How many of you still buy CD's and/or music in digital format?
I listened to an interesting story this morning on the radio about how more and more consumers are getting their music mostly via streaming services like Pandora and Spotify.
I do. Even back in the Napster/ Morpheus/ whatever else heydeys of the early 2000's, I'd often download a few songs from a band to see if I liked them or not, then buy the album anyway (usually on CD). Started getting more into digital downloads in the mid 2000's, first iTunes, and them Amazon music (DRM free for the win), and now I'm finding myself going back to buying CD's whenever possible, as quality of most MP3 downloads, especially with the varying bitrate on the Amazon site, isn't really acceptable to me.
But then again, I'm the guy who will listen to all of a band's albums, end to end, instead of just picking and choosing a few songs here and there over and over again.
CDs and a few Amazon MP3s, all loaded into iTunes. I already have all that I want to listen to, but if something new comes along that I want (or something I've forgotten), my first choice is to buy the CD.
For example, our Walmart didn't have the new Pink Floyd, going to check back today.
But then again, I'm the guy who will listen to all of a band's albums, end to end, instead of just picking and choosing a few songs here and there over and over again.
I think the collective attention span of society has decreased or something because I know a lot of people who told me that they can't just listen to an entire album from beginning to end because it bores them and because they need variety.
CDs and a few Amazon MP3s, all loaded into iTunes. I already have all that I want to listen to, but if something new comes along that I want (or something I've forgotten), my first choice is to buy the CD.
For example, our Walmart didn't have the new Pink Floyd, going to check back today.
So get it from Amazon or Target or Best Buy or any of a dozen other places. Why must you buy it at Smellmart?
I like buying CDs on Amazon for the Autorip. No worrying about whether my software or CDROM will screw it up when ripping. I've got several "bad" MP3s from when the CDROM drive decided to shift gears mid-track and leave glitches in the file. The problem is I never can recall later which ones were bad to try and re-rip!
As for streaming, I only stream my own stuff that's on Amazon's cloud. Pandora and Spotify are just another kind of radio. If I could have them in my car without paying for it, sure. But I only listen to the radio in the car and only when there aren't commercials on. As soon as the ads start, hit the CD button!
But then again, I'm the guy who will listen to all of a band's albums, end to end, instead of just picking and choosing a few songs here and there over and over again.
I think the collective attention span of society has decreased or something because I know a lot of people who told me that they can't just listen to an entire album from beginning to end because it bores them and because they need variety.
I think it also has to do with the fact that radio playlists have gotten shorter and shorter, with those fewer songs being repeated more and more frequently. I distinctly remember it not being that way growing up.
CDs and a few Amazon MP3s, all loaded into iTunes. I already have all that I want to listen to, but if something new comes along that I want (or something I've forgotten), my first choice is to buy the CD.
For example, our Walmart didn't have the new Pink Floyd, going to check back today.
So get it from Amazon or Target or Best Buy or any of a dozen other places. Why must you buy it at Smellmart?
Heh heh. I'm lucky to even have a Walmart so convenient (only a 20 min. drive). I guess the dwindling CD section at Walmart reminds me of days past and going into a real music store, old habits die hard for me. But this habit will be die soon enough, they now have more CDs in the $5.00 bins than on the shelf (another reason I'm checking out their music).
The closest Best Buy is about an hours drive into Baton Rouge, oh how I miss the days of CompUSA and Circuit City.
Gave up buying CD`s years ago, all digital now, all mp3 and use Itunes for 90% of all music and movie purchases. Will occasionally buy a Blu-Ray movie at Walmart.
I listen to Pandora and Spotify, and if I hear something I like then I buy it digital. It's rare to find any new bands that are good so I like to support them
Originally Posted By: NavyNuke99
Originally Posted By: PanzerMeyer
Originally Posted By: NavyNuke99
But then again, I'm the guy who will listen to all of a band's albums, end to end, instead of just picking and choosing a few songs here and there over and over again.
I think the collective attention span of society has decreased or something because I know a lot of people who told me that they can't just listen to an entire album from beginning to end because it bores them and because they need variety.
I think it also has to do with the fact that radio playlists have gotten shorter and shorter, with those fewer songs being repeated more and more frequently. I distinctly remember it not being that way growing up.
