Which Medium of Music Do You Prefer?

nashdog · #1 05-03-2009, 07:43 PM

I was getting into a pretty heated debate with my roommate about how I don't think he should buy digital music files. I told him he should either buy the actual CD (or vinyl) or pirate the music. He said he would rather pay the $9.99 for the album (or the $0.99-$1.29 per song) at the iTunes store. Nothing against my roommate, his buying decisions are completely his own but I'm now curious to what other people prefer and how they feel about digital music files. Personally, if I'm going to buy music, I'll either buy the CD or vinyl (I recently aquired a turntable... its awesome). If I want a digital file, I'll just pirate it.

So, I'm just curiuos to what everyone thinks about the music industry of today.

P.S. Here is a good article about music pirates: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009...buy-more-music

**Eric Perry** · #2 05-03-2009, 08:06 PM

While I think vinyl is sonically superior, CDs are just far too convenient not to be the go-to medium, IMO.

fryBASS · #3 05-03-2009, 08:11 PM

I like to have the actual CD, but the portability of the digital file is superior. I would LOVE to have the vinyl, but that gets pretty obscure.

coolrunner989 · #4 05-03-2009, 08:15 PM

now that I have a nice stereo in my car with an ipod input, I have no reason to buy CDs. Another thing I dont like about CD's is that Ive bought several that dont allow you to copy them onto your computer, which severly limits my listening experience with them. SO, I'm 95% digital at the moment.

I'd love to get some vinyl for the house, but that's not practical for all my music.

Pilgrim · #5 05-03-2009, 08:20 PM

I had to live with vinyl (33 and 45, and even 78) for many years. I don't hear any better sound from vinyl, and I find CDs to be much more convenient, durable and useful. When I drop a file from CD into some digital format, it's usually stepped on so hard that I'm glad to have the CD in a better format.

Stumbo · #6 05-03-2009, 08:24 PM

CD files are digital files.

Why would you support pirating music from your fellow musicians?

Your roommate is on the right track (figuratively and literally).
Musicians need money too.

Marcus · #7 05-03-2009, 08:31 PM

with the digital copy your friend legally purchases from iTunes (or insert any other digital distribution site that is legal), he is able to listen to the music on his computer, portable media player, burn it to a CD, listen to that CD on any device that plays the format (car, stereo, portable player, entertainment system, video game console), and can live with knowing that he is supporting the musicians that provide him with the music he likes.

With your record, you can listen to it on a record player and are limited to the artists that still support that format.

gg.

edit: your argument for pirating digital content is also quite silly to me. What is your justification?

MadMan118 · #8 05-03-2009, 09:11 PM

Where's tape?

Adelleda · #9 05-03-2009, 09:13 PM

Most of my music is pirated but i greatly prefer the CD experience with the booklet, the cover, the putting the cd in the computer, loading it into itunes while you listen to the first soongs you have loaded, and then listening to the album backwards in the recently added while looking at the box and reading www.songmeanings.net i love it!

But my pockets think otherwise..

Beno · #10 05-03-2009, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nashdog

I was getting into a pretty heated debate with my roommate about how I don't think he should buy digital music files. I told him he should either buy the actual CD (or vinyl) or pirate the music. He said he would rather pay the $9.99 for the album (or the $0.99-$1.29 per song) at the iTunes store. Nothing against my roommate, his buying decisions are completely his own but I'm now curious to what other people prefer and how they feel about digital music files. Personally, if I'm going to buy music, I'll either buy the CD or vinyl (I recently aquired a turntable... its awesome). If I want a digital file, I'll just pirate it.

So, I'm just curiuos to what everyone thinks about the music industry of today.

P.S. Here is a good article about music pirates: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009...buy-more-music

Pretty much sums up my views

tplyons · #11 05-03-2009, 09:33 PM

CD or iTunes, I'm indifferent. They both end up on my computer and iPod anyway. And some get burned to CD's for backups in my car when I don't have my iPod.

The ending result is the same, I've got a CD and a digital file.

But... All of my music has been purchased. I support the musicians.

nashdog · #12 05-03-2009, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

CD files are digital files.

Why would you support pirating music from your fellow musicians?

Your roommate is on the right track (figuratively and literally).
Musicians need money too.

The reason I support pirating is because it allows musicians to experience more music without having to drain your wallet. Say you pirate an album from a new band and you end up really liking that band. You'll be more likely to buy their next CD or go see them live. Pirating allows us to expand our music collection. It also lets us listen to music that we wouldn't want to spend money on, especially if we are unsure if we will like it.

As far as money goes, musicians who are under major record labels only make a small percentage of the CD sales. They make more money from tours and whatnot.

Also, read that article in my first post, it also gives some good information to why pirating isn't all bad.

doctorjazz · #13 05-03-2009, 09:47 PM

When I actually buy music, I'll typically buy a CD unless it's classical music and I'm looking for one specific piece, in which case I'll usually buy just that from iTunes.

Most of my newer/more popular music gets LimeWired though.

Sartori · #14 05-03-2009, 09:51 PM

Most of my music is on CD's for the convenience of portability.

However, at home, I prefer to listen to music on vinyl.

skulletwhip · #15 05-03-2009, 10:03 PM

I buy a lot of cds. I own a few thousand. I like music too much to download crappy sounding files. The cheapened sound just turns me off of it.

Vinyl sounds the absolute best though, its just not portable. So that is why cds win.

I am not going to go on an anti downloading rant but, I really hate it.

BadB · #16 05-03-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric618

While I think vinyl is sonically superior, CDs are just far too convenient not to be the go-to medium, IMO.

Me, too!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

CD files are digital files.

Why would you support pirating music from your fellow musicians?

Your roommate is on the right track (figuratively and literally).
Musicians need money too.

Amen!

flipper_gv · #17 05-03-2009, 10:24 PM

CD's for sure. To get a decent tone out of a CD it only requires for about 1000$ of equipment. To get an equally good sound out of a vinyl, you need at least 5000$.

BTW, I download music a lot. But I also buy much more music than any of my friends who do not buy music. It's downloading that made me discover many many great bands and made me fall in love with music. If it wasn't of downloading I would sure have much less bought CD's than what I have now.

theory028 · #18 05-03-2009, 10:34 PM

I like the digital files. It's nice to see that you can buy an MP3 without any pesky DRM from Amazon at a fair price. I'm not an audiophile by any means. As long as it sounds like it would on a CD (or close enough that I can't tell) I am fine.

I use a Zune and have been very close to subscribing to the Zune Pass. Unlimited downloads that you keep as long as you maintain the subscription. They also let you keep 10 songs per month at no additional charge. It would be very convenient, affordable, and I wouldn't feel too guilty. Another cool thing is that I'm pretty sure you can browse the marketplace and download straight to the device if you're connected to a WiFi network. That is darn cool (if it's the case).

As mentioned by flipper gv, downloading has also encouraged me to buy more CDs. One example I can think of is Barzin. There was a free MP3 available on some site (not illegal, to my knowlege; it was the same one that was free on his site) and I liked it so much I ordered all of his available CDs that night. It is remarkable music.

All_¥our_Bass · #19 05-03-2009, 10:34 PM

MP3's > CD's > everything else.

MP3's (or any equivalent format) are probably the easiest thing for me to use, also any mp3 I rip or get from friends are ripped at high bit rates, so there is minimal quality degradation.

Vinyl is fun to have, and I do have a turntable. But it's far from practical for me.

Jimmy Bones · #20 05-04-2009, 12:02 AM