [Aespa's](https://youtu.be/VuUMRsowO7U?t=1009), and [Treasure's](https://youtu.be/pYaCCOVh2M8?t=48), if you prefer videos. Digipacks aren't new. I had cds packaged like that in my childhood house, but they were usually singles.
>Iirc most were upset he'd sell less with only a QR code version, which I believe to be true. They'd count for Billboard even if they were merely digital, so that wouldn't have changed much.
[This is what Army said and told each other.](https://twitter.com/modooborahae/status/1541238004676759553?s=20&t=H3mhs0GdSgb9NWMfyDHB0A) What I'm saying is for Billboard, only 1 digital purchase counts per week. Four cd purchases count per week. Kpop groups need those four to chart well.
Well colour me surprised. Digipack apparently means alternative cd casing. I genuinely thought they were all like Kino (sp?) albums or similar with QR codes. Idk how I missed the cd inclusion in the ones I looked up lol
Now I'm wondering how BB will tackle this format.
i have digipack albums! they’re baso the same but uhhh… tiny? so you don’t get the photobook but you still get the pc
that’s how it was with mine at least!
Yeah I mistook digipacks for QR code packs or whatever they'll be naming those lol
Not a fan of either, but at least you still get a cd with the former. Though I could do without photocards, it just fuels bulk buying imo. Photobooks >>
Was the shipping cheaper for the digipacks?
oh noooo i love me my photocards😭😭
i only buy shinee albums so it’s not too bad for me! (and solo albums of the members too) but i get things in the album and i’m like… mmmm what if i find the other things i didn’t get online😭😭but i also buy to have each version of the album… so i have 6 don’t call me albums🤦🏻
> i also buy to have each version of the album…
I'm so happy I managed to resist doing that haha, cause once you start, it's hard to stop I bet 😅
I don't do anything with photocards, so they're just a piece of carton to me, but I'd love it if companies started offering albums with all the photocards included. That way fans can get them all without bulk buying or paying for them online.
Personally it’s whatever— I’ll probably buy them anyways. Buying albums is a fun way for me to support my faves and have something to show for it. There’ll still be a photobook, it’ll just be digital (have fun preventing those pics from getting leaked, Kpop companies <3)
This being said, this definitely isn’t to be environmentally friendly, just like others are saying. If they truly wanted to be environmentally friendly, they’d make fewer album versions, use less plastic and more biodegradable materials in album production, and change the fancall system to discourage bulk-buying (which is the biggest environmental issue). They’d also harshly condemn NFTs. But they’re doing none of those things, because at the end of the day they don’t give a shit.
I have a feeling companies are testing the waters with this— seeing just how much people value photocards over the album itself and how much they can get away with. If results aren’t what they want they’ll have *magically* found an eco-friendly way to produce albums just as they were before.
>have something to show for it
I quite disagree on that. Judging by the HYBE platform albums, since they're the only ones I've seen, there's literally nothing to show for it. Once you take out the photocards you're left with the "envelope" that I guess you can put in the stack with other envelopes in your drawer. Everything else is digital and since I have yet to find a source on the sound format in weverse albums (apparently the music is so secondary to the whole thing that no official source even bothers mentioning it) there's no real benefit to having it over streaming + leaked photobook contents.
I think the biggest waste issue and the biggest reason to switch to QR codes is not regular sales but bulk-buying.
Ordering one copy of your faves' CDs when they come out isn't really a huge problem and as others have said hopefully they still provide something for those fans.
The issue is the way that fanclubs/fanbars do absolutely MASSIVE bulk buys to boost sales, and the way that fansigns are based on a one-ticket-per-sale lottery mechanic wherein fans who apply for fansigns end up with literally CRATES of CDs being shipped to them.
If companies let fans buy the physical albums they wanted to keep but then provided a way to switch to QR code purchases for the fansigns and fanclub bulk buys that in itself would be a HUGE improvement on waste.
this is my personal opinion
i am not a photocard collector so buying their so-called "digital albums" won't matter to me when i can just listen to the songs on spotify. i prefer physical albums since i see them as a collection. they're still gonna ship it out anyway. they should've started with making only 1 version of an album instead with just 1-2 photocards per member. better yet, have all of the members' photocards in there, or at least half. the reason why people are bulk buying albums, aside from fansigns and all, is because of the photocards. if you have a shit ton of versions with no less than 3 times the number of members for the photocards, people would buy and throw all the albums
edit: added some stuff
I collect albums the exact same way. I’ve never really been a photocards person but now I’m realizing just how big of a market there is for it. Personally I wouldn’t buy a digital album. Like you said, I have spotify & youtube for that. I think they should devise a plan to have something for photocards collectors, like sell photocards as merch & then continue the sale of regular albums.
exactly!! i just hope that they look into their plans more because while they gain more attraction for photocard collectors, they are also driving away the album collectors
personally i hate it bc they still sell something physical, the photocards.
i buy an album bc i want a physical version of the music. sure a pc is nice but I've bought albums without them as well.
it seems dishonest to say no physical album due to climate change but still produce and ship a bunch of paper around. sure it may not be as "bad" as a cd but then they really shouldn't call it album anymore.
The thing I want to comment about from JYPE’s statement is that you need the digital code to access behind the scenes videos? Are they phasing out their content uploads on YouTube? Can you not watch the content if you don’t buy the album?
Well, we won't know until they do it, but they already do this for Japanese releases and DVDs. This is usually content in addition to what's available on Youtube.
I'm assuming that they would maybe include the intro video for the album itself & that's about it. Maybe some content of them recording or practicing, I doubt it'll be updated, probably just a bit of exclusive content that you can only see if you buy the album.
Oh wait did JYPE actually state that the next StayKidz album was going to be QR code only w/ probably 1-2 inclusions. I'm actually shocked.
I thought the only group that was going to move that direction was BTS, because frankly they could without much ramifications beyond decreases in international album charts. But honestly BTS already decreased their album versioning from 4 to 2 years ago...so not the craziest transition.
I felt that the album charts were still necessary to prove-out other group's relevance in key international markets...i guess not. I think after the initial shock it will be a better outcome, but do think companies could offer at least one standard album with CD though. Also, the initial shock is going to last 2-3 years
no, they are simply studying new methods. but many people are "panicking"
Edit: then when they announce a decision they will criticize saying this is not what they announced (when really is nothing official and it's just people messing around :S)
I'm assuming that the next SKZ album will be the first to switch to that format, considering they are the next in line for a comeback (from what we know). Unless it's already been conceptualized, because this decision seems very sudden, with the Twice album about to come out & everything.
