> they were more expensive because they didn't have to compete against piracy.
Bull. Any reasonably-sized town had at least one "dodgy" seller of pirated CDs.
CDs were expensive because they were fundamentally a vanity item, with sleeves and goodies. That empowered middlemen and official distribution chains which, in developed countries, is typically where profit accumulates. Artists themselves, under contract with labels, couldn't buy CDs at cost to sell at concerts - labels were pressured to protect the distribution chains.
Bull. Any reasonably-sized town had at least one "dodgy" seller of pirated CDs.
CDs were expensive because they were fundamentally a vanity item, with sleeves and goodies. That empowered middlemen and official distribution chains which, in developed countries, is typically where profit accumulates. Artists themselves, under contract with labels, couldn't buy CDs at cost to sell at concerts - labels were pressured to protect the distribution chains.
CDs made middlemen rich, not artists.