True, we listen to XM/Serius in our work truck and even they will repeat the same songs over and over. Now it's to the point where we don't even want to listen to the radio at all because we're sick of hearing the same crap on repeat. Regular FM radio is just as bad (and with more commercials)
I was born in 1990 old man, any music I got through my lifetime was through a radio or from friends
...and here I thought I was one of the site babies...
I find it interesting that you still found most of your music via radio- I know that for me, most new artists and albums I've discovered since even being in high school was via the internet- because growing up, I couldn't afford simultaneous subscriptions to Blender, Rolling Stone, and Filter.
Oh, and going to lots and lots of shows at tiny venues in college towns.
Oh, there's also the fact that "good enough" isn't "good enough" for me. MP3s are inferior to CDs, hands down, although sometimes 320kbps are close. You need the high-bit lossless for good sound, and those are so big you're talking over 1GB per album. Pandora is like low quality MP3s. The sound quality on YouTube is godawful. I will rip my CDs to fit on my MP3 player so I can listen when I'm at lunch, at work, in a gym, or on vacation...places where CDs are not practical. I used to bring a portable CD player to school and work in the 90s, now it would be too much hassle.
But when I want to HEAR my music, I want the CD. I'd have more vinyl if I had a spot for my turntable anymore.
Yes - I got Now 89 yesterday mp3 only from Amazon. Couldn't be bothered to wait for the CD to show up and you get a selection of songs without having to do any thinking.
last month did the same with Ministry Of Sound the Annual 2014 - this stuff makes good background music.
Having said that, I can also see why the big record labels have been in crisis mode for several years now.
Good point.Listening to music on YT doesn't pay the artist. I'm surprised it doesn't all get removed constantly but it doesn't appear to. Or maybe it just gets uploaded constantly. Add to that the torrent sites it's no wonder they are having a crisis.
I do have a large CD collection that runs into hundreds plus some vinyl too.I know it's wrong to listen to music for free but until someone stops me personally I'll keep browsing YT every night.
90% of the music I buy is on vinyl. Spend a fortune each week on it. Of the remaining 10% most of that are digital from Juno, Boomkat or Bandcamp. Very rarely buy CDs. One or two a year at most.
I was born in 1990 old man, any music I got through my lifetime was through a radio or from friends
1990?
Man, we need to get somebody who will be more diligent about checking I.D.s at the door!
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I rarely buy a CD anymore, as MP3's have been so convenient. (Plus my hearing has been sufficiently degraded on both the high and low ends such that the higher sound quality is not much of a concern to me.)
These days, I've mostly been listening to slacker.com or my MP3 collection. From time to time, something on Slacker, or Youtube will motivate me to buy some downloads from Amazon.com
Technology-wise, it's a good time to be alive. We've come a long way from recording songs off from the local radio station on to a small reel-to-reel recorder, and nearly always having the DJ stomp on the end of the song...
Oh, there's also the fact that "good enough" isn't "good enough" for me. MP3s are inferior to CDs, hands down, although sometimes 320kbps are close. You need the high-bit lossless for good sound, and those are so big you're talking over 1GB per album. Pandora is like low quality MP3s. The sound quality on YouTube is godawful. I will rip my CDs to fit on my MP3 player so I can listen when I'm at lunch, at work, in a gym, or on vacation...places where CDs are not practical. I used to bring a portable CD player to school and work in the 90s, now it would be too much hassle.
But when I want to HEAR my music, I want the CD. I'd have more vinyl if I had a spot for my turntable anymore.
I use streaming to explore and discover new artists, then buy the vinyl. Almost everyone include free high quality digital download codes in their vinyl issues. Being a musician myself I try to buy everyone's work. I'd feel pretty crappy if I didn't.
But then again, I'm the guy who will listen to all of a band's albums, end to end, instead of just picking and choosing a few songs here and there over and over again.
I think the collective attention span of society has decreased or something because I know a lot of people who told me that they can't just listen to an entire album from beginning to end because it bores them and because they need variety.
I think that largely depends on the quality of the album, rather than the attention span. Some (most?) bands/artists release a mediocre album with one or two over-produced songs optimized to storm the charts. The rest of the songs usually are meh.
Didn't we have a thread here some time ago about albums that one could listen to in its entirety?
I refuse to give Apple any money ever, I only buy from Amazon DRM free MP3s. I am also a prime customer so i can listen to almost any music that Amazon carries through streaming.
But then again, I'm the guy who will listen to all of a band's albums, end to end, instead of just picking and choosing a few songs here and there over and over again.
