Will music CDs be dead in 14 months?

Will we know the music industry by the trail of dead (music formats) left behind? (Credit: Interscope)

There’s a new 2012 doomsday prophecy out there. The world might survive the end of the Mayan calendar, but compact discs might not be so lucky.

A report from Side-Line cites a number of anonymous music industry insiders who confirmed to the music magazine that the major labels are planning to stop pressing new CDs by the end of next year, if not sooner.

The issue, the argument goes, is that CDs cost money to create, store, and distribute and shifting to all-digital distribution will free up more resources for marketing and other parts of the business.

There is one problem with the notion of killing the CD, however. Labels are still making money off of them.

Billboard’s Glenn Peoples calls the reports of the CD’s demise “dubious.”               More