AndrewKilpatrick
Offline
Brighton | Portsmouth | UK

I'm writing a piece on the decrease in CD sales and questioning its future, and I'd like to interview someone who often buys CDs still! Preferably one British person and another from abroad, but we'll see how it goes. If you're interested or know someone who would be, gimme a shout please!! (PS, interview will be conducted over email).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I still do, quite a lot, but since I moved to a city, where there is only one second hand CD shop for MILES, I tend to do most of my CD shopping online. Though in my experience, shopping on amazon hasn't lost the 'browse-factor' (wherein I'd go into a shop, look through CDs and buy something cheap I'd never heard of just to see what it was like, which has led me to discover some of my favourite bands). What about you lot? Opinions on CDs over other formats?

Last edited by AndrewKilpatrick (Mar 12, 2013 2:35 pm)

donotrunwithpixels
Offline
Swansea, UK

I still buy CDs simply because they're often the cheapest option - I'm in a phase of my life where a lot of the CDs I buy are older releases that I heard earlier on in my life and only now am getting around to purchasing - On Amazon marketplace or in HMV pre-owned, these CDs are a couple of quid each - if I wanted to download them they'd be 6 or 7 quid each.

I also like physical artwork - if there's a special edition or any kind of cool art, I'd prefer to see it printed than on a screen.

I also like different listening experiences - so for example, I bought an MP3 of Skrillex's Bangarang to listen to on my Shuffle in the Gym - never am I going to want to listen to that when I'm not working out. The same week I bought the Dead Weather's Horehound on CD - It's a great driving album, and I'll probably lend it to a few friends that like to discover new music through me. The same week I bought Foal's Holy Fire on vinyl. That is an album I never want to waste on the gym, or earbuds, or car stereos. That is an album I want to purposefully decide to listen to, make myself a cuppa, sit down, drop the needle and only move to turn it over - concentrate on the music, and let it permeate me.

Feel free to email me if you have more questions.

AndrewKilpatrick
Offline
Brighton | Portsmouth | UK
donotrunwithpixels wrote:

I still buy CDs simply because they're often the cheapest option - I'm in a phase of my life where a lot of the CDs I buy are older releases that I heard earlier on in my life and only now am getting around to purchasing - On Amazon marketplace or in HMV pre-owned, these CDs are a couple of quid each - if I wanted to download them they'd be 6 or 7 quid each.

I also like physical artwork - if there's a special edition or any kind of cool art, I'd prefer to see it printed than on a screen.

I also like different listening experiences - so for example, I bought an MP3 of Skrillex's Bangarang to listen to on my Shuffle in the Gym - never am I going to want to listen to that when I'm not working out. The same week I bought the Dead Weather's Horehound on CD - It's a great driving album, and I'll probably lend it to a few friends that like to discover new music through me. The same week I bought Foal's Holy Fire on vinyl. That is an album I never want to waste on the gym, or earbuds, or car stereos. That is an album I want to purposefully decide to listen to, make myself a cuppa, sit down, drop the needle and only move to turn it over - concentrate on the music, and let it permeate me.

Feel free to email me if you have more questions.

Cheers! You'll be hearing from me shortly smile

herr_prof
Offline
Unsubscribe

If I have to buy physical media, i rather get vinyl with a download code. If im stuck with a physical object, it should at least look cool.

I never buy used cds cause the money doesnt get back to the artist. Id rather pirate and then buy a shirt or something.

donotrunwithpixels
Offline
Swansea, UK

Well, herr, the argument could be made that part of the value of the original (new) CD was the fact that it can be resold.

I buy paintings second hand, and the reason I can do so is because I can recover my money for something more useful if I need to by selling the painting - the artist has benefitted from that added value to the customer when they originally sold the art.

Infinity Curve
Offline
Toronto, Canada

I buy CD's if I can get them directly from the artist, either at shows or through their websites, so I know the money is going straight to them.  That being said, once I get it home, I rip it to wav and shelf the CD.

I do it more to support the bands than any physical attachment to the actual discs, although having limited run copies of albums from artists you enjoy is nice.

I'm with herr_prof on the used/older stuff though, unless I can still get it direct from the artists, in which case I am happy to pay for it.

Downstate
Offline
shanghai

vinyl or tapes with free downloads. cd's are really totally point;ess in this day and age. at best someone might play it in their car. mostly it gets ripped and lobbed on a shelf. A cd doesnt feel special to me personally. even a fancy one. its just the same as digital really, you can skip tracks blah blah. i like tape and vinyl because its more 'real' - i dont know how to describe it. but i put it on and it lives as a whole you know. I cant just press a remote and skip bits instantly. these formats encourage me to put on an album and listen to it in its entirety like it was intended, CD's im always too quick to skip tracks and rape ones i like til im bored of them haha.

Downstate
Offline
shanghai

ha i was sort of rambling stoned as usual.
I only really answered the title : Do you still buy CDs ?
sorry : P

TheBronyChip
Offline
Maine
donotrunwithpixels wrote:

I also like physical artwork - if there's a special edition or any kind of cool art, I'd prefer to see it printed than on a screen.

couldn't of said it better myself

Orin
Offline
Louisville Ky

If its a band i like, ill by the cd.

breakphase
Offline
Earth
donotrunwithpixels wrote:

Well, herr, the argument could be made that part of the value of the original (new) CD was the fact that it can be resold.

I buy paintings second hand, and the reason I can do so is because I can recover my money for something more useful if I need to by selling the painting - the artist has benefitted from that added value to the customer when they originally sold the art.

Yeah I've discussed that sort of thing in the context of used games. Even though the money doesn't go directly back to the artist, it goes into the sellers pocket so he can buy more games, or CDs. Though I think resale is a bigger economy in games.

Personally I only buy CDs if I'm at a show, or if its something I can't download. Which is an attractive thing. And if its a few tracks that no one would pirate because its so obscure, it's even more attractive.

Last edited by breakphase (Mar 12, 2013 4:03 pm)

XyNo
Offline
Joliette, QC, Canada

TOTALLY !!! CDs will never die for me !!!

chunter
Offline
Brunswick, GA USA

I  use CDRs because the stereo in my car doesn't have an aux port, but I haven't bought a CD since 2008 or earlier.

Orin
Offline
Louisville Ky
chunter wrote:

I  use CDRs because the stereo in my car doesn't have an aux port, but I haven't bought a CD since 2008 or earlier.

Same here, i burn at least one CD a week for just listening to it while i drive.

ForaBrokenEarth
Offline
Nottingham, UK

I bought CD's until the day Nottingham's best record shop, Selectadisc closed. I didn't realise what I had until it was gone. The only place I've ever been able to buy Merzbow in an actual shop. Every CD had a little sticker with a description on it and recommendations from the staff. Still keep all my records in selectadisc bags.For a while they had a london branch and you can see it in the back ground of the cover for oasis' morning glory.

I still prefer to have something physical than just a batch of MP3's and if an artist I really like puts out a CD or a vinyl I'll buy that, especially if they're small.

Last edited by ForaBrokenEarth (Mar 12, 2013 4:31 pm)

extreme zan-zan-zawa-veia
Offline

i buy a cheap CD off ebay every now and then. I really want to buy splits between new, interesting bands but it is REALLY hard to actually find out about that type of release for some reason. last time I found one it was through clicking Random artist on metal-archives, lol