I think the collective attention span of society has decreased or something because I know a lot of people who told me that they can't just listen to an entire album from beginning to end because it bores them and because they need variety.
That's because they listen to boring music that all sounds the same.
Got out of the habit of buying CDs a few years ago when I lived in a shared house and simply didn't have the space for the ones I'd already accumulated. They were all ripped anyway, and I bought any new stuff from play.com as 192kb/s mp3s. Obviously far from audiophile quality, but at least free of any DRM.
These days however I'm a fully paid-up convert to google play music. Joined while it was still in beta so am only paying £8/month and the catalogue (while apparently not quite as extensive as spotify) is hard to find gaps in. Big fan of the suggestions/explore/shared playlist stuff as well. Convenience of having it available absolutely everywhere, particularly with a chromecast connected to the AV receiver, is hard to beat.
One thing I will confess I do miss about physical media is buying a new album in a shop (especially on the occasions when other people were buying the same thing) and then the anticipation of waiting to get home until you could listen to it. Putting a record on for the first time having never heard it before had a tactile effect that can't be repeated with downloaded or streamed music.
I still get albums but by most of my stuff is ripped from existing music collection into MP3 format for my 160GB iPod (close to full). I don't mind streaming services but I like to control what I listen to when I want to listen to it.
I still buy music. Mostly CDs. Sometimes MP3 format on Amazon if something isn't published anymore. I was still buying cassettes into 2003-2004 until Walmart stopped carrying them. I'll still get cassettes and records at Goodwill from time to time.
That's because they listen to boring music that all sounds the same.
This is the truth.
Yawn..blanket statement. [/quote]
Well what I mean to say is mostly directed toward popular music. They are over produced and *sound* the same. Songs may be different, but the production follows a strict money making formula of overly compressed, drab sounding music. There are a lot of really superior sounding stuff out there, but you've never heard of them because they don't follow a generic popular music formula, so go unnoticed. Today's Indie music isn't even really Indie anymore. Just basically pop music by guys in plaid shirts and skinny jeans.
I bought $70 worth of old vinyl records last weekend, does that count? I'd wager a good number of them haven't been played since before I was born over 35 years ago...
I haven't bought a CD since 2002? Never purchased music in a digital format before.
But then again, I'm the guy who will listen to all of a band's albums, end to end, instead of just picking and choosing a few songs here and there over and over again.
I think the collective attention span of society has decreased or something because I know a lot of people who told me that they can't just listen to an entire album from beginning to end because it bores them and because they need variety.
That's because they listen to boring music that all sounds the same.
I find back in my album buying days that i'd listen to the whole cassette front to back more than once. First run several songs would stand out while others i knew i'd end up fast forwarding though eventually.
Example that i can thing of right now....ZZ Top Eliminator. My favorite album of all time. Songs like TV Dinner and several others i just can't stand.....hardly boring
No, I meant if you buy music in ANY format. I started the thread because it seems that more and more people I know don't buy music at all anymore. They just stream everything off of Pandora or Spotify. So I was curious to see how many people on SimHQ were the same way.
I've never tried Spotify and can't stand Pandora. A few years back I opened an account and created a few playlists. "Metal," for example, was started with Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Queensryche, etc, and the damn thing played everything BUT the bands I'd entered. Same for "prog," no Yes, ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, etc. I've also come to realize that I like QUIET, and don't need some kind of audio or video stimulation 24/7. I can go weeks without turning on the TV, radio, or music.
That's because they listen to boring music that all sounds the same.
This is the truth.
Yawn..blanket statement.
Well what I mean to say is mostly directed toward popular music. They are over produced and *sound* the same. Songs may be different, but the production follows a strict money making formula of overly compressed, drab sounding music. There are a lot of really superior sounding stuff out there, but you've never heard of them because they don't follow a generic popular music formula, so go unnoticed. Today's Indie music isn't even really Indie anymore. Just basically pop music by guys in plaid shirts and skinny jeans. [/quote]
I'm hearing ya, i cannot stand mainstream music and the standard radio station formats.
OK, so I have Free Pandora, and never used Spotify.
With Spotify, can you play a whole album of your favorite group? Or can you repeat a song over if you really like it? Or does it work like Pandora, where you play a "Station" of music, and you get what is played?
I've also come to realize that I like QUIET, and don't need some kind of audio or video stimulation 24/7. I can go weeks without turning on the TV, radio, or music.
