Tell me about CD's - do you still use them? Do you buy blank or pre-recorded CDs?

[Bucksstudent]

I buy blanks, but the last new CD I bought was a five-dollar copy of Glen Campbell's Meet Glen Campbell, which was at least three months ago. Before that, I can't remember.

These days, I download or buy it on vinyl.

[Bucksstudent]

 

Originally Posted by Player99

I always hated cd's. I used them on my computer for data, but never music. My new car has a cd player that I will never use. When I am given cds for bday gift I give them away.

 

Ladies and gentleman, Thurston Moore!

[goodhonk]

 

Originally Posted by six acre lake

At this point, when I find myself in a record store, which is not as often as I'd like, I'm going to walk out with vinyl or nothing at all. If I'm going digi I prefer Bandcamp as I know the band is getting a lions share of the cash. If I do find myself buying a CD or Cassette release, that's right cassette, it's from a touring band and more then like the CD or Cassette is self produced CDR etc and the band is trying to find its road expenses to the next town they are playing in.

I kinda see CDs as a bad investment for a band. Vinyl is still collectable and bandcamp offers a ton of Digi formats while skipping the greed of itunes and supporting the artists financially.

 

the parts of your post that i could understand made good points.

[adamthemute]

I have never bought a digital file. I'd much rather have something to put on my shelf. It's still very exciting for me to wait until the release even if it's been leaked beforehand. Usually I still gravitate towards CD's and I buy them from my favourite bands, but there are certain artists where I buy vinyl instead, where I know I'd listen to their album as a whole.

The only difference in my spending habits of the past few years is that I don't buy used CD's to check out new bands. I download first, then buy after if they inspire my brains. Although...I've lately been addicted to getting $1-2 used CD's from Salvation Army or Value Village (Goodwill type stores). Some really good and surprising finds in amazing shape.

This iTunes nonsense saddens me as I know it will eliminate these wonderful physical mediums. Everything has to be so convenient...

[falseswipe]

I've been buying music on vinyl for the last year and a half. I really enjoy the sound and the ritual-quality of sitting and watching the record spin. I also love the big artwork, that's one of the biggest reasons I don't buy CDs anymore.

However, there are plenty of albums that either aren't on vinyl or are too hard to find on vinyl--so I buy CD copies of those (often used). I'm not snobby about the medium I listen to music on.

If I'm paying for music, though, I prefer it to have some sort of physical aspect. Feels like a more satisfying purchase.

{censored} eBooks, though.

[Bucksstudent]

 

Originally Posted by falseswipe

I've been buying music on vinyl for the last year and a half. I really enjoy the sound and the ritual-quality of sitting and watching the record spin. I also love the big artwork, that's one of the biggest reasons I don't buy CDs anymore.

 

You watch it spin? I usually take a bath or do homework. There's nothing like soaking in a hot bathtub with Glen Campbell.

I mean, a Glen Campbell record.

[Grubgoat]

I still love the CD format, though I know its dying. I try to buy new, I also love the "used" section on Amazon.com. I mixed 3 albums this year, I burned my own mixes on CD everyday to take to work to listen to, which I know is very wasteful... I take like 8 CDs from my collection to work a day, and go through them all. All of my work pants have a funky "worn out ring" in my right pocket, where I carry the cd player.

But I've done the MP3 player thing, and I didn't like it. I've had several of them, and not only did they break *FAR* too often for what they cost....

But there's also this thing where, if I had all of my favorite songs on the ready anytime I wanted it, it started to not be as good a song; when I hear some songs all the time, its like eating too much candy, I get that "sick" feeling. So what do you do? Well hell, your player can hold 50,000 songs, lets start adding more! So you buy more, then you get sick of the newer stuff too, so get some more! Its like Nuclear Escalation...

Pretty soon I was sick of everything I owned! Similar to how many things in life work (like mixing, or playing instruments), the limitations are often what makes the experience enjoyable. Also, there are lots of songs on those albums that I'd never really listened to, because they weren't "the hits". Now I'm forced to listen to them, where I'd skip them with an MP3 player. Many times they're just as good as "the hits"!

Plus the hard-copy backup factor. Plus I appreciate the artwork, and I'll read credits. CD isn't as cool sounding and all, but its the best compromise (cause cassette tapes get eaten once and they're junk). For all my needs, at least.

