Wondering how to sell songs on iTunes? You, my friend, are the product of a new generation.

You probably don’t often consider music distribution in the years preceding the age of the internet, when CDs were king and we consumers were their lowly plebeians.  No, those of you learning how to sell music on iTunes are a different breed entirely, and may not even remember the old days. Back when music consumers had to leave their basements to hear their favorite band’s new album, and when burning a custom-made CD playlist was the single most romantic thing one could do for a love interest. Yes – CDs were once the bread and butter of the music industry, in a time when acid wash jeans were cool and every member of your family had a bowl cut.

From the late 1980s until just last year, physical albums enjoyed the highest sales on the music market. When the first CD was released in Japan – a 120 millimeters wide, perfect circle of musical goodness which weighed almost nothing – it revolutionized the sound quality and availability of music. Even now, CDs offer a higher sound quality than almost all digital downloads – but today’s music consumers prioritize convenience over quality.

Like its elder brethren, the record and the cassette tape, CDs have experienced a rather unhappy millennium. The CD celebrated its 30^th birthday on October 1, 2012, while suffering another dramatic dip in sales year over year. In the last decade, in fact, CDs have seen a 76% decline in sales. Not even Glee or Adele can save CDs, it seems, and many speculate that CDs will no longer in production by 2015. It would appear that how to sell music on iTunes is no longer by having great record sales, but popularity on the web.

CDs – should you perish, like the days of legwarmers and where’s the beef? – we will miss you. But, as we here at SongCast sell songs on iTunes, we’ll always remember you.