Decline of cd sales

simplephysics · 11-19-2010, 06:32 PM

I can understand that... as an outlet for music I think it's a great place to go to casually listen but you're right, I'd much rather listen to songs I really enjoy on a medium that'll actually compliment the music rather than just presenting it.

As for VHS, I'm a fan because tapes are dirt cheap nowadays. In a good exchange shop, I could walk away with about 20 VHS tapes for the same amount of money I'd spend on a single high def DVD. Why I would be buying 20 movies at a time, I cannot explain, but I know I could if I wanted to.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 11-19-2010, 06:36 PM

I will admit that I miss the excitement that was in the air while waiting for the tape to finish rewinding. And the 90s Universal commercials.

Goblin Tears · 11-20-2010, 08:13 AM

My favourite format is CD, simply because you get a physical product, with artwork and a CD case, the music is presented in its highest quality, and you have the option of ripping to flac if you want to go digital. Vinyl is less practical, and downloading files from the internet feels soulless. CD gives the best of both worlds imo.

Anteater · 11-20-2010, 10:17 AM

There's no point in buying a CD for every album you have an interest in. Hence, I normally download everything I can find in FLAC/320 and only order/buy CD's from artists I'm either-

A. Particularly supportive of.

B. If they are obscure to the extent where the only way I could get their music in decent quality is to rip it straight from the CD.

As for vinyl - a fantastic format truly, but one that I've found to be overrated and impractical. And that's not even taking into consideration how expensive just getting decent equipment is, which makes it a pain in the ass to capitalize upon unless you have a large collection of vinyl in the first place or your Dad's $800 player from 1978.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 11-20-2010, 12:07 PM

I'd want to start a vinyl collection not to get albums I could easily get online, but to find that freaky stuff from decades past.

Freebase Dali · 11-20-2010, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goblin Tears

My favourite format is CD, simply because you get a physical product, with artwork and a CD case, the music is presented in its highest quality, and you have the option of ripping to flac if you want to go digital. Vinyl is less practical, and downloading files from the internet feels soulless. CD gives the best of both worlds imo.

I feel the same way.
The sad thing is that most of us here have grown up with CDs/Cassettes and there's a certain sentimental aspect there that future generations aren't going to have. Given enough time, CDs are going to be the new vinyl.

I honestly can't even imagine what the popular music medium is going to be when MP3's/digital song files become oldschool.

**Janszoon** · 11-20-2010, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

I honestly can't even imagine what the popular music medium is going to be when MP3's/digital song files become oldschool.

Neuron globules. Songs loaded directly into your brain.

Freebase Dali · 11-20-2010, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Neuron globules. Songs loaded directly into your brain.

Haha... I wouldn't do it. If one of those songs gets stuck on repeat in your head... not awesome.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 11-20-2010, 03:36 PM

It would give entirely new meaning to a song being "stuck in your head"... sufferers of OCD would not be thankful.

VEGANGELICA · 11-21-2010, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anteater

As for vinyl - a fantastic format truly, but one that I've found to be overrated and impractical. And that's not even taking into consideration how expensive just getting decent equipment is, which makes it a pain in the ass to capitalize upon unless you have a large collection of vinyl in the first place or your Dad's $800 player from 1978.

I was surprised to read this month that Elvis Costello made his new album, National Ransom, available as a CD but also as a vinyl double LP.

Costello told Time Magazine, "The real record is the LP; that's the way I think it should sound. I released it as four 78-r.p.m. records cause I wanted people to have something special. There's nothing quaint or arcane about it. It's just that some music sounds better in that form."

I was surprised Costello felt this way about vinyl, because my memory of records is that they warp and get scratched, which doesn't seem to add too much to the music other than a sweet sense of nostalgia.

I'm with Dreadnaught on music and movie quality...if I like a song or movie, I'll listen or watch in any format and still like the song or movie. I listen to almost all music as Youtube videos.

I think CDs will eventually be replaced by files, since files can last indefinitely (as long as there are computers and electricity). Even my dad, who is over 70, has an ipod and downloads files and even rips mp3s from youtube videos to store them on his computer! I don't think he buys CDs anymore at all!

11-19-2010, 06:36 PM	#22 (permalink)
~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,538	I will admit that I miss the excitement that was in the air while waiting for the tape to finish rewinding. And the 90s Universal commercials.

11-20-2010, 08:13 AM	#23 (permalink)
Goblin Tears Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Ireland Posts: 337	My favourite format is CD, simply because you get a physical product, with artwork and a CD case, the music is presented in its highest quality, and you have the option of ripping to flac if you want to go digital. Vinyl is less practical, and downloading files from the internet feels soulless. CD gives the best of both worlds imo.

11-20-2010, 12:07 PM	#25 (permalink)
~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,538	I'd want to start a vinyl collection not to get albums I could easily get online, but to find that freaky stuff from decades past.

11-20-2010, 03:36 PM	#29 (permalink)
~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,538	It would give entirely new meaning to a song being "stuck in your head"... sufferers of OCD would not be thankful.