[christianatl]

Millennial 8-track.

I'll buy them from a band I like if that's all they have, but I greatly prefer vinyl and download codes. The best of both worlds.

[GreaserMatt]

I buy music from bands I like on cd; used when I can, new of I can't find it used. I buy blank cds to copy the store bought ones for the car, so I don't have to play the 'real' copy (in the car), just in case it gets broken into...

[houseofglass21]

I buy cd's all the time, mainly used or cheap new copies from amazon wholesalers. I have a discman that I still use and cd's always sound much better than downloads to my ears.

I do have an iPod and use Spotify a lot too. But the amount of options can be paralyzing. I don't like sitting in my car for 10 minutes before leaving because I can't decide what album out of hundreds to play on my iPod. Much easier to grab a couple cd's and commit to listening to something.

Vinyl is too expensive for me 9 times out of 10. Plus I like to listen to music on headphones more than thru a stereo system and vinyl is inconvenient for that.

I hope cd's stick around.

[iamthearm]

 

Originally Posted by houseofglass21

Vinyl is too expensive for me 9 times out of 10.

 

wut? there are tons of incredible albums at your local record store for

re: the OP yeah i still use cd's here and there. i'll buy one at a show if a band knocks my socks off. i just went through some old boxes and found a few gems:

[LuckisforLosers]

I mainly buy CD's. I like having the physical thing and the artwork and all that, plus you can buy used CD's for five or six bucks (often times less than that), so that's way cheaper. I'll download stuff occasionally, mostly from local bands and mostly from their bandcamp.

Vinyl is another story. I never got into it and still don't get it. And where the {censored} are you supposed to buy a record player nowadays? Everyone I know that has one just stole their parents record player that hasn't been used since the early 80's.

[PurpleTrails]

 

Originally Posted by LuckisforLosers

I mainly buy CD's. I like having the physical thing and the artwork and all that, plus you can buy used CD's for five or six bucks (often times less than that), so that's way cheaper. I'll download stuff occasionally, mostly from local bands and mostly from their bandcamp.

Vinyl is another story. I never got into it and still don't get it. And where the {censored} are you supposed to buy a record player nowadays? Everyone I know that has one just stole their parents record player that hasn't been used since the early 80's.

 

www.needledoctor.com

www.audioadvisor.com

www.audiogon.com for used stereo stuff (usually really good/expensive used stuff)

That's not counting the USB conversion ones you can get at places like Fry's or B&H.

[iamthearm]

 

Originally Posted by LuckisforLosers

And where the {censored} are you supposed to buy a record player nowadays? Everyone I know that has one just stole their parents record player that hasn't been used since the early 80's.

 

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=record+players

[christianatl]

 

Originally Posted by LuckisforLosers

Vinyl is another story. I never got into it and still don't get it. And where the {censored} are you supposed to buy a record player nowadays? Everyone I know that has one just stole their parents record player that hasn't been used since the early 80's.

 

You can't be serious.

[deluxelespaul]

Call be a luddite, but I still buy CDs, & vinyl occasionally.

My reasons are much the same as those already mentioned.

1. mp3 quality even at the highest settings is garbage. If I want to degrade the quality of my purchased music, I'll do it myself.

2. I like physical media in that it will outlast most other storage formats. I have 30 year old discs that still play fine. I have 80+ year old vinyl that still plays fine.

3. It makes me listen to and enjoy the music instead of surfing through hundreds of other songs.

4. Its hard to get an artist to autograph a mp3.

[crabfunk]

I still buy CDs, though not as frequently as in the past. There's something about owning something physical that can't be matched by buying a digital file, although I do buy from Itunes and amazon.com occasionally, on a song-by-song basis.

I then burn CD-Rs for when I'm driving. Also, for my own amusement, I like to buy music DVDs and remix the audio a bit so it sounds good on CDs in my house, car, etc. I'm not a professional mixer, but it's interesting to see the results I get.

[falseswipe]

 

Originally Posted by deluxelespaul

1. mp3 quality even at the highest settings is garbage.

