Do you still buy CD's?

[firestarter]

I buy probably 90% of my music as CDs. Most of the time I can get the CD for less than the iTunes price anyway - and I often buy used CDs from Amazon for that reason.

10% I buy in iTunes - most of these are single tracks off albums I doubt I'll like. It wouldn't be cost effective to buy those.

I'd reconsider iTunes if it were half the price. Paying more for just a digital download - when there's no physical production costs, stocking, shipping etc. just feels like I'm being ripped off. I like to rip using ALAC too.

I used to work in a used CD store. I had amassed a collection of over 1,000 CD's. It was fun. Once the MP3 encoders came out, all 1,000 CD's were sold making me quite a hefty profit

I'm thinking about selling my 500 CD's (what's the best place) and just buying up iTunes gift cards with the profits, maybe some killer headphones. Hoping I can get at least $2 a CD.

I hope you guys delete all the music you ripped from those CDs. When you sell the media, you've sold your licence to the music too - and you no longer own it. You may as well have downloaded those rips off the Pirate Bay - they have the same legal status.

 

[OllyW]

I look for the cheapest place to buy the music. So I check iTunes, Amazon download and CD, and another online store for CDs. CDs get ripped, and now with iTunes Match everything becomes 256kbit AAC anyway, no matter where it came from.

Same here except I'm waiting until iTunes Match has been out for a few months (and all the bugs sorted).

 

[0dev]

I hope you guys delete all the music you ripped from those CDs. When you sell the media, you've sold your licence to the music too - and you no longer own it. You may as well have downloaded those rips off the Pirate Bay - they have the same legal status.

Yeah, because the consequences would be disastrous if you were to do something as evil as keep a ripped song once you've sold the CD it's from

 

[ratsg]

you bet.

I also have a lot of stuff on LP and 8 track.

I have yet to come across any quadraphonic mp3, aac's, etc.

 

[Razeus]

I'd reconsider iTunes if it were half the price. Paying more for just a digital download - when there's no physical production costs, stocking, shipping etc. just feels like I'm being ripped off. I like to rip using ALAC too.





I hope you guys delete all the music you ripped from those CDs. When you sell the media, you've sold your licence to the music too - and you no longer own it. You may as well have downloaded those rips off the Pirate Bay - they have the same legal status.

Not sure what to make of your first point. There are still associated costs such as servers, bandwidth from ISP's (which I'm sure is huge) and the people that maintain the servers as well as the software and billing. There are costs involved that are the same, if not greater, just not the costs you speak of. I'm sure you've heard about Apple's newly built server farm out on the east cost recently. I'm sure it wasn't cheap.

As for your second point. I've checked my CD's and it doesn't say anything about me losing a "license" to the music if I sell the CD. So what if I lost the CD (which I've lost numerous over the years)? Does the record company owe me a CD to replace it? Do you think the RIAA is going to somehow know I've sold all my CD's and just using my iPod without the "backup" and demand money? I don't think so. How is this different from buying a used CD that you like to buy? The artist and record company and publishers don't receive any of these funds as it goes straight to the record store - so don't give me a talk about ethics and morals. You're not supporting your artists by buying used. This is why we have the First Sale Doctrine for copyright law. You DO NOT need the physical copy.

And besides, I have iTunes Match so the point is moot. And what about services like Spotify? I don't pay for it, yet I'm enjoying having 15 million tracks at my disposal.

 

[entropi]

I buy CD's a few times every year. Mostly I buy dance music wav's from BeatPort, Juno Download & Boomkat and lot's of dance 12", but as an example - Keith Jarret's "Rio" isn't sold at those places so if I want 16Bit/44,1 Khz audio I have to buy a CD...

But what a CD it is then!

 

[firestarter]

Yeah, because the consequences would be disastrous if you were to do something as evil as keep a ripped song once you've sold the CD it's from

Yeah, and it's just a small theft, and it's just a victimless crime...

I'm glad I don't share your low morals.

Not sure what to make of your first point. There are still associated costs such as servers, bandwidth from ISP's (which I'm sure is huge) and the people that maintain the servers as well as the software and billing. There are costs involved that are the same, if not greater, just not the costs you speak of. I'm sure you've heard about Apple's newly built server farm out on the east cost recently. I'm sure it wasn't cheap.

The math for digital distribution is easy - record companies pay 30% to Apple, which covers all that stuff - and that's the limit of their cost.

According to this breakdown, a conventional retailer gets 30% too... and then production and distribution of physical media adds another 20%. So overheads are approaching double for physical.

As for your second point. I've checked my CD's and it doesn't say anything about me losing a "license" to the music if I sell the CD.

Oh, please. You really think it's OK to make a copy and sell the original on?

So what if I lost the CD (which I've lost numerous over the years)? Does the record company owe me a CD to replace it? Do you think the RIAA is going to somehow know I've sold all my CD's and just using my iPod without the "backup" and demand money? I don't think so.

The difference is that there's no lost sale here. You're still playing the music, but since you haven't sold the CD on - the band made an extra sale to some other guy who wanted it.

How is this different from buying a used CD that you like to buy?

Because there's still only one copy. The original purchaser no longer wants it and shouldn't retain a version. There has been no illicit duplication, outside the control of the copyright holder.

The artist and record company and publishers don't receive any of these funds as it goes straight to the record store - so don't give me a talk about ethics and morals. You're not supporting your artists by buying used. This is why we have the First Sale Doctrine for copyright law. You DO NOT need the physical copy.