I don't turn it on to eliminate the quiet. There's no such thing as quiet where I live (with 2 little girls) or where I work (with large numbers of computers and switches and servers). I turn it on to drown out the noise.
I've also come to realize that I like QUIET, and don't need some kind of audio or video stimulation 24/7. I can go weeks without turning on the TV, radio, or music.
I don't turn it on to eliminate the quiet. There's no such thing as quiet where I live (with 2 little girls) or where I work (with large numbers of computers and switches and servers). I turn it on to drown out the noise.
The Jedi Master
I'm a mechanic, I'd need a Spinal Tap amp to block out the noise in the shop LOL.
Quiet can be good (or low-volume Classical), but sometimes I need tunes in my ear to push myself.
I shunned mid-late '80s Rush for years, but today I appreciate their steady-beat electronic/synth stuff for treadmill/jogging...
A Show of Hands (concert) has a good collection of these songs.
P/G, PoW, and HYF are 3 of my absolute favs, the only albums I like better than those are AFTK, Hemispheres, and MP. The rest just aren't as solid as the mid-late 80s stuff. HYF is the only one of the 3 that has more than 1 song I dislike (Force Ten and Second Nature.)
I've also come to realize that I like QUIET, and don't need some kind of audio or video stimulation 24/7. I can go weeks without turning on the TV, radio, or music.
I don't turn it on to eliminate the quiet. There's no such thing as quiet where I live (with 2 little girls) or where I work (with large numbers of computers and switches and servers). I turn it on to drown out the noise.
The Jedi Master
I'm a mechanic, I'd need a Spinal Tap amp to block out the noise in the shop LOL.
In your case I'd invest in a good pair of noise-cancelling earphones.
I haven't touched Pandora in years- got sick of all my rock/ indie/ hip hop/ country/ electronica/ metal/ r&b channels always ending up with Red Hot Chili Peppers or the Beatles twice an hour.
P/G, PoW, and HYF are 3 of my absolute favs, the only albums I like better than those are AFTK, Hemispheres, and MP. The rest just aren't as solid as the mid-late 80s stuff. HYF is the only one of the 3 that has more than 1 song I dislike (Force Ten and Second Nature.)
Ah shucks, I love Second Nature and Force Ten is one of those featured on ASoH I mentioned earlier that you can pace yourself with. IMO, a couple of other good treadmill tracks are The Weapon and The Body Electric.
...but there was a time when the third column in my pic didn't exist, I lost interest after MP and didn't pick it up again until Presto. Column three are some of my favorites now, not just for good workout music but because I haven't worn them out yet (I still remember where the 8-track advances on some older stuff, and still consider CDs as having an A and B side for the ones I had in vinyl).
As I'm aging I'm slowing down a little (Tai' Shan anyone?)
If I could make the decision I'd have us going back to vinyl with album art and booklets, but with a bonus CD in a paper sleeve included. Then everyone would be happy, yes?
If I could make the decision I'd have us going back to vinyl with album art and booklets, but with a bonus CD in a paper sleeve included. Then everyone would be happy, yes?
Except for the album art that stuff is already available for consumers that want it. Why force the consumers who want to go strictly digital/streaming to change?
If I could make the decision I'd have us going back to vinyl with album art and booklets, but with a bonus CD in a paper sleeve included. Then everyone would be happy, yes?
Except for the album art that stuff is already available for consumers that want it. Why force the consumers who want to go strictly digital/streaming to change?
Nah, keep the streaming, just bring back LPs (and music stores) in force with included CD (since they're still making LPs and CDs as of today). I'd still burn the CD to MP3 and for lossless archiving (no longer have a turntable), but I'd also once again have the packaging, which I'd happily pay a little more for.
Probably a bad idea since new music isn't so album based anyway, right? But I'd love (for example) to have the Boston, Don't Look Back and Third Stage full-sized albums again. It's too bad they didn't use my idea when CDs first started coming out, instead of killing the LP just include an additional digital plastic disc in a paper sleeve.
I haven't touched Pandora in years- got sick of all my rock/ indie/ hip hop/ country/ electronica/ metal/ r&b channels always ending up with Red Hot Chili Peppers or the Beatles twice an hour.
that's funny you said that, I heard some Paul McCartney songs I like back from his Wings days and I was attacked with Beetles songs which I hate.
