MP3s... has anyone stopped buying CDs?

For classical music, I essentially download FLAC (be it a public domain record or not). Conductors and orchestras don't need my money - they are sponsored by hedge funds, Rolex and banks. So much for American and (some) European orchestras going "bankrupt". I already perpetuate the system booking overpriced tickets once or twice a month.

The differences between buying a CD and downloading a digital file (not to mention illegal downloads) could be discussed forever. The implications, I believe, are much greater than a debate on buying something material, though this must be the core of it.

Music produced in the era of digital files loses some of the signified and the message actually conveyed is the signifier, notably the wonders of technology (how fast music loads from the hard drive, how fun it is to pilot an iPhone and to download complete discographies). The construction of meaning and the frontier self/not-self fade out.

Also, one must think what would happen if, for some reason, all CDs were to become obsolete at once. Would people complain? Do we have all we need, stored in multiple lossless formats? Can we save it on a physical support, etc. ? I'm not doubting it could happen but a) many websites charge an extra 50 % if you go for FLAC instead of MP3 files, which is absurd if you think of the ratio server space/content sold ; b) it doesn't really matter, because music produced in the era of digital files is only not tied by its immanent properties but by the system it is part of.

Current events shed a light on what it means to buy a CD and up to when we will be able to buy it. Though we might want to get rid of such a habit, we have been conditionned.

High speed dirt.
 
For classical music, I essentially download FLAC (be it a public domain record or not). Conductors and orchestras don't need my money - they are sponsored by hedge funds, Rolex and banks. So much for American and (some) European orchestras going "bankrupt". I already perpetuate the system booking overpriced tickets once or twice a month.

The differences between buying a CD and downloading a digital file (not to mention illegal downloads) could be discussed forever. The implications, I believe, are much greater than a debate on buying something material, though this must be the core of it.

Music produced in the era of digital files loses some of the signified and the message actually conveyed is the signifier, notably the wonders of technology (how fast music loads from the hard drive, how fun it is to pilot an iPhone and to download complete discographies). The construction of meaning and the frontier self/not-self fade out.

Also, one must think what would happen if, for some reason, all CDs were to become obsolete at once. Would people complain? Do we have all we need, stored in multiple lossless formats? Can we save it on a physical support, etc. ? I'm not doubting it could happen but a) many websites charge an extra 50 % if you go for FLAC instead of MP3 files, which is absurd if you think of the ratio server space/content sold ; b) it doesn't really matter, because music produced in the era of digital files is only not tied by its immanent properties but by the system it is part of.

Current events shed a light on what it means to buy a CD and up to when we will be able to buy it. Though we might want to get rid of such a habit, we have been conditionned.

High speed dirt.

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i think also musicians that really need to pay bills from their music will figure out a way to do so ... somehow ... someway.

all the rest get booze and pussy.

what's the fucking whining about?
 
Can they really? Peter was home over the holidays and he has one of those kindle thingies first one I've seen irl, and it looked real nifty tbh and no risk of the kiddies tearing out pages and stuff
yes they really can and i feel no need to justify my standpoint further

truly, e-books can fuck off then, now and well into the forever
 
I heard about that on the news. The irony is that they're responsible for the innovations that led to digital photography.

kodak has been peddling shit for the last 15 years, this is their own fault

if they had made digital cameras that people wanted to buy, they would have maybe survived, but they chose to make garbage, so they died. good riddance
 
the nerdrage in this thread makes me want to by an e-reader more than ever

@ Dev - Do share where you acquire your FLAC files, both classical and not. :)
 
the nerdrage in this thread makes me want to by an e-reader more than ever

@ Dev - Do share where you acquire your FLAC files, both classical and not. :)

Search any artist/piece + FLAC on blogsearch or straight on avaxhome.ws (if there remains any - most links are obsolete.

I find most things I'm looking after.
 
Ah, ok. I was curious if it was through private FLAC/torrent sites rather than that method, though I didn't know about avaxhome.ws so that's cool. Thanks!
 
For me, there's no putting the genie back in the bottle. The clock is ticking on physical media. So whether I choose to recognize now, that purchasing physical media is little more than a nod to nostalgia, or wait for the industry to decide it for me, it's really just a matter of when. Deciding now (in favor of digital files), at least saves me money and doesn't contribute to my environmental footprint.
 
you're right but as the prolonged death of many things proves, you can pretty much live in the past indefinitely if you want...

(i could still buy all my music on lp like nobody's business, and that was technically obsolete by 1990 or so)

...and maybe i'll choose to do that because i don't understand new things and they frighten me


the more important point is that while physical media is definitely going away, PHYSICAL MEDIA WAS BETTER in so many ways, and therefore i reserve the right to deny the way the world is turning and live-in-the-fucking-past for as long as i can muster. not the least of reasons for the compact disc's supremacy being that it promotes sitting down with real music. the death of the cd means that the "album" format will eventually die too, and that's a real bummer. downloadable whatever is great for the latest pop singles but not for a 45 minute album meant for sitting back and absorbing. who does that now?

you know and i know that you (and i) never sit down and listen to full albums back to back anymore.

sometimes man must be forced into doing the better thing (absorbing full albums on a proper stereo system, because the reward is that much greater) because man's natural desire is to be a lazy slob and chew as little as possible.

so i will never buy any convenience arguments as long as i CARE ABOUT MUSIC
 
you know and i know that you (and i) never sit down and listen to full albums back to back anymore.
I won't argue with this point. As a matter fact, I agree with pretty much everything you wrote. However, is the reason we don't sit down and listen to music, like we once did, due to the format or due to changes in our lives? I would love to just sit down with an album and just do nothing else. And occasionally, I still will. But I feel like that decrease has more to the number of hours in the day, not the format.
 
you're right but as the prolonged death of many things proves, you can pretty much live in the past indefinitely if you want...

(i could still buy all my music on lp like nobody's business, and that was technically obsolete by 1990 or so)

...and maybe i'll choose to do that because i don't understand new things and they frighten me


the more important point is that while physical media is definitely going away, PHYSICAL MEDIA WAS BETTER in so many ways, and therefore i reserve the right to deny the way the world is turning and live-in-the-fucking-past for as long as i can muster. not the least of reasons for the compact disc's supremacy being that it promotes sitting down with real music. the death of the cd means that the "album" format will eventually die too, and that's a real bummer. downloadable whatever is great for the latest pop singles but not for a 45 minute album meant for sitting back and absorbing. who does that now?

you know and i know that you (and i) never sit down and listen to full albums back to back anymore.

sometimes man must be forced into doing the better thing (absorbing full albums on a proper stereo system, because the reward is that much greater) because man's natural desire is to be a lazy slob and chew as little as possible.

so i will never buy any convenience arguments as long as i CARE ABOUT MUSIC

Fantastic post.
 
"you know and i know that you (and i) never sit down and listen to full albums back to back anymore."

So true.