MP3s... has anyone stopped buying CDs?

[General Zod]

I find that when I buy a new CD, I rip it and put the CD onto the shelf, never to be touched again. I think I'm done with the physical format. And with Google selling everything for $4.99 a CD, how can I even justify it?

Just curious... has anyone else gone digital? And if so, where is your primary source (of legal downloads)?

 

[Tranquillian]

I will never stop buying my music in the physical format as long as I can get it that way.
I have only ever bought music on itunes when it wasn't available on a cd.

I just like paying for an object, with printed art and liner notes. Paying for digital music feels like I am being ripped off.

That being said, I very rarely pick up a cd once I have had it for a few days. Normally, every cd I buy I have owned as an illegal mp3 download for weeks or months.

I usually play my music on my computer, in my car or on my iphone. Less than 5% of my listening is using the actual cd.

I also have no idea what you mean by "And with Google selling everything for $4.99 a CD"

Edit: I did my research and found that you are referring to Google Music for android? This is not available in Sweden, you can't even reach the webpages describing it.

 

[Reign in Acai]

I have only cut down on cd purchases this year due to monetary reasons. Simply being more selective, than pulling a Markgugs is all.

 

[Climb Thar Hill]

I don't see myself ever going all MP3. As Tranq stated above, I much prefer having a physical copy of an album. Another factor is laziness. I don't feel like going back through my cd collection and ripping every disc to my computer. If anything, I'll just grab a few select albums to load onto my iPodPhone for gym use. CD's get used for listening in the car and at home on my stereo.

 

[General Zod]

Paying for digital music feels like I am being ripped off.

While I once felt the same way, it seems like physical media has become the bigger rip off. For instance, on Amazon right now, I can purchase the new Redemption CD for $10.19 (+ shipping) or $4.99 on MP3. And as you pointed out, that CD will never get touched once ripped. And this doesn't even account for the fact, that if I have it shipped I'll get it next week, as opposed to getting it immediately via download.

Simply being more selective, than pulling a Markgugs is all.

Nice.

Another factor is laziness. I don't feel like going back through my cd collection and ripping every disc to my computer. If anything, I'll just grab a few select albums to load onto my iPodPhone for gym use. CD's get used for listening in the car and at home on my stereo.

I get what you mean... but my MP3s now allow me to be much lazier. I listen to my music one of three ways; on my Droid, on my iPhone (my VW has a very cool adapter, that allows me to see all the tag info on the stock head unit), or in my house via my Squeezebox (PC). This has become far more convenient that having to carry or swap CDs. Plus, I obviously don't have to worry about wear and tare on a digital file.

I'm obviously not trying to sway anyone. It's all personal preference.

 

[dorian gray]

i love cds. best format ever.

 

[dorian gray]

I like having something physical. The only time I listen to mp3s is when I'm working out.

 

[Ellestin]

I've been finding out that the more I listen to an album in the digital format beforehand, the less I feel like buying/owning the CD, so mp3's take off a big chunk of the excitement of entering in contact with a band's full creation, regardless how great the album and the artwork. So I've taken to listening to mp3's up to a maximum of 2 times to decide whether I want to buy an album or not, and starting to rely again more on word of mouth and comparing reviews, knowing that most of my best musical discoveries came from blind or at least half-blind purchases. I think this is how it should be. Discovering new music was a way more humane and thrilling process before the Internet made nearly everything available and consumable by snapping your fingers.

Then of course for practical reasons I'll more often listen to music off my hard drive, as I don't even store all my CDs at my flat, but there's no way I'm gonna waste the enjoyment of buying CDs - though on the whole I'm buying like five times less CDs than I used to.

 

[Krilons Resa]

I've been finding out that the more I listen to an album in the digital format beforehand, the less I feel like buying/owning the CD, so mp3's take off a big chunk of the excitement of entering in contact with a band's full creation, regardless how great the album and the artwork. So I've taken to listening to mp3's up to a maximum of 2 times to decide whether I want to buy an album or not, and starting to rely again more on word of mouth and comparing reviews, knowing that most of my best musical discoveries came from blind or at least half-blind purchases. I think this is how it should be. Discovering new music was a way more humane and thrilling process before the Internet made nearly everything available and consumable by snapping your fingers.
.

Even though I often find it very hard to follow this, I love what you say and agree 110%.

Also, you'll never catch me purchasing a digital music file; not even FLAC.

 

[Dick Sirloin]

Discovering new music was a way more humane and thrilling process before the Internet made nearly everything available and consumable by snapping your fingers.

This.

As for myself, if something is worthy of a physical purchase, I buy vinyl. Most of them come with mp3s anyway.

 

[Ellestin]

Also, you'll never catch me purchasing a digital music file; not even FLAC.

sure, fuck pay-per-download

 

[Reign in Acai]

While I once felt the same way, it seems like physical media has become the bigger rip off. For instance, on Amazon right now, I can purchase the new Redemption CD for $10.19 (+ shipping) or $4.99 on MP3. And as you pointed out, that CD will never get touched once ripped. And this doesn't even account for the fact, that if I have it shipped I'll get it next week, as opposed to getting it immediately via download.