I just remembered, this was in my local paper last month...
========== "Vinyl record sales have been dramatically increasing over the past few years after bottoming in the early 1990s. This has led to several new stores opening up in Baton Rouge that specialize in selling vintage and new albums." ==========
I just remembered, this was in my local paper last month...
========== "Vinyl record sales have been dramatically increasing over the past few years after bottoming in the early 1990s. This has led to several new stores opening up in Baton Rouge that specialize in selling vintage and new albums." ==========
Oh I know that LP's have been undergoing a sort of sales renaissance recently but compared to the overall market it's still a niche product. I think we can rule out an 8-Track revival though.
that's funny you said that, I heard some Paul McCartney songs I like back from his Wings days and I was attacked with Beetles songs which I hate.
I think the underlying assumption of Pandora's system is that if you like music from Wings you most likely also like stuff from the Beatles and I can say from my own personal experience that that seems to be the case. Your case is not typical so it threw off Pandora's system!
Oh I know that LP's have been undergoing a sort of sales renaissance recently but compared to the overall market it's still a niche product. I think we can rule out an 8-Track revival though.
Yeah, can't say I miss 8-track, and I still can't believe on one of my Skynyrd tapes they changed tracks right in the middle of Freebird. Another irritating track interrupt was The Camera Eye on Moving Pictures, understandable but irritating.
But if you were young and poor in the early '80s, the 8-track was an affordable way to start a collection. Garage sales could be fantastic, usually no more than $0.25 to $0.50 a tape. If I liked most of a collection, I'd negotiate a deal for the entire stash (purchased all of Rush thorough MP that way)!
Prerecorded cassettes were the worse, IMO (remember Columbia House?), by then it was better to just buy a decent receiver (or integrated amp/tuner), turntable and tape deck, then buy the LPs and make quality recordings.
that's funny you said that, I heard some Paul McCartney songs I like back from his Wings days and I was attacked with Beetles songs which I hate.
I think the underlying assumption of Pandora's system is that if you like music from Wings you most likely also like stuff from the Beatles and I can say from my own personal experience that that seems to be the case. Your case is not typical so it threw off Pandora's system!
Still doesn't explain how Outkast, Luda, Eminem, The Roots, Wu Tang, Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest, and Lupe Fiasco somehow leads into "Danni California," or how Angie Stone, John Legend, Jill Scott, and Mary J. Blige somehow relates to "Eight Days a Week."
Nah, keep the streaming, just bring back LPs (and music stores) in force with included CD (since they're still making LPs and CDs as of today). I'd still burn the CD to MP3 and for lossless archiving (no longer have a turntable), but I'd also once again have the packaging, which I'd happily pay a little more for.
Probably a bad idea since new music isn't so album based anyway, right? But I'd love (for example) to have the Boston, Don't Look Back and Third Stage full-sized albums again. It's too bad they didn't use my idea when CDs first started coming out, instead of killing the LP just include an additional digital plastic disc in a paper sleeve.
To me, LPs are good for one thing and one thing only - cover art. Would you rather see this:
or this:
On 2 square feet of awesomeness, or 50 square inches of...blah?
We have a local chain of independent music stores called Bull Moose Music, and I really like going in there. In Concord NH there's one called Pitchfork Records that's tailored more toward LPs, but you never know what you'll find when you go in. A friend and I were in there once and she found Gary Wright's "The Dream Weaver" on LP and HAD to have it. I could NOT stop laughing at his pic on the back! "Wonder Twin powers, activate! Form of - an ice synthesizer!" LOL
^This, I love LPs for that reason some album covers you can get lost in looking at all the details (Iron Maiden have some great examples). The sound is superior too, its just too bad we can't have backpack record players for portable music. Nothing can beat the 160gb ipod for convenience which is why I love mine. I can listen to Coltrane one minute, Maiden the next then onto some Buddy Miles or if I'm in a thrash metal mood some classic Sepultura! But while the quality and fun isn't there you can't deny the portability of gigantic music collection.
There are plenty of box sets of vinyl plus CDs available now. However, they are geared to enthusiasts and you're talking about $40+ per album or entire collections for $200+.
Speaking of The Beatles, after their UK catalog was released in both stereo and mono on CD in 2009, and the US catalog released I think late last year (with stereo and mono on the same CD since they were short enough to fit the album twice in 79 mins of space), the vinyl collection was released earlier this year.