Download Or Buy The CD?

It's been announced today that UK digital music revenue has overtaken sales of physical formats such as CDs and records for the first time ever.

I don't like this development. I never download stuff, I always buy the CD because I want something to hold in my hand and, call me sad, I like to read the inserts/booklets that come with CDs.

Have you given up on CDs?

i chucked all my cds away years ago because i rarely played them all the way through. i prefer to just buy the singles or album tracks i like.

not-so-plain-jayne wrote:i chucked all my cds away years ago because i rarely played them all the way through. i prefer to just buy the singles or album tracks i like.

I get that Jayne but you might be missing out on some brilliant tracks. I have albums that I bought 15 years ago that I never played all the way through. I put them on today and find a couple of gems quite often. Downloading means you only ever hear what the media wants you to hear.

I still buy CDs and will continue to do so as long as they are available but I know that they will gradually disappear. Technology moves on and it is not always for the better.

Other than very occasionally, I never buy CDs. If I do buy a CD, I take it home, rip it, and add the music to my digital playlist. The CD then goes on a shelf and collects dust.

The main benefit, for me, of digital music, is the immediacy. I can play any songs of in any order I want on my laptop, iPhone, home cinema system, you name it.

I went through about 8 different portable CD players in the 90s, and god knows how many sets of batteries., swapping CDs about and so on.

That's the real benefit for me.

When it comes to DVDs or digital copies of films I still prefer owning the DVD because at the moment, my laptop and PS3 have optical drives and I don't get a better viewing experience through a digital copy of something because if you are watching a two hour film it's not a big deal taking a disc out of a case and putting it into a slot.

CD's were "dead" as soon as Napster came on the scene.

I have only ever bought 5 cds in my life, I prefer to just download single songs instead of buying a whole album.

I don't having anything against people collecting cds I just think it's easier to just put my ipod on and choose a track by a click of a button.

I am the exact opposite of Aaron, I don't think I've downloaded a track in my whole life. I'm a vinyl man myself, you can't beat the feel and smell of an old 33rpm!

Now I must admit though I don't own any vinyl I think they are very smart and would buy one over a CD if I had to.

My parents have quite a few uncommon vinyl records and some of the covers are still in good condition.

I just don't like music enough to bother quite honestly.

The last CD i bought was Zeitgeist by the pumpkins.

Natasha Whittam wrote:because I want something to hold in my hand and, call me sad, I like to read the inserts/booklets that come with CDs.

I'm exactly the same.

A CD is better but more expensive, well for me anyway, I have Spotify for a fiver a month and I get unlimited access to almost every type of music you could think of (apart from oasis and the Beatles annoyingly). Also there is the advantage of being able to make your own playlists (and on spotify you can look at playlists other random people have made)

I think Itunes is horrendously expensive and would never use it for music. Isn't it like 70p a track? No comparison to unlimited tracks for £5 a month!

If I really like someone I will buy their CD because I kind of feel they deserve it, and like you say, its someting you can actually touch.

But like Bob Dylan once said, the times they are-a-changing

CD and vinyl.

Passi wrote:I am the exact opposite of Aaron, I don't think I've downloaded a track in my whole life. I'm a vinyl man myself, you can't beat the feel and smell of an old 33rpm!

Ditto. I still have my 33's, 78's and other vinyls. Plus well over 500 CD's. As Natahsa say, its the holding it in the hand, the reading of teh pamphelts that come with the CD - the whole experience. Downloading means nothing for me - nothing physical at all. I am also exact same when it comes to books - give me a book over an E-reader any day.