Buying CD's

[RetroAerosmith]

I thought that streaming was brilliant too... i pay monthly for apple music but have noticed quite a few songs or albums fro people i like aren't available.

[Whazeboo]

When I hear a song I like, I want to own it on a physical medium. So yeah, I still buy 10-16 CDs a year.
I think the CD market is quickly dying. On average a new CD is out of stock within days after release (or available after a second repress weeks later) and friends of mine donate me their entire CD collection they built up the past 25 years.

What I see lately is artists solely releasing songs digitally and on vinyl. I now have bought a brand-new record player just to play them. Compared to streaming, playing a record is a tortuous procedure: get your vinyl out of the record cover, clean it from dust, manually change the snare from 33 RPM to 45 RPM (or vice versa), put the record on the player, position the needle, and pull a lever to play. It makes all the better for me: It demands all your attention and shifts your life to a lower gear.

[kiwimike]

Although I mainly listen to the iPod, I will generally always buy the CD first and then load on. Unless it's no longer available so expensive, or was a download only option like an EP. I love CDs, and would never give up on them personally. Where I like download options is getting things like old say Depeche Mode 12" tracks that are hard to find or expensive or both on CD.

I don't miss vinyl. Would never go back to vinyl. I know many hardcore would argue the sound quality is better- perhaps it is, I don't know. But CDs sound good enough for my ears, without any hassle with buying needles, vinyl not being friends with the sun etc.

I see the kids with Spotify, or just download, and it makes me genuinely sad. I feel sorry that modern kids will miss out on that joy of the excitement of a favourite artists new album coming out, getting it from the local store of choice, listening to it for the first time while reading the cover...discovering all the non single tracks which are usually the better ones after a few spins. I guess they never have to wait, can always have whatever song they want immediately....and I suppose most of the fans of music will explore rather than just grab the catchy snappy radio singles. Not for me though.

[SJ_Sathanas]

I ripped all my old DVDs and CDs to file then sold all the worthwhile ones and charity shop'd the rest. Within the month my hard drive utterly shat itself so now I buy physical copies, have a decent SSD and store the discs.

[bensonrad]

I still buy CDs, I just love having the physical format, I guess in the back of my head, I always think what if 5 years down the line, half the songs out there now, where not available, I like going to my own library and picking out what I have. They are so cheap nowadays I still buy stuff, Richard Ashcrofts new album was a recent purchase, also had 3 John Digweed Live boxsets arrive yesterday.

Saying that, I did buy a massive joblot off facebook of close to 700 CDs, a guy dropped them round yesterday, mostly singles from 1994-2012 (he was a DJ) I was hoping to use them with a set of CDJ decks I bought a couple of years ago. I kinda regret buying those, as have no space, let alone what half the songs are, I ended up spending the whole day, sorting out all the boxes, and playing random ones. Gave up this morning, put them all in boxes in the chalet with the arcade machines....maybe I'll look in the summer and keep listening to music on youtube, haha.

[psj3809]

We’re all sounding like old farts. I can’t beleive kids are missing out on trekking to town on a rainy day to buy an overpriced CD. Bit like our grandparents thinking we’re missing out by playing on our 8 bits back in the day rather than playing with a jigsaw

I’ve got loads of digital purchases and I’m not worrying if in 5 years time it all goes crazy and I lose those.

Things like iTunes or Spotify are great as you can listen or watch so much more than you would have originally. Kids have it good now ! Access to nearly anything they want digitally. No going down a video store to see that all Robocops are already rented. No telling off if you don’t rewind the tape etc.

Talk to people from all over the world. Photograph pictures of their restaurant meal and out it out for all to see (okay that ones not so good !)

Technology wise and gaming wise they have it the best I think

[kiwimike]

I certainly think there's some fantastic elements to the modern tech world for sure. I love the iPod. But I still go old school, 160G classic. I don't want to watch movies on it, I want space for music and lots of it! I personally like the CD first to load on- if I can- if too expensive of course I will go the iTunes way. And the cool thing is it is instant.