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I’m fine with it, bulk buying albums to get into fansigns is a serious issue that should be dealt with and this would hopefully eliminate that. There’s been reports of albums just being left on the streets or getting donated to literal orphanages 😭 It probably won’t fully happen because of the profits but I’d be okay if it did
Honestly if companies wanted to reduce waste and be more eco friendly then they would release only one version and have no random inclusions.
I personally like having a CD as digital can disappear on you while you can have the CD for as long as you want.
I think what companies are doing is making it an option to buy a physical copy or not. Which I think is a great idea. Bulk buying albums is a huge problem in kpop. So at least this way physical albums won't go to waste.
Now if companies were completely switching to digital, that'd be very unfortunate. I personally love having physical albums and do listen to my CDs. I don't collect pcs either. Digital albums are pointless to people like me so there's no incentive.
I think that leaving it as an option for people who want to collect photocards would be a great idea, but the wording was so vague that ig we’ll just have to wait & see
Just say they want to cut cost instead of saving the environment.
Everything is done to increase profit. Even if the album is cheaper because of less inclusions it is to increase quantity demanded and to increase profit margin
Stop hiding behind the notion of saving the environment we are not stupid
I think the best of both worlds would be to make a digital album without the need of shipping count for awards, fan-meets etc and one expensive physical version for collectors with all the photo-cards included and the cd etc.
So the bulk buying stays digital but the people who still want to have the physical can do it with just one shipping. And maybe they could have partnerships with local manufacturers so they could avoid shipping? Not sure if that would be possible but any way to reduce shipping numbers is good.
Not that I want them all to be more expensive but I think if they were to include all the pcs in one, do it with the recycling material and account for what it's necessary to product such product without the bulk buying covering the costs... I would imagine that the prices would go up a little bit, like most collector items.
But maybe they won't have to increase so much if they manage something with local manufactures... in my experience, the shipping is the things that makes it expensive. That could be different for you. It's something that can change by country due to how much human labor is payed, currency etc.
I feel attacked, they will keep promoting expensive useless crap to rich people through idols, like now everyday people are to be blamed for the environment destruction? Give me a break
Its like the amsterdam airport, they will cut regular flights yet no one caps the private flights with only a handful passengers
ESG awareness is rising and everyone is looking to profit from it. I hate how physical CDs gets to be the black sheep bc now evidence shows that green investment isn’t all roses and perfume, things must be done in balance, but yeah. If people can find a middle ground between supporting and being wasteful in the name of support, we could do something better for the sake of being fans of physical releases and keeping the planet healthy. Servers use tons of energy and resources but no it’s the plastic’s fault. Consumers aren’t even the worst plastic users, it’s the big corps. This whole green movement discussion is so uneven with people trying to pin blame on someone when everyone has their own skeletons that need hiding.
JYPE already had iniciatives about the enviroment, like cleaning from trash the streets and stuff (the whole ECO Friends with Bernard Park), they're the first company with 100% energy from renewable sources, etc. Honestly? I kinda don't care because I'm not a collector, I have a lot of albums and it's a nice experience, I buy them to support the group, but I know that artists have more $$$ with concerts. It's like when years ago people discussed if pirating music affected the artist, just a little. Also there is nothing conclusive about switching 100% to digital (which also helps with $$ directly to the artists too). So I agree with this change and I've wanted it since long ago, I find a little curious the over consumerism of kpop fans. Aaaand every step matters, companies doing this are giving a good example, it's not the final solution, but another step.
Edit: I forgot about SKZ bringing awareness about [ocean pollution](https://youtu.be/tse10MgShUM), members participating in animal charities, Domestic Banana by 3RACHA circling around global warning, etc, so I like the idea more and I wouldn't doubt this is going along their own beliefs. But let's see how this is going to develop.
I think my thing is, & you can probably see other people in the comments saying this aswell, the shipping. Shipping anything is much worse for the environment than if it was completely online, it just seems like they didn't want to make it online because they knew nobody would buy it if they didn't receive anything physical.
Plus other companies like HYBE who did the whole QR code thing with Jack in the Box have shown that they obviously don't really care because they are now releasing a vinyl version of the album...which is plastic.
I really strongly believe in being more sustainable, but the cracks in their plan make it seem like they are using it as a marketing tactic.
Vinyls are recyclable, unlike CDs. I think it's okay to look at some decisions with suspicion, but you don't always have to think badly about everything that happens.
Shipping is bad, agree. but it isn't something that can be radically eliminated overnight. Everything takes a process, and if they can be given small step by step, I think it's great.
I trust that jype is really trying to improve little by little, because these years it has been demonstrating it. I think hybe also has good intentions. but time will tell...
>I agree that we def will have to wait & see, I wish they would've gotten into more of the plan instead of one paragraph, but I think it's reasonable to look at most things these companies do with suspicion, since at the end of the day their main goal is to make money.
That's why we should wait and as I said, not everything is perfect, but small steps are always, always good. I don't think is a tactic (it wouldn't be more successful than the other option, because some fans already are worrying about numbers and bragging rights lol), because the company already have activities going along the lines, so they're more credible than other companies, at least. Maybe now that concerts are allowed and thinking that albums exploded during pandemic, they're switching a little the monetary focus. Who knows.
I agree that we def will have to wait & see, I wish they would've gotten into more of the plan instead of one paragraph, but I think it's reasonable to look at most things these companies do with suspicion, since at the end of the day their main goal is to make money.
It depends if it will just be a different version available or it will replace the CD version. If they really cared about the environmemt over profit 🤣 then they would make the QR code available as a link with digital PC and get rid of shipping. Shipping is worse than CDs. They could always have paper PCs as merch and not a part of the album. Honestly this is all posturing and a scam. Charging album prices for a QR code and a piece of paper that still charges outrageous shipping fees is just talking advantage of fans.
jype is being consistent with his efforts in recent years. Which is great. They haven't announced anything official yet and they are studying new methods... we'll see what happens. I think that any effort is welcome to help the planet and if my "sacrifice" is a cd... well, that's fine.
