At the retail level, prices for CDs have

been coming down. This year, Universal

brought its  JumpStart  price reduction

program to Canada, reducing the whole 

sale price of CDs by up to 32%. The plan,

launched last year in the United States,

began a general trend of price reduction

that is said to have contributed to a

recovery in the American market ahead 

of many forecasts.

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In addition, it's probably just a matter of

time before Canadians tap into the market

for the latest and most improbable music

format, the cellular phone ringtone. Surveys

show 18% of Canadian mobile phone

owners have downloaded ringtones to their

mobile; among respondents, 5% said they

would definitely buy  master recording 

ringtones should they become available,

while 25% would probably buy them.

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That a market still exists for music in

Canada, and for Canadian artists, is without

question. The challenge for the industry, 

it seems, is how best to deliver music to 

a new generation of consumer who would

rather point and click their way to listening

satisfaction.

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