I have been asked in a roundabout way to compare and contrast CDnow and
CDworld.  I believe this may be generally informative.  I have a business
relationship with each of these retailers.

Both started around the same time, in 1994, and both sell out of Valley
Entertainment warehouses.  Like many of the online retailers, they are
essentially "fronts" for Valley, which does not sell directly to the
public.  Both list "stock" information, as gleaned from Valley's database,
and they are conflicting (i.e.  the same) stocks.  CDworld sells only off
of stock, whereas CDnow also does "backorder".  I really only want to buy
from a retailer who has a CD in stock, so I prefer the former.  If the
stock information is wrong, as it sometimes is, or if they sell out before
I get mine, I don't want to automatically go into backorder as CDnow will
do.  I prefer that the order be terminated, or that the other items be
shipped.  The ability to do backorder obviously has its uses, for some
people.

They get their online database information (i.e.  track listings and such,
as well as sounds clips) from "Muse", another behind-the-scenes player.
At least for medieval music, which is obviously a specialist area, this
information is frequently mangled and never fits into the "database" fields
very well.  This is the standard retail database, though, and most US
retailers use it.  Amazon is one of the few which seems to do their own;
I am not sure what their motivations are for that.

CDnow is very corporate.  They have that tiny print on their web site
(which I don't know how people tolerate).  They also send me "spam" mail
hawking various popular CDs.  However, they have been very professional
with me in business.  I came into a relationship with them when they
inherited Music Boulevard (which I never cared for, but my readers did),
and they went out of their way to help me convert some database
information.  They obviously have the larger staff and infrastructure.

CDworld is more personal.  I can get replies from the corporate officers.
Until recently, they wrote and signed their checks by hand.  They've not
sent me any "spam" mail.  They also have lower prices (average of a little
under $3 lower per disc for more obscure items), but given that their stock
and selection is identical, I prefer them for their backorder policy and
non-corporate attitude as much as for the lower prices.

Many of the newer and/or smaller online retailers will fit into one or more
of these molds.

Todd McComb
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