Records, CDs, or MP3s?

[deathstorm]

Alabaster yeah now I remember them. Now. Remember. Hot traxs they were like little. Cassettes. That you in as well

[Woutjinho]

I have on 3" disc, but you can play them also in quite some cd players.Are here people who decide to pay for mp3s btw? I have over 1000 bands on my computer without paying for it (I delete all the mp3s of all the cds and records I own). So I guess if I used Itunes, I would have payed a lot of money for it, if I could find the stuff in the first place.So why are there people paying for digital files that are all over the internet?

[deathstorm]

I got a giftcard

[Daniel Wse Whitfield]

I have on 3" disc' date=' but you can play them also in quite some cd players.Are here people who decide to pay for mp3s btw? I have over 1000 bands on my computer without paying for it (I delete all the mp3s of all the cds and records I own). So I guess if I used Itunes, I would have payed a lot of money for it, if I could find the stuff in the first place.So why are there people paying for digital files that are all over the internet?[/quote'] Obviously the internet has both helped with promotion but poisoned the music industry. I personally don't know many people who buy digital. I use Spotify, at least some money goes to the artist. Its the price of buying 1 album a month and you get to listen to as much music online and offline that you like. I love CD's and I will buy them occasionally but its hard knowing you can get it for free. Its just a pitty that it can happen.

[Woutjinho]

In the stores cds are too expensive. I only buy them on gigs and festivals really. Maybe the internet was a bad thing for the music industrie, but to me it's the prices. Beer is expensive around here, but if you want to buy a cd in a big music store, I have to choose between that or 10 beers in a bar.

[FatherAlabaster]

Obviously the internet has both helped with promotion but poisoned the music industry. I personally don't know many people who buy digital. I use Spotify, at least some money goes to the artist. Its the price of buying 1 album a month and you get to listen to as much music online and offline that you like. I love CD's and I will buy them occasionally but its hard knowing you can get it for free. Its just a pitty that it can happen.

I like Bandcamp, they only take 15% of digital download sales. Spotify gives you far less and they're a sneaky little app. I think the industry poisoned itself by being way too fat for way too long. The combination of the internet and readily available recording equipment is awesome to me, though now the problem isn't finding music to listen to, it's dealing with the glut of music at our fingertips. I do pay for downloads on Bandcamp, when I like the band. I rarely buy CDs but I'll do it to support an artist I really like. Wout, why do you delete MP3s after buying the CD? I always rip my CDs to MP3 or FLAC so I can listen to them on my computer/phone, most of the CDs I've bought in the past few years have been played once if at all.

[Woutjinho]

When I have it on cd, I can listen to it on my laptop, my car, the living room and the bed room. I don't need an mp3 of thesame stuff I already own to use it on my laptop. That's also why I think my last.fm is not a really good reflection of my all-time favorite bands. (well, it is in some way)

[Daniel Wse Whitfield]

I like Bandcamp, they only take 15% of digital download sales. Spotify gives you far less and they're a sneaky little app. I think the industry poisoned itself by being way too fat for way too long. The combination of the internet and readily available recording equipment is awesome to me, though now the problem isn't finding music to listen to, it's dealing with the glut of music at our fingertips. I do pay for downloads on Bandcamp, when I like the band. I rarely buy CDs but I'll do it to support an artist I really like. Wout, why do you delete MP3s after buying the CD? I always rip my CDs to MP3 or FLAC so I can listen to them on my computer/phone, most of the CDs I've bought in the past few years have been played once if at all.

I didn't say Spotify was great, its just a step better than downloading it for free!! haha There is no great option now. No one will pay full price and hardly anyone will play small amounts. I believe the band should get far more of the profit on spotify. Still a low-ish a month fee for people, though more revenue to the band.

[BlutAusNerd]

Re: Records, CDs, or MP3s? Paying for downloads just seems weird to me, almost as though you're not actually getting anything for your money. I would much rather have a hard copy, and even though much of what I buy is used and therefore may not directly "support the band", I do go to a lot of shows, buy merch, and fill in gaps of albums I can't find used with new copies. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

[FatherAlabaster]

Paying for downloads just seems weird to me, almost as though you're not actually getting anything for your money. I would much rather have a hard copy, and even though much of what I buy is used and therefore may not directly "support the band", I do go to a lot of shows, buy merch, and fill in gaps of albums I can't find used with new copies. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

Honestly, it's in your head. You're getting data, which is the end product of a lot of hard work, time, and money. Like I said, I almost never listen to anything other than digital files anyway - the only reasons for me to buy CDs are to support a band, or for the sound quality, which can really take a hit with bad mp3s, especially if it wasn't the best recording in the first place. It's just a different viewpoint. I don't have anything other than a computer that plays CDs anyway, so they don't mean a whole lot to me, and I've had too many losses to feel great about having a "collection". I have two or three digital copies of most music I care about, on different computers. Nothing compared to some of my friends, who have multiple terabyte drives filled with music.