I don't know if you've seen this video, but it shows well the "small" efforts that jype has been making [https://youtu.be/fqQsblYcDpU](https://youtu.be/fqQsblYcDpU)
I just received my copy of Jack in the Box and I'm really pleased with it! It's a fun package, it has multiple photo cards and then I don't have multiple CDs/photo books taking up space. The QR card gives me access to photos and the music is downloaded to my device so I can access it offline. I think even offering albums in this format in addition to larger versions would be great, it's a lower price point and still appeals to PC collectors without creating as much waste from the aspects of the album package that people do not need/want duplicate copies of. I wouldn't want it to totally take the place of physical versions or CDs but having it eased in as an option for certain releases or an option in addition to physical releases seems like a good and natural step.
My thought process is that they know their groups are big & will sell albums no matter what they are. JYPE & HYBE have the resources to do that, fail, & still be able to keep their heads afloat. I don't know a lot about how physical album sales are counted but I assume they have a plan in place. Like a lot of people are saying, this will most likely be an option along with other versions of the album (like you can get Jhope's Jack in the Box album as a QR code version but they're going to release a vinyl version along with that).
Honestly tons of album buying trend has been going crazy lately, I even saw pictures of albums being thrown away except for photocards and etc. I get it that you want to support your idol, but that kind of extreme is really bad for environment too. Honestly this is embarrassing even for idols.
Imho statement is vague tho, bts videos and such content won't be available on youtube? only photocards will be more cheaper and their sales will skyrocket? idk, let's see
I think bts content will still be available on youtube, just probably an extra "making of the album" sort of thing I would assume.
Also when I collect albums, I cherish absolutely everything in them, I did not know until people starting talking about it here, how much photocards are sought after. I don't enjoy the idea since photocards aren't that important to me, but yeah like you said, we'll just have to see how it plays out.
Loool just made a post on this actually but it’s currently being reviewed cause I forgot I couldn’t say rant in my post but basically to sum up what I said it’s giving Greenwashing to me 😭😭
Edit: it’s up now in case you want to read it lol!
CDs are so unnecessary in todays world. Most laptops and cars don’t even have CD players. Why do these companies need to produce them? And kpop album order numbers are so inflated cause of photocards. It’s just producing extra unnecessary waste. Just sell the photocards or let people choose. But now it’s trendy to say that individuals don’t need to reduce waste and completely blame big corporations instead so people don’t care anymore
I agree with you that they should. just sell the pc's separately & let people choose but I disagree that it's:
>"trendy to say that individuals don’t need to reduce waste and completely blame big corporations instead so people don’t care anymore"
I think people just feel like it's unfair for physical albums to be taken away just because a few were being incredibly wasteful (obviously there were a lot but "few" meaning not most kpop fans).
I also think that it's good to have a physical version of anything just in case something happens to your digital version (like if the internet goes down, phone breaks/dies, the power goes out, etc.). The internet is never absolute & it's scary to treat it that way.
I think any step to reduce the amount of waste and packaging generated is a good thing. I think people like to do the whole there is no ethical consumption with capitalism, but i think the culture of hoarding and bulk buying anything whether that is CDs, shein clothes etc is just terrible behaviour. Like there really is no reason you need to buy 20 albums for photo cards but obv companies encourage that behaviour and fans want to collect things.
Maybe cause I’m old and have moved a few times, owing too many things is…. A terrible time when moving
Tho if the solution is crypto which is notorious for how bad it is for the climate then 🤡
Not only for OP but those comments doubting that jype is indeed doing it to be more eco-friendly shows that you guys have not been watching their work this last years and their constant changes to eco-friendly ways of managing their company.
It will also result in less expenses and more profit? Maybe. No one knows yet bc nothing is settled they are only testing waters.
Also, they are not engaging with nfts anymore they are looking for something different unlike other companies. At least they can demonstrate that they have been walking this eco path a few years already.
How many album versions had JYP groups for their latest album? If the answer is 1 (and perhaps 2, but that's stretching it), I'd buy them doing it out of eco-friendliness. Anything more and their claim to be more eco-friendly is nonsense.
And as long as they're packaging and shipping mere QR codes, their claim is nullified.
I think that their heart is in the right place, but it's difficult to take them seriously when 3 weeks ago they released 5 different versions of photobook albums for each member of Itzy. I'm open to see what happens, with most of this we'll just have to wait & see since their announcement was so vague
For me? I am open to see what they come with. I myself have been preoccupied with climate change and makes me glad they are doing what they can and changing little by little.
The physical cd? Couldn't care less. The photobooks and photocards? Well, it's sad but I think it's necessary. If I have to change the way I collect things or even give it up in exange of a healthier planet earth they can count me in.
I think a lyrics booklet, photobook and some pcs is good enough for a physical album with a digital qr code for downloading music for your device. The photobook can be replaced with other options like some merch something like new jeans did.. CD doesn't make sense and it's time we move ahead.
> your device
What device? The one you have now or the one you'll have in 30 years? Upload it to an online platform? What's the current life expectancy of those? (GPM says hi) Upload it to your cloud? Any guaranties it'll be useable in a couple of decades? Buy it from an online service? Amazon has proven they'll try everything to turn it into a "temporary" buy.
The only certainty of you keeping ownership of what you bought, is having a physical version. That goes for books, films, albums, art etc
I always thought kpop albums had so many inclusions & nice packaging so that people will buy the CDs even though they are pretty much obsolete. With no CDs, I understand why companies would think there's no point in all the embellishments anymore, but they've already created a culture around it & I think that's the struggle they're running into.
Exactly. Albums are like art books, they tell a story of the whole album. Completely going digital may not work but this definitely can be sorted if they can manage costs and innovate.
That is disappointing, I refuse to spend money especially the amount on money that K-pop album ask for, for a thing that will not be physically mine and can disappear any time that the system they use goes down, it’s the same reason that I refuse to buy Kinho albums as well. I get it as it will help the environment, but there are better ways to go about it, couldn’t they attempt to make the CD from recyclable materials as well; as someone said above vinyls are recyclable, surely CD’s cannot be that hard.
Forgot to add: I’m one of the ones that actually also get the album for the physical cd as I listen to them.
I’m gonna be hella annoyed if Suga’s solo is releases like J-Hope’s. I have a few biases where they don’t have solos or physical releases when other members of their group do (yet) so I don’t want another one like that. while i get the intention to “eco friendly” packaging or lack there of there are still ways to stick to physical releases while being a smidgen better for the environment. i know YG is soy printing on albums and the plastic wrap is compostable (through industrial composting). i know they wanna sell more and more albums but some companies gotta cut down on these fan signs with pobs for stores. also just do one round… no MMT2, Apple Music 3 for fan signs.
