I believe it, adding another hand in the pot isn't going to increase anyones cut.
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CDs are pretty much dead... Long Live USB?
- Thread starter RadioactiveGuy4
- Start date
My wife takes my CD's out of my car player and leaves them rolling around in the console. She does the same with hers though. I have a firm rule - no CD goes in the car until it has been ripped. And then I prefer to take copies in the car.
IMO CD's aren't dead. Most people still have a means to play them, and if they don't, a USB CD drive dirt cheap. Yeah, it doesn't hold 1000 songs, but it holds about as many as you care to SELL at a time, and they're CHEAP, even in DIY burn at home quantities. Less than a quarter a piece. If you're burning dozens, you can do that at home. Having hundreds or low thousands isn't expensive either (and art work becomes more feasible then). They're not as tiny as micro SD cards, but IMO uSD cards would suck as a delivery medium (even if they were economical) simply because it's too small to carry labels/logo/etc.. It's also not so tiny as to be easily lost / or tempting to be pilfered. (Not that I expect that's a huge deal, but if you were passing out postage stamps in this day and age - I gaurantee SOME fraction of people larger than those who might steal CDs, would be tempted to steal them, simply because the size would tempt them.) They can even hold other files - you can stick an AVI on a CD that will still play the music files even if it won't play the video.
If your progressive rock opera won't fit on a CD, you can always go to a double disc, or a DVD.
IMO CD's aren't dead. Most people still have a means to play them, and if they don't, a USB CD drive dirt cheap. Yeah, it doesn't hold 1000 songs, but it holds about as many as you care to SELL at a time, and they're CHEAP, even in DIY burn at home quantities. Less than a quarter a piece. If you're burning dozens, you can do that at home. Having hundreds or low thousands isn't expensive either (and art work becomes more feasible then). They're not as tiny as micro SD cards, but IMO uSD cards would suck as a delivery medium (even if they were economical) simply because it's too small to carry labels/logo/etc.. It's also not so tiny as to be easily lost / or tempting to be pilfered. (Not that I expect that's a huge deal, but if you were passing out postage stamps in this day and age - I gaurantee SOME fraction of people larger than those who might steal CDs, would be tempted to steal them, simply because the size would tempt them.) They can even hold other files - you can stick an AVI on a CD that will still play the music files even if it won't play the video.
If your progressive rock opera won't fit on a CD, you can always go to a double disc, or a DVD.
i'm over 60 and i don't want to take a USB drive home and risk my computer. plus i don't like carrying stuff around in the first place.
Digital distribution no longer requires physical media. It's been that way for quite some time
As an aside, there is no way in heck I am going to put a USB storage device of unknown origin/ content into any of my PCs/ devices. I've been a software engineer for 25 years and have seen what the horror shows that occur when folks don't listen to that little voice in their head when it asks "Should I really trust this device?"
this - exactly this!
i, too, occasionally buy CDs to support an artist. i believe all the CDs from the last few years are still wrapped, though... i buy downloads of songs or albums i really like, and we also have amazon streaming music for the rest, which for me replaced over 12 years of streaming on rhapsody before they became napster.
I'll also say - if I'm buying a CD to support an artist. There's no need to try to price match Amazon. I'd much rather pay $20 to support an artist I like, get something cool (even if it goes in a box and I download the files to my PC from the code on the sticker on the back), knowing the artist might get $12 or $15 of the $20, than to think that they got $0.35 off my $13 Amazon download.
I listen to most of my music while driving and that's either through Sirius/Xm or the few cds that I own. Of all the cds I own most are either of old albums that I used own 20 plus yrs ago and I happened to pick up a remastered copy for $5 at my local Wal-Mart or somewhere similar or they are autographed special edition type deals that I ordered from band websites that I really like and want to support. Only other time I have a chance to listen to music is when I work out and that's on YouTube on my phone while either riding my spin bike or on my treadmill. Usb doesn't really fit into my world due to lack of having anywhere to put it lol. I own one laptop and it is solely used for my home recording. I do have to say that I really enjoy cds. Maybe its a nostalgic thing idk. Are cds dead? Compared to say the early 90s yes but I think they will continue to have a place in the music world for dedicated fans.
The same with books, you can down load your favorite new novel but can't give it to your sibling when your done because you don't own it.I had a Sears portable cassette player with headphones in the 80's. Used to walk around town using it. Boy did it eat batteries but it sure sounded good (at the time) and loud in my ears. Now I've listened to tapes and they sound so dull and lackluster compared to th artificially enhanced CD's.
My poor brother was OCD about CD's. When he died in 2008, he left me about 10,000 CD's. We've been storing them in a heated storage unit since, and at one time we thought they would be worth something. I don't think I could sell a full USPS Priority box full for 10 cents a CD. Sheesh I wish my brother had collected baseball cards or something worthwhile!
EDIT: I just had a thought while writing this and reading other comments. When you "buy" a movie from Amazon, you never really own it. It can't be downloaded, and it only plays in its proprietary player. If you are out of cell range, it won't log in and allow you to play it. I'm glad I have a whole bunch of movies on HD DVD I can rip to my computer and iPads. It's such a ripoff to say they "sell" you a movie when in actuality you're only "renting" the movie for the duration of your life. You can't do anything with it but play it in Amazon player.
