AIO Discontinues CDs

[Bren]

The Odyssey team announced this week that they are going to be phasing out CDs.

BIG NEWS:
We’re saying goodbye to CDs in the spring of 2026 and going fully digital.
That means longer storylines for your favorite characters. Less waiting between multi-part stories. More flexibility for fun, one-off episodes. But what about downloads? Will there still be 24 new episodes a year?
Take a look at our new info page which features FAQs and an entire Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast episode where Executive producer Dave Arnold and showrunner Marshal Younger join producer Bob Smithouser to answer questions about the transition.
https://adventuresinodyssey.com/nextlevel

Thoughts?

[Catspaw]

I just saw this! I'm an old lady and was very sorry to see this news, as I still faithfully buy physical albums. I am a Club member but still like to have a physical copy, and it is more convenient to listen in my car that way. I can legally pop a CD in and out but I can't touch my phone while I'm driving. I connect with bluetooth so I'm sure I can generally still make it work, but that isn't my preference. I also buy CD albums to give as gifts to friends' kids who value being able to listen without needing a device to do it, since screens can be such a distraction. I totally understand that reduced sales and increased costs led them to make the decision; I still don't like it.

[Laurie]

I'm extremely disappointed. I understand why they are doing it but I wish they would consider those who may not be able to listen digitally. It does not sound to me like they have done that. Yes it save them money but it may also cause them to lose listeners. The CDs are the only way I can listen to AIO. There is no radio station in my area that carries it. I guess I will have to figure out a way to listen digitally. I don't like spending a lot of time sitting at my computer. The albums allow me to listen while doing other things. I will miss ordering and receiving the albums.

[The Top Crusader]

It doesn't personally impact me but I get the disappointment--you would think maybe they could change to a "print on demand" model. Even if it made them more expensive and/or they didn't bother printing out covers etc, they could just burn some discs and mail them out in a cost efficient way?

(Neither of our vehicles have CD players anymore, nor does either laptop or my desktop, so... I get it. I think we have a CD player somewhere but we just stream everything or have MP3s on computers that I move to my phone, etc.

[Jonathan]

I've been expecting this. As someone who is going into the future kicking and screaming I don't like it, but I get it. Gives them a little more leeway and flexibility and saves money.

edit--I'm more bothered by this: "Albums 1-80 will still be available for digital download and broadcast on the radio, but for the latest episodes and continuing adventures, the Club is where you’ll hear them."

No new episodes will air on the radio? That seems counterproductive. But I'm probably out of touch in regards to how people listen these days.

[Catspaw]

Oh, I missed that part, Jonathan. I haven't listened on the radio for a couple of decades, so it doesn't matter to me. I guess 80 albums worth is still a lot of material to air, but I expect some people will miss new episodes on the radio.

One thing I will regret is not being able to replace broken CD sets as albums naturally disappear from stores. I lend my albums out and sometimes discs have been lost or damaged and I haven't worried about it because I could replace them. Oh well! I guess if that happens, it's one less set to hope someone remembers to give back.

[Bananareader]

I'm more bothered by this: "Albums 1-80 will still be available for digital download and broadcast on the radio, but for the latest episodes and continuing adventures, the Club is where you’ll hear them."

No new episodes will air on the radio? That seems counterproductive. But I'm probably out of touch in regards to how people listen these days.

I agree with this it does seem counterproductive especially because I always listen to the new episodes on the radio (on AIO website), since I don’t have the Club, and then get the cd album later, but what I don’t get is that they said they are going to keep airing episodes on the radio so why stop airing new episodes on the radio, but I guess I’ll have to buy an actual subscription to the club to listen to them now . (Not to mention since the club is a subscription service you don’t actually own any of the episodes at least on cd you did own them.)

[The Top Crusader]

I'm more bothered by this: "Albums 1-80 will still be available for digital download and broadcast on the radio, but for the latest episodes and continuing adventures, the Club is where you’ll hear them."

No new episodes will air on the radio? That seems counterproductive. But I'm probably out of touch in regards to how people listen these days.

I agree with this it does seem counterproductive especially because I always listen to the new episodes on the radio (on AIO website), since I don’t have the Club, and then get the cd album later, but what I don’t get is that they said they are going to keep airing episodes on the radio so why stop airing new episodes on the radio, but I guess I’ll have to buy an actual subscription to the club to listen to them now . (Not to mention since the club is a subscription service you don’t actually own any of the episodes at least on cd you did own them.)

Maybe after a few years build up they will start quietly cycling some newer episodes in. the physical media thing was the big headline and what I was focusing on and it makes sense... but yes the decision to do away with newer digital sales and radio airings is odd.

[Steve]

Honestly, this is sort of a weird time to make this move. The time to really ditch physical media was 10 years ago, back when streaming was new and flashy. If anything, I'm seeing a higher demand for physical media lately, with streaming services getting more and more expensive and less and less convenient. Seems short-sighted to me. At the same time, I get that they'd rather charge people a monthly subscription fee and always have a constant revenue flow instead of one-time sales. Why pay for "The Case of the Secret Room" one time when you could pay a monthly fee to re-listen to it?