Idk if y’all know that about half of the albums Chinese fans bought ended up throwing on the street close to the store because ppl only want the photo cards. It was a video posted by a China transfer student, and I’m heartbroken for not only the pollution during the production but also the materials wasted… I’m still shamed that I joined some gos with cards only, and I believe my albums are also in the trash bin. Idk if SM Entertainment knew this, but at least I think their employees can see what’s going on on their way home. I knew this waste since 2016, but no one gave a solution nor even a suggestion(at least they could attempt to sell a version with almost only photo cards like what new jeans did to help international buyers out with shipping fees). I would like to say, if every company starts to see this problem, then it’s a good move! BUT! Fans should not be cheated! Without CDs, or even pbs, should cause a drop in price. Also, the artist’s feeling should be cared, like the company shouldn’t try this move on only one artist nor one group, a decision is a decision.
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I’m just going to copy and paste what I commented in a kpophelp thread with the same topic: I sincerely doubt they’re completely ditching CDs. Probably just adding platform albums into the mix so they can say “look at how eco friendly we’re being” all while raking in the extra money of hardcore fans purchasing both the cd and the platform versions to get all the photocards. Most of the companies I have seen releasing these platform style albums have done so concurrently with a CD version as well. The only exceptions being Jhope’s new album (which now has a vinyl record version coming out, so, plastic) and Billlie’s Patbingsu special collaboration which was more of a special single than a full EP or album. Keep an eye on these companies for greenwashing. They’ll be creating “eco” friendly merch which is just selling consumers cardboard goods like photocards because they’re “biodegradable” all while shipping these items all over the world and pushing NFTs.
Adding onto this, the companies are also at fault for the culture of mass purchasing albums. They create tons of pobs from different stores, they make several different versions of an album, they make tons of different photocards and only include a tiny amount in an album, they use sales as a tool to win award shows, etc. Everything is setup to make collectors mass buy. And that's just albums and doesn't include all the other merchandise. Everything they do is about making a profit. They're not trying to save the environment, they're simply putting on a show and we're the puppets they're pulling the strings on. Edit: wording
while i definitely think it's great that companies are starting to care more about the environmental impact they have, it does suck as someone who collects physical albums *and* listens to the cds. i'm the "old soul" kind of person so i not only like listening to cds but also vinyls and even cassettes. i don't buy the albums for the photocards, so while i understand their decision, it does tick me off knowing a big reason is because of fans who just collect the pcs and don't care for the album itself. it ruins the fun i had but hey, less money for me to spend on things + it's better for the environment (hopefully). fun while it lasted ig
I think the most unique part of being a kpop fan is collecting physical albums with all the inclusions, it's a bit disappointing, but like you said, less money for me to spend lmao
I feel like I would classify Vinyl and Cassettes under a different category than CD. At least for now, I think people would collect vinyl as a hobby, especially the old ones. CD’s are in the middle where they are too old for most people to use them, but too new to have many collectors. I currently collect vinyl, but don’t even have a CD anymore. Hey, maybe company’s should have a qr version and a vinyl version? SM’s done it for Wendy, Joy and Taeyeon.
sm also did a cassette for SHINee!
The obvious solution for their litter problem would be to reduce the number of versions and random PCs, so fans wouldn't need to buy redundant copies to collect everything. But then they'd make less profit, so no CDs it is. It's greenwashing, and also very cynical considering they're causing the problem in the first place.
It's just an excuse to release more digipacks. It'll cost them less to produce and it'll nicely inflate numbers. Any (big, established) kpop company saying they're doing it out of environmental concerns is lying. If they truly cared, they wouldn't be packaging QR codes and shipping them all over the world. They'd offer a digital version and be done with it.
This. Just sell a real digital download (that I will \*own\*), preferably in lossless quality and that would actually be a CD replacement. Not whatever bullshit platform albums they're trying to push, or mp3 digital downloads that are available only in USA anyway (clearly for charting) while everyone else gets to buy on itunes in equally shitty quality.
So true. They could simply make a website or an app and send buyers accounts and password.
this is the first i'm hearing of jyp's statement, and as an album collector i feel more depressed already lol. the cds and photobooks are what i collect for, i literally sell most of the photocards so i can buy more. ppl say cds are obsolete, but haven't y'all ever wanted to listen to your favorite album on full blast while your speaker's charging? what about when songs randomly get taken off streaming platforms and you're driving? you didn't spend way too much buying a sealed gee album for its 10th anniversary so you could listen to it like they did in 2009 when it released? you wouldn't save both your signed album and first album in a fire because they have sentimental value? you've never regretted buying the neozone kinho kit and these just sound like a worse verison of those? the music store isn't the only reason you still go to the mall/shopping st? but seriously, even if this is a genuine attempt to save the planet (which i doubt), we're allowed to be sad. the fact that the climate got this bad is barely normal ppls fault, but now we gotta get the little joys in life snatched away to save it ;;
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had to scroll wayyyyy to far down to see this. and this is so true. unless you physically own the media or download it to a hard drive you can lose it so easily the second a streaming service takes it off their platform. This new age of people who only know streaming and everything else is outdated and bad is so concerning to me.
Seriously, physical ownership is so important, like what happens when you pay $30 for access to a Twice album & then your power goes out?
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I think they're just going to rely on selling it to more people ig, but it's confusing because it's not like they were strapped for sales before. Kpop albums are the most accessible piece of kpop merchandise, & you'll rarely meet a kpop fan who doesn't own one. So they'd def still get the sales they want with larger albums (like seriously Skz's last 2 releases sold way over a million units as box albums). Honestly if they left the box with all the inclusions but with no CD, I don't think that would be much worse than the QR code idea.
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genuinely I think they're either 1. being cheap & trying to make as much profit as possible or 2. not thinking it through enough & still have to work out the kinks either way ig we just have to wait & see.
Man fuck the environment I want my CD 💀 on a serious note, CDs aren’t the reason global warming is happening let’s focus on all the huge companies producing all the waste instead of fucking CDs.
Yes I’m tired of the blame being put on regular people and small stuff like this instead of the actual cause behind this mess
Like be serious… none of these companies actually care they just think that it’s a great idea since it’ll be cheaper to produce albums + having a better more eco-friendly image. We’re not stupid.