 

Empirically false

[saturn1]

Why I like and buy CDs: Sound Quality

Packaging - lyrics, player and songwriter credits, recording, engineering, producer, mastering credits, artwork

Support traveling/working musicians - if I buy a CD from them at a show they get all the money and they are glad to spend a

minute or two chatting with me and talking music.

Goodwill and other thrift stores are a great place to get used CDs for a buck or less - for a buck I'll take a flyer on someone I've

never heard or heard of. I've found some good music that way (and some not so good).

Why I like MP3s : Travel - great for airplanes, hotels and rental cars (most now have aux ins)

Buy individual cuts - like the days when the 45 rpm was king

Shuffle mode, when making up my mind is just too much trouble.

[Karma1]

I think that CD's maintain popularity more in certain music genres than others. As a music reviewer and magazine columnist focusing mainly on new age and ambient music, I'm seeing the demographic of people who make and buy this kind of music are still interested in CD's. Its probably an older age group who are by nature "old school," although not totally of course. But I do hear a lot from people who say they like to have physical product with liner notes, art work, etc. I know that on my own albums, I put a lot into the liner notes, and it is part of a complete body of work - something that is being lost with downloading single tracks here and there. I realize, on the other hand, that some albums have a few "good" tracks and a lot of filler, so it does create a temptation to buy single mp3 tracks. I'm working on a new CD now, and there is a possibility that with the direction things are going in, it may be my last one in this format. We'll see.

[caeman]

I haven't purchased in a CD in over 5 years. I have listened to an actual CD in over a year. I primarily listen to MP3s and Pandora radio now.

I don't feel like I am missing out on any audio quality because I am listening to music in my car and its crappy sound system, or my head phones at home through my computer. At that scale, the additional quality of CD doesn't come through compared to MP3 or streaming.

[cybermooks]

I almost never buy digital downloads. There is just no comparison in terms of the audio quality of a CD (or LP). For classical music it is a no-brainer; also serious electronic music and some classic rock. The wide dynamic range of classical music and other features just can't be digitally compressed without loss.

That said, many people are totally clueless about musical quality these days. For pop music consisting of bass thumps and spoken lyrics it really doesn't make much difference. It is ironic how audiophiles struggled for years to get the perfect sound, with things like distortion measured in very minute fragments. Now that the technology to make better recordings than ever is available it sees little use apart from the more demanding tastes of audiophiles.

[misterstomach]

 

Originally Posted by christianatl

Millennial 8-track.

I'll buy them from a band I like if that's all they have, but I greatly prefer vinyl and download codes. The best of both worlds.

 

i'm pretty similar. i really only buy vinyl. i'll buy demo cd's or tapes if i see a band live and it's all they have, but mostly i only buy vinyl. i like when it comes with a download code as well. i think that's the way to go these days. and i refuse to buy mp3's. they're not even a real thing. i need some kind of tangible thing and cool artwork if you want my money, and better sound hopefully than an mp3. if i like a band, i try to make a point of buying something to support them, but i just can't bring myself to pay for an mp3. if i buy an album on one format, i don't feel guilty about downloading it.

i'll burn cd's to share music with friends still. and my band made cdr's to sell on tour, mostly 'cause they were cheap to do, provided something more to sell, and gave an opportunity for artwork and cool homemade packaging. it's not like we could afford to go press vinyl of our demo recording or anything. and you can't really sell mp3's at your merch table at shows.

[johnny_r]

 

Originally Posted by Zetor

I buy all of my music on CDs. I like the format. Never got into the vinyl thing, and I want to have a physical copy of the music I own. No plans to stop buying CDs either.

 

That's how I feel, also. Since my car has an aux input, I have a lot of my CD's burned to my MP3 player, it's sometimes easier just to grab a CD I feel like playing before I head off to work.

[ToonHollow]

 

Originally Posted by misterstomach

and you can't really sell mp3's at your merch table at shows.

 

The first time I saw O'Brother, they were selling download cards for their EP, just like the ones you'd find in a LP package. Pretty neat idea, considering I could put the card in my wallet, not hold anything for the entire show and download them when I got home.

Overall I enjoy having CD's for the packaging plus I can listen to them in my car, which you can't really do with vinyl. Honestly, it really comes down to the packaging and price. If it looks special and really cool at a good price, I'll get the vinyl/CD, otherwise I stick with digital.