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Noel Cabangon admits it's harder to sell albums these days

Noel Cabangon, President of FILSCAP (Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Inc.) (Ritchie Dongo/European Pressphoto Agency)

Singer-songwriter Noel Cabangon admits modern technology is making it hard for him to sell albums,   especially to the tech-savvy generation. People can listen to or play a song with just one click of a mouse.  They don’t have to buy a CD anymore.

Noel explained that this makes it very challenging to release an album of original songs.  And this is why some local singers are pressured to veer away from their personal style.

Facebook survey

"Sa generation na ito, mahirap magtulak ng isang bagong kanta. I think it really takes a lot of creativity. Mahirap na magtinda ngayon, kasi unang-una yung device na meron. CD is still there, but for the young people, no.”

He added, "Some of them don't even know what a CD is. They know MP3, but with the modern technology, you can now just download or create your own playlist. You don't need to come up with an album. But iyon ang challenge doon, how to create a song. Parang ‘Gangnam,’ inulit niya (Psy) niya pero not as successful."

Noel keeps up with the times by doing a survey on his Facebook account and asking followers for songs they want him to  interpret.  He also promotes his album, like Universal Records’ “Acoustic Noel,” on Twitter.

Not his generation

"Yes, you really have to promote it. Dapat techie ka. You have to devote a lot of time to social networking. Kahit nandyan na siya, you still have to work on it, create different versions."

But he doesn’t say yes to all his fans’ requests.  Noel turned down  requests to perform English songs, like  Adele covers and David Guetta's "Titanium."

"I'm not going to do it just for the sake of doing it. Bagay ba sa akin iyan? The song doesn't represent my generation."

Distinct style

He added that a song needs a distinct style to stand out.

"Kung hindi siya ganoon kadistinct, hindi ka masyado mapapansin. Lalo na ngayon, digital na, ang daming choices."

"Acoustic Noel" contains mostly remakes, like Ogie Alcasid's "Nandito Ako," Rivermaya's "Himala" and Eraserheads'  "Huwag Mo Nang Itanong sa Akin."