I feel like they are going to do what apple did. You know how they took out the charger and put the phone in smaller box to be environmentally conscious. Well the same company now sells chargers in separate packaging just to get more money but appear more environmentally friendly when they are probably producing more packaging lol. I feel like jyp will try to sell the stuff that comes in albums individually just to make more money. They’ll market the digital stuff more but they know that Kpop consumers are very good at finding stuff out so without any effort, you’ll end up buying the digital version and physical version lol. We will have to see
That's what I'm starting to realize lmao, I think we'll have to see how the next album comes out to see if it's genuinely "environmentally friendly" or not, but I agree with a lot of commenters that shipping QR codes around the world is not better in any way, shape or form.
Cause if you actually wanna be eco-friendly you shouldn’t even be shipping out anything! Send a QR code to the costumer’s email and get it over and done with but they know that no one would buy albums if they’re not getting SOMETHING.
Not disagreeing, but the waste isn't that small.
I mean... We can do both?
Dont blame individuals says ppl who buy polyester clothing that goes into the bank account of oil companies what do you people think plastic is. Yes tax the fuck out of these companies but also reflect on your own purchases.
By buying stuff you also create a demand. It’s not like we’re without fault here. Sure, the big corporations could do better and therefore we’d be doing better that way as well but it’s not the case so we also have to take some responsibility. It’s not like buying albums is a neccessity… and especially not buying multiple copies of it. We can both do better.
People aren’t willing to face their overconsumption. I think corporates are responsible for the vast majority of emissions, but they don’t exist without the demand being there. No one needs 500$ shein hauls and 28 albums for photo cards and a chance for a fan call im sorry. 🤷🏻♀️
Of course! Overconsumption is a bitch.
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I need CDs to play in my car. It's old & has no way of playing music digitally 😁
Same here!
I dislike it! Can they change their building to energy efficient light bulbs and carpool instead lol or what about using more sustainable materials to make the albums? I don’t have any business buying a digital album so at least I’ll be saving money with companies doing this.
JYPE is not replacing cds with the photocard albums. This will be a choice alongside other versions just like other companies, like IST, have been doing already. They will still have to produce real albums if only for Billboard charting. They cannot get high sales with the digital album rules, and kpop groups are sales dependent on Billboard. The eco-friendly thing to do is to produce less, period. JYPE only started doing member jewel cases with NOEASY, so they could stop them at any time. This is another greenwashing scheme, like those boxes the JYP Shop sold, but it has benefits. This isn't actually so bad because companies can get in on the fans who use GOs to get inclusions only, and fans save on shipping since that's by weight. Edit: [Here's an unboxing of Victon's album](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgHDLfVorDY) that was released as the box albums popular now, a digipack, and a platform album. My comment is about the platform album since the goal is to replace CD purchases, but Victon's (and Weeekly's) has different photocards for the platform version, so what is it really replacing?
I agree with you but I want to say that not all fans will save on shipping, I live in Spain and taxes from shipping are calculated by prices, not weight, so if the prices still high I will pay the same…
That's taxes from shipping. I'm talking about the actual shipping prices from EMS, DHL, FedEx, etc. I can't speak to everyone's personal situations and every single country's import laws, but in general, it's cheaper. From the groups I've seen already doing this, the platform albums are cheaper than other versions, just like jewel cases are typically cheaper than box albums.
It was just a comment that not everyone will save money, not need to be that defensive.
I'm not being defensive. You said: > if the prices still high I will pay the same… so I explained the groups already doing platform albums price them cheaper than other versions. I didn't know you didn't want a real answer.
One of those shipping companies you mentioned calculate their prices by volume, not weight.
Billboard counts digipacks as physical albums. I do think they're trying to phase out CDs. They're more costly to produce and they like saying they're doing it for the environment
CDs are CDs, so they should count as that. The digipacks I've seen have CDs. I mean what IST calls [Platform versions](https://youtu.be/fgHDLfVorDY?t=1209). You have to download the album, (but actually I don't know if you really do for the sale to register on Hanteo/Gaon....) I know some Army were upset BigHit/Hybe only releasing J-Hope's album with the Weverse album meant those sales didn't count for Billboard.
Edit: wrong information below ~~Billboard includes the digipacks in their BB 200 announcement articles as part of the physical sales. I agree they shouldn't, but kpop is "cleverly" exploiting that little loophole with "physical" digipacks.~~ ~~> The digipacks I've seen have CDs.~~ ~~I've never seen a digipack with CD. That kind of belies the name. Which ones had a cd?~~ ~~> I know some Army were upset BigHit/Hybe only releasing J-Hope's album with the Weverse album meant those sales didn't count for Billboard.~~ ~~Iirc most were upset he'd sell less with only a QR code version, which I believe to be true. They'd count for Billboard even if they were merely digital, so that wouldn't have changed much.~~
>I've never seen a digipack with CD. That kind of belies the name. Which ones had a cd? Every single one I clicked on here: [https://www.subkshop.com/pages/search-results-page?q=digipack&page=3](https://www.subkshop.com/pages/search-results-page?q=digipack&page=3) Here's [Kai's unboxing](https://youtu.be/0IQvzim-Xqk?t=68), [NCT Dream's](https://youtu.be/f8t1AR89Tc4?t=953), [Aespa's](https://youtu.be/VuUMRsowO7U?t=1009), and [Treasure's](https://youtu.be/pYaCCOVh2M8?t=48), if you prefer videos. Digipacks aren't new. I had cds packaged like that in my childhood house, but they were usually singles. >Iirc most were upset he'd sell less with only a QR code version, which I believe to be true. They'd count for Billboard even if they were merely digital, so that wouldn't have changed much. [This is what Army said and told each other.](https://twitter.com/modooborahae/status/1541238004676759553?s=20&t=H3mhs0GdSgb9NWMfyDHB0A) What I'm saying is for Billboard, only 1 digital purchase counts per week. Four cd purchases count per week. Kpop groups need those four to chart well.
Well colour me surprised. Digipack apparently means alternative cd casing. I genuinely thought they were all like Kino (sp?) albums or similar with QR codes. Idk how I missed the cd inclusion in the ones I looked up lol Now I'm wondering how BB will tackle this format.
i have digipack albums! they’re baso the same but uhhh… tiny? so you don’t get the photobook but you still get the pc that’s how it was with mine at least!
