Is the CD dead??

[Never Compromised]

I still buy CD's.

The problem with the iTunes store is that if you lose your data, you are well and truely screwed and Apple will not let you download again.

Although CD's do not have the quality of vinyl, they are generally much better than downloads.

 

[toughb]

Don't tell The Eagles that the CD is dead. They just released a double album. First in years for them.

 

[frankcastle]

The CD is not dead for audiophiles.

An MP3 is a fraction of the size and thus quality of sound is lost.

But most people have crap stereo systems or headphones or computer speakers so they won't notice it much plus they don't know what they are missing.

I've played CDs and heard stuff like background vocals and extra rythmn guitars that I never knew existed because I had your basic cd player from future shop.

 

[xarir]

It's been a while, but I do buy CDs once in a while. Mostly I tend to download from iTunes because of the price and sheer convenience. But if there's something I really like I will buy the CD for the extra sonic quality.

I would probably get into SACDs but the widest selection is online (mail order) from the US and I figure the hassle would be too much.

 

[james t kirk]

The CD is not dead.

I loaded up all my CD music on my old computer for my new IPOD last xmas. It took forever.

About 6 months later, the hard drive cacked out on me. When I bought a new computer, I thought I could plug my IPOD into the USB port and the new computer would sync with the lap top.

Wrong a roonie.

I found out that it was a one way street. The IPOD will dowload only, it will not upload to prevent file sharing. You can not use an IPOD as a backup.

If I had of bought everything on line, I'd be fucked.

I had to reload my entire music inventory, this time at a MUCH higher resolution than the factory setting on the IPOD. (The 128 kbps factory setting frankly sounds like shit - I can easily hear the difference (playing the IPOD in my car)).

I set the resolution to the highest possible - 320 kbps. It sounds better, but it uses far more storage space -still, it's a compressed MP3 file. I strongly recommend changing the resolution.

I will only buy CDs as a result of this learning experience.

 

[Garrett]

I found out that it was a one way street. The IPOD will dowload only, it will not upload to prevent file sharing. You can not use an IPOD as a backup.

JTK, you can sync from the IPOD to a laptop. I have done this myself, though you have to be careful. I agree with your other points... but it is clear the CD is dying. Personally, I find most downloads suck for quality and the selection is generally bad. Most people I know that download a lot are more into downloading than the enjoyment of music.

 

[Berlin]

... but it is clear the CD is dying.

Agree and I hope it'll be a very slow death, and by that time our technology hopefully will allow us to download proper CD quality i.e. 16 bit 44khz wav or aiff files in higher speed from music vendors onto even cheaper storage.

Although I use iTune store for dl , I am still buying CD monthly from Amazon.ca and from used CD stores once in a while. Audio CD is still first choice for the music I like.

Buying tracks from iTune is too convenient I must say.

 

[Hard Idle]

You would have to pay me a handsome wage to listen to MP3 sound, something in the neighbourhood of a budget Incall's hourly rate. It reminds me of the sound of 1970's portable radios from Communist East Europe.

Of course if you're mostly listening to Brittney Spears or 50Cent, I guess even this is good enough.

But if you make time to listen to music as something other than background noise or beat, then better capability is called for.

Some compromises have to be made - a CD isn't as good as a studio reel-to-reel tape - but the trade off for the convenience is not nearly as severe as with downloads. Besides, studio tapes are a comercially available product, so it's not really an option.

 

[Hard Idle]

CD's might not last "forever" but the first CD's my father bought in 1988 still sound identical today. If those were LP's, they would have been replaced at least twice by now.

I've bought about 4 CD's in the past couple of years. I've copied a few more off friends & relatives. Part of my reason for not buying is that I already have access to over 90% of everything I want, and new stuff that's worth the money only trickles out at a rate of about 2 discs a year.

I want to own something that I really like and would buy more if the prices were more realistic or if better consumer options were available for the current prices.

Although I like the format, nobody is going to sell me 25 year old technology for the same money it cost 1988. I am not going to subsidize an arrogant industry's refusal to compete in acknowledgement of depreciation and declining market position.

 

[Hard Idle]

I WOULD buy CD's even at higher prices if the record companies would offer more value and service to the customer.

For example, they should offer consumers the options to custom order their own CD's online by choosing track by track from the entire database of recordings that a company owns the rights to. You select up to 75 miuntes per disc from everything available on all of a certain conglomerate's labels.

It would be very easy to have a website where buyers could browse a company's entire library in compressed form, and then purchase sessions or tracks on a cost-per-unit or cost-per-minute basis and have that album custom-produced and shipped directly.

I won't pay even $9.99 for a disc which mostly duplicates what I already have just to get 15 minutes of tracks I want. But I might pay $45 to get 70 minutes of tracks which are now scattered on 4 separate discs or not currently in release.

 

[tboy]

You touched on one of my strong points also HI.