Or you can go to one of a hundred blogspots and get it for free. I'm not paying a dime for a 192 kbs rip. Or is the paid shit of higher quality? I'm ignorant on the matter as I haven't spent a solitary cent of my savings on such frivolity. I want my collection to contribute to the pacific gyre once I'm long passed. Let my tastes evoke dark winds above an island of trash. I listen to cds at home, car, and most importantly the gym, as I refuse to buy an Ipud. I have a 8gb flash drive in my car stereo which I listen to to vet through all the garbage that some people extol as quality music. Take the last Anathema elevator sound track for example, piss poor fucking garbage. Where once, I may have bought it on the blind, I now thieve my way through the halls of ignorance, which opens up funds for hearty and wholesome purchases such as the latest Hades Archer. Nothing beats the feeling of receiving a package of physical media. Give me linear notes, or give me death! All praise goes to vahALLAH.

 

[Reign in Acai]

I've been finding out that the more I listen to an album in the digital format beforehand, the less I feel like buying/owning the CD, so mp3's take off a big chunk of the excitement of entering in contact with a band's full creation, regardless how great the album and the artwork.

Agreed. I still have yet to buy the new Solstafir, even though it's my AOTY. Will do so at some point, but the fact that I played those mp3s to death before it was released, killed any motivation I had to grab a physical copy. Ahhh fuck it, going to buy it right now just to spite ZOD.

 

[General Zod]

I've been finding out that the more I listen to an album in the digital format beforehand, the less I feel like buying/owning the CD...

I've had what is at once a similar, yet altogether different experience with digital music.

I found that I was listening to downloaded music, just long enough to determine whether it was purchase worthy. Then, once purchased, I'd move on to the next disc, to determine whether it was purchase worthy. This year, I intentionally stopped making purchases. Instead, I decided to look back at my Last.fm listening stats, see what I listened to the most, and buy accordingly. That's what's led me to contemplating simply buying the MP3s. Aside from convenience... price. If I went to my local record store, I'd pay about $13 a CD. Conversely, I can pay Google $4.99 for the same music.

Discovering new music was a way more humane and thrilling process before the Internet made nearly everything available and consumable by snapping your fingers.

I couldn't agree more. But at the same time, there's no realistic way for me to put that genie back in the bottle.

Also, you'll never catch me purchasing a digital music file; not even FLAC.

Can you hear a difference between 320 Kbps and a CD? I cannot. I even tested this...

I once ripped a CD to MP3 at 320 Kbps MP3 and burned them back to a CD (which converted it from MP3 to WAV). I took the burned CD and the actual CD, put them in my CD player and had the wife queue them up randomly. I couldn't hear a difference. I've found that very few people can, despite what they claim to.

 

[General Zod]

Or you can go to one of a hundred blogspots and get it for free. I'm not paying a dime for a 192 kbs rip. Or is the paid shit of higher quality? I'm ignorant on the matter as I haven't spent a solitary cent of my savings on such frivolity.

Google downloads are 320 Kbps.

I want my collection to contribute to the pacific gyre once I'm long passed. Let my tastes evoke dark winds above an island of trash. I listen to cds at home, car, and most importantly the gym, as I refuse to buy an Ipud. I have a 8gb flash drive in my car stereo which I listen to to vet through all the garbage that some people extol as quality music. Take the last Anathema elevator sound track for example, piss poor fucking garbage. Where once, I may have bought it on the blind, I now thieve my way through the halls of ignorance, which opens up funds for hearty and wholesome purchases such as the latest Hades Archer. Nothing beats the feeling of receiving a package of physical media. Give me linear notes, or give me death! All praise goes to vahALLAH.

Awesome.

 

[Reign in Acai]

Just went to google for shits n giggles, typed in 3 bands I would purchase music from, none had mp3s for purchase. What act's albums are you buying? I listen to metal, not Justin Bieber. <3 (I say that with love friend, not being a dick here.)

 

[lurch70]

the ONLY reason I would purchase a physical CD these days is if the artwork/packaging somehow contributes to the overall musical experience.
otherwise who gives a crap.

 

[Ellestin]

I couldn't agree more. But at the same time, there's no realistic way for me to put that genie back in the bottle.

And neither can I, nor any of us who once made the leap. I'm just trying to create the conditions where the old tingle will happen again a little.

Just last week I totally blind-bought a CD (ancient sacred music) and it was the most rewarding experience I've felt in ages, both the buying and the subsequent listening.

 

[Reign in Acai]

Aurel, or if the band is comprised of 55 year olds and labeled a return to form, amirite? <zing>

 

[dorian gray]

Excuse my ignorance here...but what happens to all these arrangements of ones and zeroes if the storage device dies? Everything you paid for is gone, right?