Pink Floyd readies 40th anniversary box set

English band Pink Floyd is set to release a 16-disc box set in December that features the band's entire studio catalog as CD reproductions of the original vinyl records, Billboard reported yesterday. Unfortunately, the set is limited to 10,000 copies and will be available in the United States only as an import. It is unknown whether the box set will be reproduced in digital stores or not and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s iTunes Store has created complete digital box set's for catalogs in the past.

This news is not very descriptive about availability for the new album, but it has me wondering how many physical box sets are to be produced as the music industry moves closer and closer to fully embracing digital outlets. With the releases of s new Bob Dylan retrospective set and the coming Led Zeppelin catalog set, both available on iTunes and as physical CDs, what is the market for the CD versions? The Pink Floyd physical-only set (as far as is known at this point) takes this further with a price tag of $250.

A cursory glance at iTunes will tell you that the catalog is already available from iTunes Plus as DRM-free (Digital Rights Management) tracks, including the previously released 40th anniversary edition of Pink Floyd's debut album. With that knowledge, this box set seems marketable only to serious collectors and importers. The price tag and difficulty of availability make it hardly an item that the casual listener and even devout fan can seriously consider checking out. One has to wonder if EMI has a similar plan in store for The Beatles when that remastered catalog is available.