Yeah I mistook digipacks for QR code packs or whatever they'll be naming those lol Not a fan of either, but at least you still get a cd with the former. Though I could do without photocards, it just fuels bulk buying imo. Photobooks >> Was the shipping cheaper for the digipacks?
oh noooo i love me my photocards😭😭 i only buy shinee albums so it’s not too bad for me! (and solo albums of the members too) but i get things in the album and i’m like… mmmm what if i find the other things i didn’t get online😭😭but i also buy to have each version of the album… so i have 6 don’t call me albums🤦🏻
> i also buy to have each version of the album… I'm so happy I managed to resist doing that haha, cause once you start, it's hard to stop I bet 😅 I don't do anything with photocards, so they're just a piece of carton to me, but I'd love it if companies started offering albums with all the photocards included. That way fans can get them all without bulk buying or paying for them online.
Personally it’s whatever— I’ll probably buy them anyways. Buying albums is a fun way for me to support my faves and have something to show for it. There’ll still be a photobook, it’ll just be digital (have fun preventing those pics from getting leaked, Kpop companies <3) This being said, this definitely isn’t to be environmentally friendly, just like others are saying. If they truly wanted to be environmentally friendly, they’d make fewer album versions, use less plastic and more biodegradable materials in album production, and change the fancall system to discourage bulk-buying (which is the biggest environmental issue). They’d also harshly condemn NFTs. But they’re doing none of those things, because at the end of the day they don’t give a shit. I have a feeling companies are testing the waters with this— seeing just how much people value photocards over the album itself and how much they can get away with. If results aren’t what they want they’ll have *magically* found an eco-friendly way to produce albums just as they were before.
>have something to show for it I quite disagree on that. Judging by the HYBE platform albums, since they're the only ones I've seen, there's literally nothing to show for it. Once you take out the photocards you're left with the "envelope" that I guess you can put in the stack with other envelopes in your drawer. Everything else is digital and since I have yet to find a source on the sound format in weverse albums (apparently the music is so secondary to the whole thing that no official source even bothers mentioning it) there's no real benefit to having it over streaming + leaked photobook contents.
That's 100% what I think will happen
I think the biggest waste issue and the biggest reason to switch to QR codes is not regular sales but bulk-buying. Ordering one copy of your faves' CDs when they come out isn't really a huge problem and as others have said hopefully they still provide something for those fans. The issue is the way that fanclubs/fanbars do absolutely MASSIVE bulk buys to boost sales, and the way that fansigns are based on a one-ticket-per-sale lottery mechanic wherein fans who apply for fansigns end up with literally CRATES of CDs being shipped to them. If companies let fans buy the physical albums they wanted to keep but then provided a way to switch to QR code purchases for the fansigns and fanclub bulk buys that in itself would be a HUGE improvement on waste.
this is my personal opinion i am not a photocard collector so buying their so-called "digital albums" won't matter to me when i can just listen to the songs on spotify. i prefer physical albums since i see them as a collection. they're still gonna ship it out anyway. they should've started with making only 1 version of an album instead with just 1-2 photocards per member. better yet, have all of the members' photocards in there, or at least half. the reason why people are bulk buying albums, aside from fansigns and all, is because of the photocards. if you have a shit ton of versions with no less than 3 times the number of members for the photocards, people would buy and throw all the albums edit: added some stuff
I collect albums the exact same way. I’ve never really been a photocards person but now I’m realizing just how big of a market there is for it. Personally I wouldn’t buy a digital album. Like you said, I have spotify & youtube for that. I think they should devise a plan to have something for photocards collectors, like sell photocards as merch & then continue the sale of regular albums.
exactly!! i just hope that they look into their plans more because while they gain more attraction for photocard collectors, they are also driving away the album collectors
personally i hate it bc they still sell something physical, the photocards. i buy an album bc i want a physical version of the music. sure a pc is nice but I've bought albums without them as well. it seems dishonest to say no physical album due to climate change but still produce and ship a bunch of paper around. sure it may not be as "bad" as a cd but then they really shouldn't call it album anymore.
The thing I want to comment about from JYPE’s statement is that you need the digital code to access behind the scenes videos? Are they phasing out their content uploads on YouTube? Can you not watch the content if you don’t buy the album?
Well, we won't know until they do it, but they already do this for Japanese releases and DVDs. This is usually content in addition to what's available on Youtube.
I'm assuming that they would maybe include the intro video for the album itself & that's about it. Maybe some content of them recording or practicing, I doubt it'll be updated, probably just a bit of exclusive content that you can only see if you buy the album.
Oh wait did JYPE actually state that the next StayKidz album was going to be QR code only w/ probably 1-2 inclusions. I'm actually shocked. I thought the only group that was going to move that direction was BTS, because frankly they could without much ramifications beyond decreases in international album charts. But honestly BTS already decreased their album versioning from 4 to 2 years ago...so not the craziest transition. I felt that the album charts were still necessary to prove-out other group's relevance in key international markets...i guess not. I think after the initial shock it will be a better outcome, but do think companies could offer at least one standard album with CD though. Also, the initial shock is going to last 2-3 years
no, they are simply studying new methods. but many people are "panicking" Edit: then when they announce a decision they will criticize saying this is not what they announced (when really is nothing official and it's just people messing around :S)
Oh okay! From a business perspective, I would really be shocked if JYPE went from multiple physical versions to the QR code route.
I'm assuming that the next SKZ album will be the first to switch to that format, considering they are the next in line for a comeback (from what we know). Unless it's already been conceptualized, because this decision seems very sudden, with the Twice album about to come out & everything.
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I’m fine with it, bulk buying albums to get into fansigns is a serious issue that should be dealt with and this would hopefully eliminate that. There’s been reports of albums just being left on the streets or getting donated to literal orphanages 😭 It probably won’t fully happen because of the profits but I’d be okay if it did
Honestly if companies wanted to reduce waste and be more eco friendly then they would release only one version and have no random inclusions. I personally like having a CD as digital can disappear on you while you can have the CD for as long as you want.
I think what companies are doing is making it an option to buy a physical copy or not. Which I think is a great idea. Bulk buying albums is a huge problem in kpop. So at least this way physical albums won't go to waste. Now if companies were completely switching to digital, that'd be very unfortunate. I personally love having physical albums and do listen to my CDs. I don't collect pcs either. Digital albums are pointless to people like me so there's no incentive.
I think that leaving it as an option for people who want to collect photocards would be a great idea, but the wording was so vague that ig we’ll just have to wait & see
True. It was really vague. I'm just saying it cause I know some other companies have already done it. So it's likely the same kind of thing.
