Buying CDs in the modern age

[Einherjar86]

Have you been to the FYE at the McKinley Mall? At least it has a separate metal section.

I have not, but the FYE in my hometown has its own metal section. Unfortunately, I'm in Florida this summer. Maybe I'll buy some in August when I go home.

 

[FenriR]

I won't buy an album if I haven't downloaded and listened to it first, but if I like it, and I like the artist and feel they need supporting (f'ristance I wouldn't have bought In Sorte Diaboli even if I did like it, Dimmu don't need my money, I do) I'll try and get hold of it. The trouble is there isn't a decent shop selling metal cds within a hundred miles, or if there is I haven't found it, and the closest is HMV which stocks stuff like My Chemical Faggotry, BFMV, Linkin Park etc in their metal section. This means I usually have to buy only which is rip-off central, and can often take fucking ages to deliver, so often I end up buying off eBay which doesn't really help the band at all.
If I REALLY like the band I'll buy one of their shirts as well if they have one.

 

[mutantllama]

I download to sample and get used to the band a bit, then I buy the album.

 

[Alter]

I download and buy, a lot. I think this is pretty much a dead-end subject.

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

I buy cds. I only download if its stupid impossible to get the cd. Hense the newest Menhir and the new Arghoslent

 

[Alter]

Keep in mind I buy CDs a ton but how can I keep up to date with the year ad go back into past years. I would be spending WAYYYYYYY to much money if I only bought Cds, but regardless I like buying CDs more.

 

[SouthernTrendkill]

Actually, come to think of it I used to buy a HELL of a lot of CDs without knowing shit about the band or what they're like. E.g. "Sepultura? Hm, I think I've heard of them before. Maybe they're amazing. I guess I'll buy this."

It was really fun for a while because it's very exciting to have no idea what an album will sound like. But eventually I looked back on the CDs I was buying and realized that all of the CDs I had bought at random where all the worst CDs I had. Ahahaha... So now I only buy CDs by artists I am more than semi-aware of.

If CDs costed about $5, I'd probably buy five times as many... and that'd be a hell of a lot.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

I admit it. I don't buy CDs. The lack of income didn't help.

I will, however, buy a band's t-shirt and go to shows. They make more money from that...unless i am mistaken.

 

[BlackMetalWhiteGuy]

When I was in high school, I used to spend the majority of my summer earnings on video games and CDs, but that isn't really an option for me any more. I'm now a college student getting ready to graduate and I just bought a used car which is a bit more important.

I used to preview CDs in the store and buy the ones that sounded good, but it's really hard to judge an album based upon 30 seconds per song, so I've spent a lot of money on CDs that weren't very good. Considering this, and the fact that only a small portion of that money goes back to the band anyway, I feel absolutely no obligation to support the RIAA any further than I already have.

I still will occasionally buy CDs of my favorite artists, but this is because I just want to have them, not because I feel like my support makes a difference to the artist. Overall though, I feel like I'm doing more of a service to the artist by downloading their music and sharing it with my friends who otherwise would have never heard of them, than I would be if I were just buying their CDs, which promotes corporate exploitation of artists and consumers more so than it promotes those who actually deserve it.

Additionally, I'm a musical hobbyist myself, as well as a psychology major with a strong human sexuality and evolutionary musicology influence, so I think I've come to the conclusion quite legitimately that any artist who truly cares about their music and enjoys what they are doing will continue to produce it whether it's economically profitable for them or not.

 

[SouthernTrendkill]

Yeah bands make like a few cents on their CDs. It's pretty absurd. I suspect it's one of the main reasons that bands like Radiohead are ditching their label to do it themselves. You're selling millions of $15 CDs and you're only getting thousands of dollars off of it.

 

[The_Lunar_Strain]

I download its all going to go on my mp3 player anyways

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Buy and download, in nearly equal amounts now.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

any artist who truly cares about their music and enjoys what they are doing will continue to produce it whether it's economically profitable for them or not.

My thoughts exactly. A lot of bands don't write/play music for the money, but because they enjoy doing it.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Theoretically very true, not in practice though. Sucks, but it's not true a great majority of the time. Bands need money to tour anyway, and if they want to get stuff out to everyone even out of love, they'll probably need funding.

 

[Black Friday]

Depends. If I think a band is getting more than enough sales, I won't buy it, but if they're amazing and noone seems to buy their albums, I'll buy them.

 

[dcowboys311]

I don't really support bands by going to their concerts because I get into 99% of shows for free, so they don't get me money that way. I like to buy CDs and shirts when I can but most of my money goes to food/rent/etc. I only have to download the obscure stuff though because I get promos for all of the "major labels" in metal.

 

[The Butt]

Buy and download, in nearly equal amounts now.

Same.

I download heavily, I admit. But that's mainly because CD stores refuse to carry anything other than the most mainstream shit possible. Also, being strapped for cash doesn't help either.

But I do try to buy CDs whenever I can. I like to think my collection of CDs is at a respectable size, at the very least.

 

[Satanstoenail]

Buying music ftw.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

I've posted my CD collection numerous times but...whatever. Plus, VINYL!

(not all pictured)

(gotten a few more since then but...meh)

 

[Valdincan]

I will usually sample it on Youtube or myspace before buying it, but I love having a physical copy with the art and such.

Most subcultures still buy albums, instead of downloading.