When did CDnow become Amazon? (1 Viewer)

[Vince Maskeeper]

I just noticed going to Cdnow.com takes you right to the amazon site. Anyone know when this happened- or why?

The CDnow layout was much better for finding information- the amazon one is clumsy.

-Vince

 

[Malcolm R]

I think there's a thread about this in "After Hours." Amazon absorbed another e-tailer, apparently.

 

[Adam Tyner]

I believe it was announced on 11/22 and rolled into Amazon on 12/3.

CDNow closing Fort Washington office
Associated Press

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa. - CDNow, the online music retailer owned by a German media giant, will lay
off its last 33 employees and close its suburban Philadelphia headquarters.

But its Web site, the No. 2 online music retailer with millions of Web visits per month, won't disappear.

"Nothing is happening to the CDNow brand," said Melinda Meals, a spokeswoman for parent BeMusic Inc., a unit of Bertelsmann AG. "CDNow still exists, and we're not selling CDNow."

Twin brothers Jason and Matthew Olim, originally from Ambler, launched the CDNow online site in the Philadelphia region in 1994. Bertelsmann bought the company two years ago.

CDNow once employed more than 400 people in its prominent, 92,000-square headquarters in Fort Washington, just beside the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange. Staffing fell to 66 when 248 workers were let go last fall.

The last employees are slated to leave on Dec. 27. The move was disclosed in a notice to the state Department of Labor and Industry.

Bertelsmann has gradually been moving the CDNow operations to New York and to a corporate customer-service center in Indianapolis. The Web site has been managed from the BeMusic headquarters in New York for the last year.

According to ComScore Media Metrix, which tracks online traffic, the CDNow.com Web site had 8.6 million visitors in October, down 15 percent from the same month a year ago.

In a study released this week, ComScore said overall online music sales were down 25 percent for the three months ending Sept. 30, compared to the same quarter in 2001.

CDNow is the second online music retailer, behind the music club site ColumbiaHouse.com which had 12 million users in October, according to ComScore spokesman Max Kalehoff. BMGmusic.com - another unit of BeMusic - had 4.5 million hits last month.

"It's likely ... they'll continue to use the CDNow.com brand or domain just because they've got a significant number of people going to it," Kalehoff said. "They're not likely to throw it away."

Basically from what I understand, BMG was a little too aggressive with their Internet expansion and now they're taking several large steps back from it.

I miss the Windows Media clips the most. I'd prefer to avoid having any Real software on my computer. Allstar, also defunct, was a great source for music news as well.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

CDNOW has scaled back to a CD only retailler, in their "Prefered Buyers Club". I agree, their search function was far better than Amazon's, and so was their affiliate linking, since you could grab a band you wanted to feature easily. The PBC maintains the same interface, with direct band favorites, but I notice my wishlist was wiped out. Fortunately my preorders and store credit are intact.

 

[soop.spoon]

My wishlist was wiped without warning. Total bullshit.

back to cduniverse...

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Plus, all the biographies and related artists links are gone. Their site was one of my primary sources in discovering new artists. If I wanted Amazon's interface, I would have used their service.

 

[Craig_T]

I miss the Windows Media clips the most. I'd prefer to avoid having any Real software on my computer.

I miss these the most too. I hate that damn Realplayer junk. It sucks up most of my system's resources and takes my computer hostage every time I open it.

 

[Brian E]