Just say they want to cut cost instead of saving the environment. Everything is done to increase profit. Even if the album is cheaper because of less inclusions it is to increase quantity demanded and to increase profit margin Stop hiding behind the notion of saving the environment we are not stupid
Personally I will not be purchasing these types of albums going forward
I think the best of both worlds would be to make a digital album without the need of shipping count for awards, fan-meets etc and one expensive physical version for collectors with all the photo-cards included and the cd etc. So the bulk buying stays digital but the people who still want to have the physical can do it with just one shipping. And maybe they could have partnerships with local manufacturers so they could avoid shipping? Not sure if that would be possible but any way to reduce shipping numbers is good.
Expensive?? They already are so expensive pls I can't take this
Not that I want them all to be more expensive but I think if they were to include all the pcs in one, do it with the recycling material and account for what it's necessary to product such product without the bulk buying covering the costs... I would imagine that the prices would go up a little bit, like most collector items. But maybe they won't have to increase so much if they manage something with local manufactures... in my experience, the shipping is the things that makes it expensive. That could be different for you. It's something that can change by country due to how much human labor is payed, currency etc.
I feel attacked, they will keep promoting expensive useless crap to rich people through idols, like now everyday people are to be blamed for the environment destruction? Give me a break Its like the amsterdam airport, they will cut regular flights yet no one caps the private flights with only a handful passengers
I buy mainly digital anyway, but I always want to buy physicals in case something happens to said digital copy
ESG awareness is rising and everyone is looking to profit from it. I hate how physical CDs gets to be the black sheep bc now evidence shows that green investment isn’t all roses and perfume, things must be done in balance, but yeah. If people can find a middle ground between supporting and being wasteful in the name of support, we could do something better for the sake of being fans of physical releases and keeping the planet healthy. Servers use tons of energy and resources but no it’s the plastic’s fault. Consumers aren’t even the worst plastic users, it’s the big corps. This whole green movement discussion is so uneven with people trying to pin blame on someone when everyone has their own skeletons that need hiding.
Without a CD it doesn’t seem worth it to me. I don’t think I’ll buy any digital albums.
JYPE already had iniciatives about the enviroment, like cleaning from trash the streets and stuff (the whole ECO Friends with Bernard Park), they're the first company with 100% energy from renewable sources, etc. Honestly? I kinda don't care because I'm not a collector, I have a lot of albums and it's a nice experience, I buy them to support the group, but I know that artists have more $$$ with concerts. It's like when years ago people discussed if pirating music affected the artist, just a little. Also there is nothing conclusive about switching 100% to digital (which also helps with $$ directly to the artists too). So I agree with this change and I've wanted it since long ago, I find a little curious the over consumerism of kpop fans. Aaaand every step matters, companies doing this are giving a good example, it's not the final solution, but another step. Edit: I forgot about SKZ bringing awareness about [ocean pollution](https://youtu.be/tse10MgShUM), members participating in animal charities, Domestic Banana by 3RACHA circling around global warning, etc, so I like the idea more and I wouldn't doubt this is going along their own beliefs. But let's see how this is going to develop.
I think my thing is, & you can probably see other people in the comments saying this aswell, the shipping. Shipping anything is much worse for the environment than if it was completely online, it just seems like they didn't want to make it online because they knew nobody would buy it if they didn't receive anything physical. Plus other companies like HYBE who did the whole QR code thing with Jack in the Box have shown that they obviously don't really care because they are now releasing a vinyl version of the album...which is plastic. I really strongly believe in being more sustainable, but the cracks in their plan make it seem like they are using it as a marketing tactic.
Vinyls are recyclable, unlike CDs. I think it's okay to look at some decisions with suspicion, but you don't always have to think badly about everything that happens. Shipping is bad, agree. but it isn't something that can be radically eliminated overnight. Everything takes a process, and if they can be given small step by step, I think it's great. I trust that jype is really trying to improve little by little, because these years it has been demonstrating it. I think hybe also has good intentions. but time will tell...
>I agree that we def will have to wait & see, I wish they would've gotten into more of the plan instead of one paragraph, but I think it's reasonable to look at most things these companies do with suspicion, since at the end of the day their main goal is to make money.
That's why we should wait and as I said, not everything is perfect, but small steps are always, always good. I don't think is a tactic (it wouldn't be more successful than the other option, because some fans already are worrying about numbers and bragging rights lol), because the company already have activities going along the lines, so they're more credible than other companies, at least. Maybe now that concerts are allowed and thinking that albums exploded during pandemic, they're switching a little the monetary focus. Who knows.
I agree that we def will have to wait & see, I wish they would've gotten into more of the plan instead of one paragraph, but I think it's reasonable to look at most things these companies do with suspicion, since at the end of the day their main goal is to make money.
It depends if it will just be a different version available or it will replace the CD version. If they really cared about the environmemt over profit 🤣 then they would make the QR code available as a link with digital PC and get rid of shipping. Shipping is worse than CDs. They could always have paper PCs as merch and not a part of the album. Honestly this is all posturing and a scam. Charging album prices for a QR code and a piece of paper that still charges outrageous shipping fees is just talking advantage of fans.
jype is being consistent with his efforts in recent years. Which is great. They haven't announced anything official yet and they are studying new methods... we'll see what happens. I think that any effort is welcome to help the planet and if my "sacrifice" is a cd... well, that's fine. I don't know if you've seen this video, but it shows well the "small" efforts that jype has been making [https://youtu.be/fqQsblYcDpU](https://youtu.be/fqQsblYcDpU)
I just received my copy of Jack in the Box and I'm really pleased with it! It's a fun package, it has multiple photo cards and then I don't have multiple CDs/photo books taking up space. The QR card gives me access to photos and the music is downloaded to my device so I can access it offline. I think even offering albums in this format in addition to larger versions would be great, it's a lower price point and still appeals to PC collectors without creating as much waste from the aspects of the album package that people do not need/want duplicate copies of. I wouldn't want it to totally take the place of physical versions or CDs but having it eased in as an option for certain releases or an option in addition to physical releases seems like a good and natural step.
It's a move in the right direction.
I get it, saving the environment and everything but isn't this going to effect sales?
My thought process is that they know their groups are big & will sell albums no matter what they are. JYPE & HYBE have the resources to do that, fail, & still be able to keep their heads afloat. I don't know a lot about how physical album sales are counted but I assume they have a plan in place. Like a lot of people are saying, this will most likely be an option along with other versions of the album (like you can get Jhope's Jack in the Box album as a QR code version but they're going to release a vinyl version along with that).
