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it's market saturation. I think I posted something on MR about this like 2-3 months ago. About how 2010 was going to be the end of the surge in digital music sales, and from here on out it's going to be a slow drawn-out conversion from physical sales taking a decade or two to really finalize.

Anyone who is going to buy digital music has already done so. Now we're down to new releases, and so many artists are changing the way they do things these days that the current sales models and reporting technology is ill-equipped to capture all of that info.

I know of a guy who sold 20,000 copies of his last album and probably only 10% of that was "scanned" sales either physical or digital.
 
Like you all my own CDs are in iTunes - ripped years ago. I still have all my CDs in the attic, so I have to ask, can you hear the difference at 256 kbps?

I have my music all ripped in 256 or better aac or mp3 VBR files. I also have them ripped to FLAC as backup/archive in case I need to rip them again due to some sort of catastrophe. I can't tell the difference (use a Xonar Essence STX & Grado SR-225i's). Anyone who says they can is lying or doesn't realize their mind is playing tricks on them.
 
Pandora is free and there are few others.

I know. That wasn't my point. I use these services too to discover new music, but if I really like something I'm more than happy to support the artist with a payment.
 
You should listen to Wagner, Debussy, Mahler, Stravinski, Shostakovich, Ligeti and Boulez. Any of them is just as great or greater than Brahms:). If you need some recommendations of pieces of any of these composers, I'll be very happy.


Apparently you didn't get the point of the message.
 
UK Stats

That 7% increase in the UK is thanks to my wife and daughter downloading total dross. I cannot believe Britney Spears and Glee is in my iTunes library. Worst of all I have to listen to it in the car on my Apple TV. Arrrgh. Help me someone. I'm dying from listening to total s...t! :mad:
 
At least she has a meat purse.

Yeah, I'm not really interested in Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga either.

Gaga wins because of her meat purse. She let Cher hold it on the MTV Video Music Awards.

Lady-Gaga-dressed-in-meat-006.jpg
 
I only buy cds and I burn them to iTunes. Then I stick them in a binder. I use apple lossless. Sure it takes more disk space... but it also gives me more listening pleasure. Until Apple offers a lossless format instead of 320kb I'll continue to buy cds.

My sentiments exactly. Storage limitations nowadays allow most of us to store entire music collections in lossless format, why should we buy anything less? Why cripple my Apple quality with a lossy audio format?
 
Can't believe that people are actually PROUD of this. Enjoying other people's work and effort while not being willing to give even a single cent for it.

????

Apple has a "radio" button in iTunes, man.

Pandora, Slacker, Last.fm, DI.fm, Somafm.com, live365, etc, etc, all offer streaming for FREE.

Not sure what logic you are trying to push here. I leagally consume what's given to me. I like the randomness of not knoing what's going to play next. Not sure why you are mad that I'm not buying songs to listen to over and over. I'm proud of it becasue I've saved thousands and am happy consuming what companies provide to me (leagally) free.

Oh, I take some of my comment back, as I do have two lifetime subs to Sirius. So, that's $800 from me (paid years ago, now listening free).

You must work for a record company? :rolleyes:
 
I completely agree with the fact that the MAIN reason is the price driving people away from listening to music appreciatively.

But on the other hand, it is the consumers fault that they think they cant find any good music. Yes there is the Justin Bieber and Hannah Montana. But there is always good rock/metal (the music I'm into) IF you LOOK for it. Not all the great music is mainstream (where it's always criticized). I do find some of this good rock/metal music in the new music releases (Rock genre category). That's why I can't wait for Tuesday every midnight.

Now, it's not my fault you listen to classic rock, yes it's good but your stuck in the past and aren't willing to explore and expect change. I've found plenty of releases this year like Iron Maiden, Apocalyptica, Tom Petty, Doobie Brothers, Black Keys, Taylor Hwkins and the Coattail Riders (Foo Fighters' drummer), Black Country Communion, etc. I could go on and on. Just explore and find the good music. Don't expect it to come to you like Justin Bieber and American Idol.
 
I know. That wasn't my point. I use these services too to discover new music, but if I really like something I'm more than happy to support the artist with a payment.

So? I was under the impression that Pandora utilized some sort of advertisements? Then you are still paying for it even if it's not a cash payment.
 
I have my music all ripped in 256 or better aac or mp3 VBR files. I also have them ripped to FLAC as backup/archive in case I need to rip them again due to some sort of catastrophe. I can't tell the difference (use a Xonar Essence STX & Grado SR-225i's). Anyone who says they can is lying or doesn't realize their mind is playing tricks on them.

