Opeth and the new age of record releasing...

[dwoakee]

I'm living in a nightmare. Do people actually want fucking bad quality writing-protected MP3-files which you anyway only can open with your fucking iPod? I mean, you get better quality AND not writing-protected Mp3 or FLAC-files when you download them illegaly! WHY PAY FOR THE FILES WHEN YOU GET WORSE FILES THAN THE ONES YOU DOWNLOAD ILLEGALY? If CD dies, I'll die.

Nowadays there's iTunes Plus which gives you DRM-free 256 kbit AAC-files. This quality is enough for most people (at least, it's enough for me) and AAC is an MPEG format just like MP3. But there's other online shops out there. I like to buy stuff directly from Candyrat Records for example. They offer DRM-free 256 kbit MP3s.

Here in Germany, buying from iTunes is somewhat cheaper than buying a CD. iTunes albums cost 9,99 € while a regular new CD costs 13 to 18 €. I'ld definitely prefer if iTunes would sell for 5 to 8 €, but 10 € is still better than 13-18. When I buy from Candyrat there's the added advantage that they charge 10 DOLLARS. Paying it via Paypal means that it gets pretty cheap for me when I pay in €.

Then there's the moral issue ... I don't actually want to constantly download or copy music without paying for it. No, really. I want to thoroughly test the music before buying it and 30-sec clips most of the time are not really a basis for me to decide whether I like the stuff. So, I copy stuff from friends, look at youtube, or something like that. But when I have found some piece of music I like then I am ready to pay a reasonable price for it. After all, I want the musicians to live and carry on making the music I like. Seriously.

 

[SerenityNow!]

I'd like to believe that mankind will not become 100% dependent on computers to be honest ... although I use the internet to find music and news about music, I still prefer my music to be separate from online situations! so building up a cd collection is important for me, just like having a library and stuff ... internet will also never replace books for me.

Agree 1000%!!
I like physical CDs, just like physical books. The cover art, internal art, liner notes, LYRICS, etc, etc, etc are all part of the package. When a new album comes out I'm excited about the whole thing!

Besides, I don't even own a MP3 player. Don't see the need for one quite yet.

 

[SerenityNow!]

I started this thread partly out of the frustration that I know the Watershed CD is done and I cant have it for a few months because Im pretty sure the label decided the release date in June to give them time for all their promoting and what not. And yes if bands had more power to them we could have a more personal connection with the band when the band would be dealing directly to us with their music. We could get the music when it is done and promotion would be done later. That is what the Raconteurs did recently.

But as much as it seems like we will soon loose CDs forever and we will be left like ok men in the dust searching thew back rooms of music stores for some random CDs... I highly doubt this will happen. People are less likely to move away completely from a tangible object to nothing than they were from vinyl to cd. Im guessing the market will in the future be shared by both formats, mp3 and CD, which again should open up more doors for bands to distribute their music in new ways. The big label is dead for respected artists, the bands and artists with enough brains to figure out that they can have more power over their music will shift towards gaining more of this power.

I'd rather wait than have to buy a MP3 player and learn how to download music on it. Gimme the CD!!! (When it's released)

 

[Kazraine]

Agree 1000%!!
I like physical CDs, just like physical books. The cover art, internal art, liner notes, LYRICS, etc, etc, etc are all part of the package. When a new album comes out I'm excited about the whole thing!

Besides, I don't even own a MP3 player. Don't see the need for one quite yet.

But I think Digital albums could really improve the whole experience with artistic design... no need to have square album covers or 4 page booklets... you could have a 62 document file, PDF or whatever with entire studio diaries, super expanded artwork, and in ANY shape or size without restriction!

There is no limit to something that doesn't really physically exist, and this would go for the music too, you wouldn't need double CD albums (like The Roundhouse Tapes...), where you have to switch CD's and have a broken listening experience... and this could include extras like fan taken photos and professional photos from the gig in high quality etc...

People love LP's with extended artwork and hate that CD cases are so small and limited with what info can fit into a booklet... so maybe this is the next step for those people that love over the top detail and information?

Imagine... animated album covers...

But anyway, why should an artist limit themselves to the old tools people HAD to use up until now with CD packaging when there are infinite possibilities with the digital medium?

Its like a band recording in analogue just because that was the norm in the past, rather than moving and innovating with the possibilities of digital studio recording!

 

[ViCyniC]

Only if it's released in FLAC.

 

[Frosties]

you could have a 62 document file, PDF or whatever

God no.... I hate reading off a computer screen anything more than a couple of paragraphs.
If you want to see large booklets done well, there are tons of them (Iced Earth's Dark Genesis and Ayreon's The Human Equation are examples)

 

[funeralportrait91]

MP3s = eww. I'd hate if bands only released online. Ergh.
It's so much nicer to have the real thing, because it's backup if your computer crashes. Imagine paying hundreds of pounds/dollars/whatever on music only to have them wiped with no backup. I'll always stick to buying the CDs thanks very much.

 

[Rogue Eagle]

I love having CDs (even if I do rip them all to the hard disk). But yeah promo time = teh sux.
If it means earlier releases rather than listening to a few media pricks on the net talking about how great the album is while we still can't get a listen for a few months then I'm all for it.

 

[SerenityNow!]

Yeah, I like having a CD collection, and I wouldn't want to limit my music to the computer. For now, I like the old. Who knows though? We all roll with the times. Hell, I remember getting pissed off when they stopped producing cassettes.

 

[outerone]

But I think Digital albums could really improve the whole experience with artistic design... no need to have square album covers or 4 page booklets... you could have a 62 document file, PDF or whatever with entire studio diaries, super expanded artwork, and in ANY shape or size without restriction!

There is no limit to something that doesn't really physically exist, and this would go for the music too, you wouldn't need double CD albums (like The Roundhouse Tapes...), where you have to switch CD's and have a broken listening experience... and this could include extras like fan taken photos and professional photos from the gig in high quality etc...

People love LP's with extended artwork and hate that CD cases are so small and limited with what info can fit into a booklet... so maybe this is the next step for those people that love over the top detail and information?

Imagine... animated album covers...

But anyway, why should an artist limit themselves to the old tools people HAD to use up until now with CD packaging when there are infinite possibilities with the digital medium?

Its like a band recording in analogue just because that was the norm in the past, rather than moving and innovating with the possibilities of digital studio recording!

I dont think there much innovation available for digital album artwork. Sure they can add some photos and what not but as for art and design. The truly amazing packages are done with special edition albums. Look at the last Radiohead release, plus pretty much all their last 4 albums have had some kind of special edition package offered. Bjork had an amazing hits album designed by MM Paris. Massive Attack had some cool album covers. Sigur Ros, Nick Cave... etc. the list of artists who have an appreciation for special album packages in endless. And those are the true rewards for music collectors. You have all the possibilities in front of you with material, size, format, design and art.

I just dream that one day Opeth would do some cool album package that truly is amazing for its design and artwork.

Michael if your out there, I can design one for you:
http://theouterone.com/opeth1.jpg

Shameless self-promotion.... bad me!

 

[Fluxcored]

Good point about DVD-A Cyrosis. It's a shame the big dvd player manufacturers did not support the format. How great would it be if artists started to take advantage of the lossless audio modes available with blu-ray. I'd pay extra for blu re-releases, even if it was just audio tracks.

For the record I agree compressed digital audio is generally good enough for the mobile players and the shitty headphones people use day to day. However, Opeth observations should definitely be appreciated on hi fidelity speaker systems.

edit:
Fucking fantastic outerone!