I love the modern tech with emulators for gaming. With the cost of looking for originals, that is one of my favourite aspects of modern tech for sure, being able to play classic retro games without looking for it, the bidding wars, and the space required to keep it all! I am warming to movies in digital form, and watching things streaming rather than hoarding every movie I liked for some reason. I'm learning to just keep the ones that I especially love and turfing or selling the rest. Same with books and magazines. Music is still something I love to have the physical collection of if I possibly can.

But yes, I'm an old fart for sure, and well aware of it!

[Matt_B]

I got a shedload of boxed sets for Christmas this year.

While digital formats do a pretty good job of getting you the music - and yeah, I'll be ripping all the CDs and streaming them - there's no substitute for the lavish packaging, booklets, etc. that all add to the experience.

[kiwimike]

I got a shedload of boxed sets for Christmas this year.

While digital formats do a pretty good job of getting you the music - and yeah, I'll be ripping all the CDs and streaming them - there's no substitute for the lavish packaging, booklets, etc. that all add to the experience.

Agreed. And what really does bug me about iTunes is that it is slightly cheaper, but not way cheaper. Which seems interesting considering you are saving the expense of the physical media, the packaging, cover art print, freight to store and store overheads etc It is (in NZ not sure about anyway else) literally a couple of bucks cheaper than buying the physical item, in some cases more expensive than the store on a good sale- like over xmas I bought the 2018 Beatles white album on a great deal.
That's music of course, different for the likes of a movie or game download.

[buddy1983]

It has to be physical for me, a have hundreds of CDs but I am fast running out of space for those and games

I want to get a HiFi system setup at some point too, I have a big soft spot of Mini Discs so I want to get a player of the HiFi and a portable player.

[Megamixer]

Been a buying a few CD's again lately, used 90's stuff. Really is a fantastic time to be a buyer and add to your collection(s) due to the giveaway prices on anything other than the genuinely rare or collectable. Picked up an Apollo Four Forty album and the Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack for a couple of quid apiece including posstage from ebay. How the sellers make ANY money I don't know...nor do I care!

Also been snagging a few Trance/Dance singles on the cheap since I've been getting into that lately. A lot of the single releases have 3-5 mixes on the disc and some aren't available/uploaded to the digital services.

[silvergunner]

Been a buying a few CD's again lately, used 90's stuff. Really is a fantastic time to be a buyer and add to your collection(s) due to the giveaway prices on anything other than the genuinely rare or collectable. Picked up an Apollo Four Forty album and the Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack for a couple of quid apiece including posstage from ebay. How the sellers make ANY money I don't know...nor do I care!

Also been snagging a few Trance/Dance singles on the cheap since I've been getting into that lately. A lot of the single releases have 3-5 mixes on the disc and some aren't available/uploaded to the digital services.

Good point regarding unreleased stuff on digital platforms.

Like vinyl before it that had a load of stuff that never got a cd release. And with cds there is going to be a load of cover versions, remixes etc... that will never see a release online due to rights issues etc...

[The Last Ginja]

Streaming all the way for me. I have Spotify and Amzaon music via prime.

Combined with the Alexa during Xmas it was great, we had loads of people round over the 4 days we hosted and while we were playing games we'd take turns in asking for a song to be played. We had everything from Chris Andrews that my Mum asked for through to Lamb of God for me.

Without it Now that's what I call F***ing Xmas would have been on loop on the CD player.

I have practically unlimited data so with my phone hooked up to my car while I'm driving, which I do a lot of, I have everything I want to hear at my fingertips. It's great.

[Antiriad2097]

Added bonus I found when visiting friends is that you can shout 'Alexa, cancel' when they put on a crap song

[psj3809]

I have practically unlimited data so with my phone hooked up to my car while I'm driving, which I do a lot of, I have everything I want to hear at my fingertips. It's great.

Yeah i got a new phone a few months ago. Used to having 4 GB data allowance, the new contracts 100 GB a month ! Did ask for less as i dont need that but it was part of the 'special' deal i got. Quite happy streaming movies or music now knowing i hardly get near the limit.

Amazing what phones can do nowadays, instant access to my movies or music anywhere