Go to your local music store and look at the majority of CDs out there. Most of them are rehashed best of cds that are simply re-releasing the same old crap. To top it off they (until recently) were charging you top dollar for the same old songs, only in a different package and in a different order.

I would gladly pay:
a buck a song for current releases (aka less than a month)
$0.75 for a song 1 month to 6 months old
$0.50 for a song 6 months to a year
$0.25 for songs older than a year.

To charge $0.99 for a song released last week, and the same for Beach Boys Surfin' Safari is just plain ludicrous (and not the rap dude either). I forget what song it was but I went onto a pay site (new napster I think) to see about ok, buying songs. I searched found the song, (which was 20 yrs old) and F me, it was the same price as the songs that were released that day.

No wonder people are hesitant to pay, they could have made a quarter off me but for being greedy they made nothing. I simply went to limewire and downloaded it for nothing.

 

[tboy]

The CD is not dead.

I loaded up all my CD music on my old computer for my new IPOD last xmas. It took forever.

About 6 months later, the hard drive cacked out on me. .........

James: I feel for your loss BUT have you ever heard of Backups? You've experienced what millions of people have, or are about to, experience: hard drive failure. While some do periodical backups an overwelming majority don't and they are heading for disaster. They take all these precious digital photos, load them on their hard drive and think they're there forever. Until one day they boot up and whoops, it was so permanant after all.

 

[Gyaos]

Laserdiscs!

 

[Kailani]

CD vs MP3

I have learn to discover that quality of CD and MP3 are completely different, if the song is MP3 worthy, then I will stay with MP3, however if you want to hear every details drum line, or bass chops, or guitar sound changes in details then I will whip up 15 dollars or so to purchase new cd. Afterall, CD sound is far more suprior then MP3.

Here is another CD vs. MP3, if you want to keep your favorite musician/singer/band to stay in business, you SHOULD buy their CD and support them.

The good thing about MP3 is, it's convenient, it's free alot of times, and it can really help you to be choosy to buy any type of CDs if you ever have desire to buy them. No more hit n miss CDs that we have wasted so much money at one point in all of our lives

 

[Garrett]

Part of the problem is the download mentality is affecting music. For example:

o popular music is more singles based now than since the 60s. You see the results in more albums with filler (at least in the popular vein).
o music has never sounded worse. Huge amounts of compression are now used to pump up the sound. All dynamics have been lost. An entire generation has no clue what good sound is, and really does not care, so we just get more of the same.
o scalper prices for concert tickets are now the rule. People now pay hundreds of dollars for lousy seats in horrible venues (e.g. ACC) and then bitch about the cost of a CD.

I buy probably 10-20 CDs a month. I am still thankful for downloading as it has brought prices down and packaging is now more of a priority. The record companiesare also more aware of marketing to old farts like me because they realize we are the ones buying (witness the amazing jazz and classical reissues in the last 5 years). However, I cannot listen to the downloads... they generally sound horrible and the selection is just not there.

 

[james t kirk]

James: I feel for your loss BUT have you ever heard of Backups? You've experienced what millions of people have, or are about to, experience: hard drive failure. While some do periodical backups an overwelming majority don't and they are heading for disaster. They take all these precious digital photos, load them on their hard drive and think they're there forever. Until one day they boot up and whoops, it was so permanant after all.

Yes, I have learned my lesson and have purchased a new portable hard drive to back up everything.

The bright spot of the ordeal was that it forced me to reload all my CDs, but using the higher resolution.

 

[james t kirk]

Part of the problem is the download mentality is affecting music. For example:

o popular music is more singles based now than since the 60s. You see the results in more albums with filler (at least in the popular vein).
o music has never sounded worse. Huge amounts of compression are now used to pump up the sound. All dynamics have been lost. An entire generation has no clue what good sound is, and really does not care, so we just get more of the same.
o scalper prices for concert tickets are now the rule. People now pay hundreds of dollars for lousy seats in horrible venues (e.g. ACC) and then bitch about the cost of a CD.

Aint that the truth.

I'm still waiting for the next Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin, U2, The Who, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan.

What do I get - 50 cent, Nellie, Usher, and Justin Fucking Timberlake.

Sigh...

 

[Never Compromised]

About 6 months later, the hard drive cacked out on me. When I bought a new computer, I thought I could plug my IPOD into the USB port and the new computer would sync with the lap top.

Wrong a roonie.
.

Actually, there are a number of utilities out there that will allow you to upload from an iPod. Check VersionTracker.

 

[Timbit]

I was downtown last week and bought a bunch of compilation cds and best of cds - 18 - 20 songs each at the Music World - they were having a sale at $7 - 10/disc. So I got some really good music at less than $0.50 per song. Plus I'll always have the cds.

Timbit

 

[Meister]

An MP3 is a fraction of the size and thus quality of sound is lost.

Sure, but everything is just a series of zeros and ones. So as the storage technology gets better you will be able to play high res music from hard disks in a small size.