Here's the email CDNOW is sending out about it.
"Dear Brian,
We appreciate that you've shopped with CDNOW in the past, and we'd like to share some very exciting news about our site.
Effective December 4th, we've teamed with Amazon.com to create
a new and improved cdnow.com. We believe it's an ideal combination of service and selection. When you visit the new CDNOW, you'll get:
* Unparalleled service
* Reliable shipping and delivery
* Renowned customer service
We invite you to check out the enhanced CDNOW for yourself. If you already have an Amazon.com account, you can use it to Sign In and shop at the new CDNOW.com.
http://cdw01.cdnow.com/Click?q=ad-_...NiQh6qosYzsDdRR
Plus, there’s a brand new way to save on your favorite music!
We've created a new and improved CDNOW Preferred Buyer's Club site, at a new URL: cdnowpbc.com
http://cdw01.cdnow.com/Click?q=c2-o...yygVyAQFuc0HdRR
The big difference? Immediate savings.
All Preferred Buyer's Club members will save an additional 20% or more on every Club CD – all the time. It’s that simple.
Be sure to add cdnowpbc.com to your favorites list today!
http://cdw01.cdnow.com/Click?q=d7-w...vsRmHlge0kGV9RR
We're thrilled about both the new CDNOW teamed with Amazon.com and the new CDNOW Preferred Buyer's Club. We're sure you will be, too.
Do you have questions? Click here to find answers to Frequently Asked Questions, including information on CDNOW gift certificates, account credits, advance orders, back orders, account history, and more.
http://cdw01.cdnow.com/Click?q=ec-M...PL1kIIlbjGOS9RR
Please note: You may receive this notification more than once if you have multiple CDNOW accounts.
3952630"

 

[Vic_T]

Add another voice to the choir, CDNOW was far superior to Amazon on many front (interface, search, links to similiar artists, S&H speed, etc). Swallowed up by the bohemoth that is Amazon. Very disapointing.

 

[Michael Hall]

I was really upset when I got the email from CDNow on the third. I'd been ordering my compact discs from them for quite a few years now, and I only ever used Amazon as a last resort if I couldn't find a book in a brick-and-mortar bookstore. I just don't like Amazon's layout and their shipping prices are often somewhat exhorbitant. Plus, one other reason I liked CDNow is that I could pay using a check or money order, an option I no longer have since Amazon has taken over.
Since I buy a lot of underground music, the Preferred Buyers Club didn't really appeal to me. I did a search for at least ten of my favorite artists, and only two of them came back as being in the PBC's database. Very disappointing that this is the case.
Regardless, I think I'll be buying CDs from Tower's website or from DeepDiscountDVDs CD sister site.
I'm just waiting for Amazon to change its motto to "Amazon Uber Alles" any day now. First it was Toys R Us, then it was Target, and now CDNow...It's like the internet's version of Wal*Mart.

 

[Jodee]

If you enjoyed CDNow's content (artist reviews, discographies, related artists, etc,) head over to All Music Guide: www.allmusic.com.
CD Now licensed their content from AMG, which is sort of like the IMDB for music.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

BIG, BIG thanks, Jodee! The Preferred Buyer's Club has all of CD NOW's old reviews, and that site has all the other info, so I can piece together their old content.

Thanks again!

 

[StevenW]

 

[Josh Lowe]

amazon's interface blows. no more cdnow for me.

 

[David Lambert]

I got the same e-mail Brian E got, explaining the absorbtion.
I don't get it; if I wanted to buy from Amazon I would just head over to their site. Why take over another e-tailer and change what made people want to shop there in the first place? Maybe I get it, and it's Amazon that doesn't get it.
But thanks Jodee, I'll check out the AMG thing!

 

[John Watson]

Yes, the Amazon Search is very poor compared to CDNow. And expect higher prices to prevail
Incidentally, the thread I started in Retailer Feedback on Dec 6 refers to this takeover. Since my brilliant quip there is "hidden", I'll just copy it here :
When Amazon merges with Microsoft, it's all over. It'll be OBMC (onebigmothercompany)

 

[Louis-Olivier]

as a linux user, i could care less about the Windows Media, but i am sad for the loss of Cdnow.

 

[Scott Kriefall]

Didn't Microsoft own (or partially own) Music Boulevard (www.musicblvd.com) prior to its absorption by CDNow a few years ago?

 

[NickFoley]

I noticed this yesterday. Amazon keeps on ruining other sites. First Toys R Us, now CDNow.

 

[Jon W H]

I just noticed going to Cdnow.com takes you right to the amazon site. Anyone know when this happened- or why?

It happened Nov. 25th. They were listed on "F'dcompany.com" (not writing out the entire URL to spare everyone of the profanity. ) They had mentioned layoffs in October, already.