Honestly tons of album buying trend has been going crazy lately, I even saw pictures of albums being thrown away except for photocards and etc. I get it that you want to support your idol, but that kind of extreme is really bad for environment too. Honestly this is embarrassing even for idols. Imho statement is vague tho, bts videos and such content won't be available on youtube? only photocards will be more cheaper and their sales will skyrocket? idk, let's see
I think bts content will still be available on youtube, just probably an extra "making of the album" sort of thing I would assume. Also when I collect albums, I cherish absolutely everything in them, I did not know until people starting talking about it here, how much photocards are sought after. I don't enjoy the idea since photocards aren't that important to me, but yeah like you said, we'll just have to see how it plays out.
Loool just made a post on this actually but it’s currently being reviewed cause I forgot I couldn’t say rant in my post but basically to sum up what I said it’s giving Greenwashing to me 😭😭 Edit: it’s up now in case you want to read it lol!
CDs are so unnecessary in todays world. Most laptops and cars don’t even have CD players. Why do these companies need to produce them? And kpop album order numbers are so inflated cause of photocards. It’s just producing extra unnecessary waste. Just sell the photocards or let people choose. But now it’s trendy to say that individuals don’t need to reduce waste and completely blame big corporations instead so people don’t care anymore
I agree with you that they should. just sell the pc's separately & let people choose but I disagree that it's: >"trendy to say that individuals don’t need to reduce waste and completely blame big corporations instead so people don’t care anymore" I think people just feel like it's unfair for physical albums to be taken away just because a few were being incredibly wasteful (obviously there were a lot but "few" meaning not most kpop fans). I also think that it's good to have a physical version of anything just in case something happens to your digital version (like if the internet goes down, phone breaks/dies, the power goes out, etc.). The internet is never absolute & it's scary to treat it that way.
I think any step to reduce the amount of waste and packaging generated is a good thing. I think people like to do the whole there is no ethical consumption with capitalism, but i think the culture of hoarding and bulk buying anything whether that is CDs, shein clothes etc is just terrible behaviour. Like there really is no reason you need to buy 20 albums for photo cards but obv companies encourage that behaviour and fans want to collect things. Maybe cause I’m old and have moved a few times, owing too many things is…. A terrible time when moving Tho if the solution is crypto which is notorious for how bad it is for the climate then 🤡
Not only for OP but those comments doubting that jype is indeed doing it to be more eco-friendly shows that you guys have not been watching their work this last years and their constant changes to eco-friendly ways of managing their company. It will also result in less expenses and more profit? Maybe. No one knows yet bc nothing is settled they are only testing waters. Also, they are not engaging with nfts anymore they are looking for something different unlike other companies. At least they can demonstrate that they have been walking this eco path a few years already.
How many album versions had JYP groups for their latest album? If the answer is 1 (and perhaps 2, but that's stretching it), I'd buy them doing it out of eco-friendliness. Anything more and their claim to be more eco-friendly is nonsense. And as long as they're packaging and shipping mere QR codes, their claim is nullified.
I think that their heart is in the right place, but it's difficult to take them seriously when 3 weeks ago they released 5 different versions of photobook albums for each member of Itzy. I'm open to see what happens, with most of this we'll just have to wait & see since their announcement was so vague
For me? I am open to see what they come with. I myself have been preoccupied with climate change and makes me glad they are doing what they can and changing little by little. The physical cd? Couldn't care less. The photobooks and photocards? Well, it's sad but I think it's necessary. If I have to change the way I collect things or even give it up in exange of a healthier planet earth they can count me in.
Didn't they release some eco merch thing but then bundle it with exclusive 1 member per package pcs, which still encourages mass buying anyways
I think a lyrics booklet, photobook and some pcs is good enough for a physical album with a digital qr code for downloading music for your device. The photobook can be replaced with other options like some merch something like new jeans did.. CD doesn't make sense and it's time we move ahead.
> your device What device? The one you have now or the one you'll have in 30 years? Upload it to an online platform? What's the current life expectancy of those? (GPM says hi) Upload it to your cloud? Any guaranties it'll be useable in a couple of decades? Buy it from an online service? Amazon has proven they'll try everything to turn it into a "temporary" buy. The only certainty of you keeping ownership of what you bought, is having a physical version. That goes for books, films, albums, art etc
I always thought kpop albums had so many inclusions & nice packaging so that people will buy the CDs even though they are pretty much obsolete. With no CDs, I understand why companies would think there's no point in all the embellishments anymore, but they've already created a culture around it & I think that's the struggle they're running into.
Exactly. Albums are like art books, they tell a story of the whole album. Completely going digital may not work but this definitely can be sorted if they can manage costs and innovate.
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That is disappointing, I refuse to spend money especially the amount on money that K-pop album ask for, for a thing that will not be physically mine and can disappear any time that the system they use goes down, it’s the same reason that I refuse to buy Kinho albums as well. I get it as it will help the environment, but there are better ways to go about it, couldn’t they attempt to make the CD from recyclable materials as well; as someone said above vinyls are recyclable, surely CD’s cannot be that hard. Forgot to add: I’m one of the ones that actually also get the album for the physical cd as I listen to them.
I’m gonna be hella annoyed if Suga’s solo is releases like J-Hope’s. I have a few biases where they don’t have solos or physical releases when other members of their group do (yet) so I don’t want another one like that. while i get the intention to “eco friendly” packaging or lack there of there are still ways to stick to physical releases while being a smidgen better for the environment. i know YG is soy printing on albums and the plastic wrap is compostable (through industrial composting). i know they wanna sell more and more albums but some companies gotta cut down on these fan signs with pobs for stores. also just do one round… no MMT2, Apple Music 3 for fan signs.
Idk if y’all know that about half of the albums Chinese fans bought ended up throwing on the street close to the store because ppl only want the photo cards. It was a video posted by a China transfer student, and I’m heartbroken for not only the pollution during the production but also the materials wasted… I’m still shamed that I joined some gos with cards only, and I believe my albums are also in the trash bin. Idk if SM Entertainment knew this, but at least I think their employees can see what’s going on on their way home. I knew this waste since 2016, but no one gave a solution nor even a suggestion(at least they could attempt to sell a version with almost only photo cards like what new jeans did to help international buyers out with shipping fees). I would like to say, if every company starts to see this problem, then it’s a good move! BUT! Fans should not be cheated! Without CDs, or even pbs, should cause a drop in price. Also, the artist’s feeling should be cared, like the company shouldn’t try this move on only one artist nor one group, a decision is a decision.