I can tell the difference on some songs. Just because you can't doesn't give you license to call me a liar you imbecile child. You are simply inferior.
 
????

Apple has a "radio" button in iTunes, man.

Pandora, Slacker, Last.fm, DI.fm, Somafm.com, live365, etc, etc, all offer streaming for FREE.

Not sure what logic you are trying to push here. I leagally consume what's given to me. I like the randomness of not knoing what's going to play next. Not sure why you are mad that I'm not buying songs to listen to over and over. I'm proud of it becasue I've saved thousands and am happy consuming what companies provide to me (leagally) free.

Oh, I take some of my comment back, as I do have two lifetime subs to Sirius. So, that's $800 from me (paid years ago, now listening free).

You must work for a record company? :rolleyes:

Radio and owning a copy of a song are two different things.

There is an epidemic running through the younger generation. It causes them to believe everything is free for them if they put in the effort to obtain it in a sneaky way.
 
I can tell the difference on some songs. Just because you can't doesn't give you license to call me a liar you imbecile child. You are simply inferior.

Now you're a liar and name caller, who's mind plays tricks on him, you pyschopath.
 
I completely agree with the fact that the MAIN reason is the price driving people away from listening to music appreciatively.

But on the other hand, it is the consumers fault that they think they cant find any good music. Yes there is the Justin Bieber and Hannah Montana. But there is always good rock/metal (the music I'm into) IF you LOOK for it. Not all the great music is mainstream (where it's always criticized). I do find some of this good rock/metal music in the new music releases (Rock genre category). That's why I can't wait for Tuesday every midnight.

Now, it's not my fault you listen to classic rock, yes it's good but your stuck in the past and aren't willing to explore and expect change. I've found plenty of releases this year like Iron Maiden, Apocalyptica, Tom Petty, Doobie Brothers, Black Keys, Taylor Hwkins and the Coattail Riders (Foo Fighters' drummer), Black Country Communion, etc. I could go on and on. Just explore and find the good music. Don't expect it to come to you like Justin Bieber and American Idol.

I like this post. I like good rock and metal music. I have found several great bands that are not recognized by mainstream content. I did find them on iTunes and look forward to New Music Tuesday.
 
Radio and owning a copy of a song are two different things.

There is an epidemic running through the younger generation. It causes them to believe everything is free for them if they put in the effort to obtain it in a sneaky way.

I'm in my 30's and much prefer streaming over purchasing songs as I know I will not listen to purchased content over and over. I don't do this to skimp on supporting the artists, etc, it's just my preference.

Not trying to argue, as I realize the younger generation doesn't know what's it's like to wait in line for a tape / CD release, etc., but it's almost as if the music industry is shooting themselves in the foot with free streaming (not radio, but more specifically targeted streaming).

Oh well, I will continue to enjoy what's leagal and free utill...
 
I'm in my 30's and much prefer streaming over purchasing songs as I know I will not listen to purchased content over and over. I don't do this to skimp on supporting the artists, etc, it's just my preference.

Not trying to argue, as I realize the younger generation doesn't know what's it's like to wait in line for a tape / CD release, etc., but it's almost as if the music industry is shooting themselves in the foot with free streaming (not radio, but more specifically targeted streaming).

Oh well, I will continue to enjoy what's leagal and free utill...

Streaming should definitely be free. Its like listening to the traditional radio. But I wouldn't compare that to getting free copies of songs for your own library. Anyway maybe I misunderstood what you were getting at.
 
a lack of appeal for new releases

That's my biggest reason. The music of today's pop megastars holds no appeal for me. And the way the iTunes store is structured makes it very difficult to discover new, interesting music. Hopefully Ping will help change that.
 
I agree with the "lack of appeal for new releases" bit. The music industry has killed off all marketing and support for "rock" music and pushes rap, hip-hop, R&B and Sugar-Pop written by "hit makers" instead of the actual artists to try and make "hits" instead of quality music and then they wonder why no one wants to buy music. Bring back REAL music like we had in the 60's through the '80s (until MTV killed the Radio Star and traded it for Reality TV and dipsticks trying to jump over moving cars) and maybe people will start buying music again. :eek:
 
CDs contain 'digital music' just as much as downloaded MP3/AAC files do. I wish we could settle on 'music downloads' and 'physical media' - they are much more accurate and less confusing terms.
 
I never quite understood how one could pay cash money for a music album on iTunes at anything less than lossless quality. I made the mistake of buying my one and only album off iTunes several years ago and it turned out to be a whopping 128kbps bit rate. Are you joking Apple. I paid $9.99 for that bs and without any advanced warning of it's low quality. Never again...:rolleyes:
 
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