[BlutAusNerd]

Re: Records, CDs, or MP3s?

Honestly' date=' it's in your head. You're getting data, which is the end product of a lot of hard work, time, and money. Like I said, I almost never listen to anything other than digital files anyway - the only reasons for me to buy CDs are to support a band, or for the sound quality, which can really take a hit with bad mp3s, especially if it wasn't the best recording in the first place. It's just a different viewpoint. I don't have anything other than a computer that plays CDs anyway, so they don't mean a whole lot to me, and I've had too many losses to feel great about having a "collection". I have two or three digital copies of most music I care about, on different computers. Nothing compared to some of my friends, who have multiple terabyte drives filled with music.[/quote'] All of my music ends up digitized, but I would always rather listen to the CD, for reasons of sound quality and tangibility. Digital is great for convenience, but despite not reading too many lyrics, there's something about thumbing through a booklet, looking at the artwork, and having something physically in my hands that I can't let go of. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

[FatherAlabaster]

All of my music ends up digitized, but I would always rather listen to the CD, for reasons of sound quality and tangibility. Digital is great for convenience, but despite not reading too many lyrics, there's something about thumbing through a booklet, looking at the artwork, and having something physically in my hands that I can't let go of. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

That's understandable. There was a time when I felt the same way. Living here for so long has made that pretty irrelevant for me, but more in the sense that the money to buy every album I want and the space to keep them are luxuries I can't afford. I hung on to being a CD listener for years after college, but time has worn me down. I still prefer FLAC or wav files when I can get them, though, and there's no loss in quality there.

[Feidz]

To be honest... I'll go with the CD because some MP3s have bad quality! I mean.. let me tell you something: Imagine your downloading torrent, you're downloading all System of a Down Discography.. You realise they have bad quality! Not only about the quality but you get real copy of the song and you support the band or a musician! That's all i wanna say fokes! My opinion! -Feidz

[Woutjinho]

I'm pretty sure you could find excellent rips of those cds as well, but I see what you mean.

[Feidz]

I'm pretty sure you could find excellent rips of those cds as well' date=' but I see what you mean.[/quote'] CDs are better than MP3s.. Here are the reasons: - Higher Quality than MP3s from torrent - Supporting musicians and rock bands - Portable (you can use it anywhere).. Example: Cars, MP3 player / radio studio and others This is the reason why CDs are better than MP3s.. Just for my opinion! =) -Feidz

[FatherAlabaster]

CDs are better than MP3s.. Here are the reasons: - Higher Quality than MP3s from torrent - Supporting musicians and rock bands - Portable (you can use it anywhere).. Example: Cars, MP3 player / radio studio and others This is the reason why CDs are better than MP3s.. Just for my opinion! =) -Feidz

You're not making sense. 1) No one would argue that MP3s lose some sound quality, but using a good codec at a decent bitrate, MP3s are perfectly listenable... not to mention other, potentially better-sounding formats like AAC, Ogg, and my favorite, FLAC files (lossless, CD-quality audio in half the space). 2) You're supporting the artist just as much by buying a download, especially from a site like Bandcamp that gives musicians a bigger cut of the proceeds - 85% of digital and 90% of merch, for a website that hosts your audio for free. 3) Nothing is more portable than digital files. Dedicated CD players are going the way of the tape deck, in favor of docks and aux jacks. Our car's CD player hasn't worked in years. And how on earth will you use a CD in an MP3 player? And what does a radio studio have to do with anything? 4) We know it's your opinion, you don't always have to say it's just your opinion... especially not when you're trying to present a list of facts. There are lots of facts in favor of digital files. You're still allowed to like CDs or even vinyl better. For that matter, I'd probably still prefer CDs if I had more space and money, and a dedicated listening environment.

