Feature image copyright MediaZilla. All rights reserved.
Yesterday I started a 5-part series on my top 5 bold predictions for 2015. #5 was an explosion on VOD (video on demand). #4 is very much like it, but more directly related to my readers:
#4 – Plan to see the beginning of the end of physical wedding DVDs and Blu-rays
I’m not saying they’re going to be completely gone. There are still way too many baby-boomer grandmas and grandpas out there who will need that physical disc. But the writing has been on the wall for a while. I think 2015 will be the year where it becomes more mainstream.
One of the companies leading the pack to bring this to fruition is MediaZilla by Precomposed.com founder Jon Geddes. With impressive support from industry vets and leaders like Ray Roman and Dave Williams, expect more Blu-ray and DVD dominoes to fall. (And for the record, MediaZilla is not a sponsor or supporter of this blog). Jon is so confident about this change, that he is no longer offering wedding Blu-ray production.
As GenX and GenY start tying the proverbial knots, this is inevitable. These are the generations that grew up in the digital age. This is how they will prefer to watch their memories.
Could Wedding Albums Also Go the Way of the Dinosaur?
I don’t want to leave my wedding photography brethren out of the fun. Chances are we could be seeing a shift in your industry too. Although, I don’t think 2015 will be the year we see a huge change. So for now, all you wedding photogs making a killing off your $5K and $10K albums can breathe a sigh of relief. But keep your eye on the horizon. The writing is on your wall too.
What does this mean for you?
This is simple. If you shoot weddings and personal events, some form of digital delivery needs to be in your business plan (frankly, it should’ve been already). By no means should you chuck out Blu-ray or DVD delivery (well, maybe it’s okay to get rid of DVDs.) But offering digital-only delivery is not only so much simpler and cleaner, but in many states, it will allow you to forgo charging your clients sales tax (so long as the delivery is 100% digital download or access. If you give them a thumb drive, you gotta charge tax). That is another huge benefit.
What say you?
[…] online and/or digital delivery of all kinds of video and movie content. It’s the reason why one of my top 5 bold predictions of 2015 was the death of wedding DVDs. One of the companies I highlighted in that prediction post was […]