It's always good to research things you're citing isn't it?

The First Sale Doctrine only works if you're not making a copy:

Copyright, as the name suggests, is the right to copy a work of some form. If one resells or gives as a gift a book (or CD or DVD) that one has bought, a new copy has not been made, therefore it is legal under US copyright law

And besides, I have iTunes Match so the point is moot. And what about services like Spotify? I don't pay for it, yet I'm enjoying having 15 million tracks at my disposal.

But that all comes with it's own licence - none of which is as complete as the rights you have through the physical ownership of the media.

Bottom line is that this is theft - plain and simple.

 

[0dev]

Yeah, and it's just a small theft, and it's just a victimless crime...

I'm glad I don't share your low morals.

Morals shmorals, if you buy a thing and keep some files from it after you sell it, you're not stealing jacks**t. Do you work for the RIAA or something? Do you think every time someone rips a CD, a poor, poor producer loses one of his Bentleys?

 

[boomhower]

I haven't bought a CD in so many years I couldnt even guess. The physical media in all formats is going away quickly.

 

[hexonxonx]

I hope you guys delete all the music you ripped from those CDs. When you sell the media, you've sold your licence to the music too - and you no longer own it. You may as well have downloaded those rips off the Pirate Bay - they have the same legal status.

Too funny. What if someone now subscribes to iTunes Match with those same songs. Makes them 100% legal now if your post stands.

By the way, I haven't bought a CD since sometime in the 90s.

 

[balamw]

I look for the cheapest place to buy the music. So I check iTunes, Amazon download and CD, and another online store for CDs.

I too look at all the alternatives, but my decision doesn't always hinge on price. I will prefer iTunes over Amazon if the album comes with a PDF booklet or iTunes LP there and will definitely still pick up CDs of stuff that is not available as MP3/AAC or which I would like to have in lossless. Until BMG killed it I was still using yourmusic for a $5.99 album for my back collection every month.

My goal is to get my hundreds of CDs that were ripped to FLAC converted to ALAC in a separate iTunes library.

B

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

I like CD and DVDs because on Amazon, I can usually find them cheaper than I could on iTunes. Plus, having something tangible is nice. I usually rip them, and box them back up.

I mean, I can remember what so many of my favorite albums looked like, the box art, the disc. On iTunes, they just seem to smear into a gray mass of text. I've got favorites, but when I think of them, I only hear the song, I don't have a visual to accompany it.

Guess I'm just a whhhierd one.

 

[Firestar]

Yes.

I have a list CD's I would like to buy, and whenever I find them, I buy them. Often they're less expensive than iTunes would be for a digital copy. However, for EP's, I'll probably stick with digital.

 

[Maverick513]

I still buy CDs. Most are classical music.

 

[boss.king]

The last CD I bought was is 2004. A lot of the stuff I listen to isn't even available on CD, and a lot of it is free music anyway. I rarely buy any music.

 

[roadbloc]

I quite often get CDs. And now with iTunes Match, I'm inclined to get more. There is something about CDs that I prefer over digital downloads.

 

[UlsterApple]

Yes, I still buy CDs. A lot of the music I like would be classed as a minority taste, not to mention fairly obscure and difficult to locate, at that.

Now THAT I can agree with, but once bought I usually transfer them to iPod for car use. In my garage a Cd lasts about five minutes before being terminally scratched.
Best thing I've bought recently was a USB turntable for REALLY obscure LPs (remember those???) to play as Mac audio files.

 

[GermanyChris]

I pirate all my music and will continue until the big record labels are out of business..maybe then we can restart...

As far as the artist is concerned you shouldn't have made a deal with the devil..

I really can't wait until the dinosaur that is the music industry is extinct..

 

[TSE]

I still buy software CDs/DVDs and I still use the ones I have semi-regularly, so I am glad that the MacBook Pros still have a DVD drive.

 

[yly3]

Yes I still do. I am a music lover and I buy both CD, iTunes and even vinyl ocasionally. The Superdrive, combined with the fact that Ivy Bridge won't be as crucial as C2D - i Series leap, made me buy the 2011 MBP.

 

[184550]

I collect all physical releases by The Killers and the members respective solo projects. Other than that, all my purchases are digital.

Though, for some reason, I always end up with whatever vinyl Coldplay releases for their latest album.

 

[PlaceofDis]

i haven't bought a CD in a long time. the only future CD release i can see myself getting is if TooL ever comes out with new stuff.

Digital all the way.

 

[0098386]

Depends. If it's cheap consumable music I want, then I'll get it from iTunes or (as is the case with the music I like) legally download it for free.

If it's something proper. Something important. Then I'll get the CD and import it as AIFF.

IMO CD's are still the best way to get music. You get a full quality CD that you can import to any quality you want, plus it'll play in any of my entertainment systems without having to plug in my iPod (which has a tendency to crash these days) or worry about DRM restrictions... which isn't such a problem these days.

Oh for films - DVD or Bluray all the way. iTunes is way overpriced when it comes to that part of the market. £6.99 for the latest films in 1080p 7.1? Yes plz! That's the price of a SD film on iTunes after all.

 

[r.j.s]

I can't remember the last time I actually bought a CD ... now I just buy the album or songs from iTunes or Amazon.

 

[Drunken Master]

For albums I really like, yes.

Vinyls too.