[Carmilla1]

MP3s are good for convenience but I prefer to have an actual physical copy of an album. Being able to look at the artwork - one of the best things about CDs and records in particular is the artwork on the booklet or sleeve. I love 70s records as they're so interesting. Like Jethro Tull's Living in the past and Thick as a brick - the former is like a book and the latter is like a real newspaper! Same with books, e-readers are convenient, but there's something about actually having the book. Feels like you have a real physical collection rather than just a digital one. Also shows more commitment too I think as you've actually bothered to get the real thing - but buying digital copes is still supportive of bands of course. It's just that I like to have hard copies if my favorite albums. I'd like to get records too, I have my dad's though

[MacabreEternal]

MP3s are good for convenience but I prefer to have an actual physical copy of an album. Being able to look at the artwork - one of the best things about CDs and records in particular is the artwork on the booklet or sleeve. I love 70s records as they're so interesting. Like Jethro Tull's Living in the past and Thick as a brick - the former is like a book and the latter is like a real newspaper! Same with books, e-readers are convenient, but there's something about actually having the book. Feels like you have a real physical collection rather than just a digital one. Also shows more commitment too I think as you've actually bothered to get the real thing - but buying digital copes is still supportive of bands of course. It's just that I like to have hard copies if my favorite albums. I'd like to get records too, I have my dad's though

The tangible evidence of your purchase is a great thing. Take me back to being 13 and looking at the "Killers" artwork again for the first time or the fantastic font on Saxon's "Power and the Glory" also. I just wish I had the space for CDs or vinyl. If I ever can afford it I will revert back to how I first discovered music and get myself a turntable and some vinyl records but for now it's (mostly) MP3s.

[serpiko]

Had to go with records, CD are cool and I always thought that only nostalgic elitists preferred records over CDs. Until one day about 15 years ago when I had the chance to listen to dark side on the moon on vinyl on a professional record player trough hi end headphones. I don't know whether the vinyl was a reissue or not, but was super thick and holy crap that thing produced the best soundwaves ever to pass through my eustachian tube. Further more might be a hipster fashion but right now here in Europe sales of records are increasing, and I remember a press article not long ago stating that when you buy a record essentially you buy time for yourself. You do enjoy the big size pictures while listening carefully and not in a harry to your favourite record.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Physical copies, be they cd or vinyl, are always going to be in demand. I prefer a physical copy but as I have stated previously there aren't any quality record stores in my vicinity. The instant gratification of a digital file is beneficial particularly when compared to the delay associated with eBay or Amazon.

[GorboGorboze]

I'm a bit of a Luddite, as I'm sure some have noticed, so vinyl would always be my first choice, my new(to me) turn table is nice and my speakers are a national treasure, I'd like to get a top notch receiver. I have a low opinion of CD's mostly because I treat them like shit, because I continue to believe that they should be indestructible, and I subject them to the gritty horror that is the car. As regards mp3s, if you can't find it at a yard sale...well, you likely won't find it in my music collection. I use a truck weekly that I keep 5 tapes in, and the minivan I'm excited to get has a tape deck so I'm fucking ecstatic about that. When I asked my wife what the sound system was like in the van, she said "why, are you planning to blow it out?". I am planning to blow it out using cassette tapes 'cuz I kick it old school.

[Black Milk]

They have their different purposes. I prefer vinyls because I feel even in this day and age when a record is being produced and put together its still following the spirit of presentation of vinyls of the old days, then just shrunk down for cd's. I spend hours on end in record shops, when you come across an album you've been trying to track down for months it just feels like victory in your hands. When you put it on every moment of it becomes its own, there's no skip button, you get the total experience of what the artist was trying to present, and even if its a song in there you don't particularly care for, you remember how it fit in there, how it helped paint the picture of the entire album. Theres just nothing better to me. I will buy a cd if its something I know I'm gonna want to listen to in my car, which plays off the fact I haven't had iTunes for about a year now so my ipod is frozen in time.

[rakestein]

I prefer CDs, the sound is better than MP3. And I remember when I was younger and I went to the CD store to buy the CD y I returned home as fast as I could to listen to the CD. Sadly the only CD store that was in the city where I live closed 5 years ago because they didn't shell so much CDs... Now I buy CDs in the internet but it isn't the same

[Necturion]

I don't like MP3s.

I prefer vinyl but oftentimes I don't have the time to sit around and listen to a whole album, so I digitalize my albums and keep them as a collection. I export them as FLAC files for more quality and listen to them on my headphones when I am outside or do something else if I don't have time.

second one is CDs for bands that don't have vinyl Releases. I also rip them to FLAC, not mp3.

[Requiem]

CDs all the way, but also mp3 versions of them so I can listen when I’m out on the town.