I hope CD's are always around. 5 or 6 years ago, I ripped CD's. I needed a computer & an mp3 player & a SSD 1 terabyte external harddrive etc, etc. I finally said forget it & bought a quality cd home stereo & I couldn't be happier.
I buy LPs and CDs still, but that's because I like cover art. I usually only buy something download-only if it's not physically available.
My record collection is fairly small and I curate it. I enjoy pulling the records out and listening to them while gazing at the art. I guess it's a hobby.
But I'm weird I guess.
My band has CDs for sale, which I paid for out of my pocket just because people often ask us if we have something available. We sell one now and then, but it's certainly not making money. I figure it's worth the modest investment to have something for fans who ask. We designed the cover art ourselves based on one of my photos, uploaded the whole shebang, and about a week and a half later a box of CDs showed up at my doorstep. Compared to all the other stuff we spend money on (like strings and gasoline, for example) it wasn't a huge expense, and it's a little moment of satisfaction when someone asks for one and I pull it out of my gear bag to hand it to them.
My record collection is fairly small and I curate it. I enjoy pulling the records out and listening to them while gazing at the art. I guess it's a hobby.
But I'm weird I guess.
My band has CDs for sale, which I paid for out of my pocket just because people often ask us if we have something available. We sell one now and then, but it's certainly not making money. I figure it's worth the modest investment to have something for fans who ask. We designed the cover art ourselves based on one of my photos, uploaded the whole shebang, and about a week and a half later a box of CDs showed up at my doorstep. Compared to all the other stuff we spend money on (like strings and gasoline, for example) it wasn't a huge expense, and it's a little moment of satisfaction when someone asks for one and I pull it out of my gear bag to hand it to them.
I'm 53. Started on vinyl. Moved to 8 track, then cassette, then CD. Physical format is dead to me now. I have bought "In the Court of the Crimson King" on too many formats already. If you're not on Spotify or another streaming service, you're missing something. I love hearing about a prog band I never knew of, like Leprous, and listening to their stuff immediately. Can't wait to see them live with Haken in the fall.
My band has an EP out and getting ready to release our first full album. All on streaming and digital download only.
Just one man's opinion.
My band has an EP out and getting ready to release our first full album. All on streaming and digital download only.
Just one man's opinion.
Some quick thoughts, echoing others
1. I'd never stick an unknown drive into one of my devices and didn't even realize this was a thing with bands.
2. I usually know within a few songs if I dig your group and will look for your music to purchase online. Helps if you let me know where you have it for purchase.
3. I will only buy CDs if digital is unavailable.
4. I will rarely take your free samples.
1. I'd never stick an unknown drive into one of my devices and didn't even realize this was a thing with bands.
2. I usually know within a few songs if I dig your group and will look for your music to purchase online. Helps if you let me know where you have it for purchase.
3. I will only buy CDs if digital is unavailable.
4. I will rarely take your free samples.
The paradigm has changed. Only way to make money in music is to perform live and sell merch. No sense fighting it.
My .02
For (cover) band promotion, band management, phone calls and face to face interaction with bar reps gets bookings. Business cards and CD's have limited value. Shows and facebook is where you get fans.
I have cassette's from 1980 that still work. But so few players left out there.
I burn CD's for my 6 cd changer in my 2005 Acura RX.
For (cover) band promotion, band management, phone calls and face to face interaction with bar reps gets bookings. Business cards and CD's have limited value. Shows and facebook is where you get fans.
I have cassette's from 1980 that still work. But so few players left out there.
I burn CD's for my 6 cd changer in my 2005 Acura RX.
As a niche market, yes. But it has been a long time since it was the predominate media. I'm old enough to remember when albums were albums. You had a binder with several 78 RPM discs and you stacked them on the automatic changer.
I have that implanted chip too and it’s mostly very useful but sometimes a curse, like now that it’s persistently playing “Judy in Disguise.” Thanks, haven’t heard that song in decades. When I get tired of listening to that I’ll need to forcibly displace it with something more persistent, maybe Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony in C Minor.I already have this technology implanted. Unfortunately, the only song that has been released thus far in the new format is "Judy In Disguise"
I’m discussing these same questionswith my bands, about how to sell/distribute recorded music. Feeling like we’d better get caught up with the times. CDs really are a thing of the past as far as the industry is concerned. A lot of people have no use for my CDs, with no way to play them.
My wife and I are trying to figure out what to do about owning and playing music. We have hundreds of vinyl LPs and CDs but haven’t actually used them to listen in a few years because anything we want to hear is already on the iPhones and MacBooks, either by transfer from CDs or purchase online. We’re looking at replacing our old hifi system and its huge speakers with something more compact like a Sonos system that will play music over wifi (better quality than bluetooth apparently). Anybody else have advice about that approach?
I’d rather own music than be dependent on streaming it. I don’t yet trust the Cloud, because I don’t control it. I also don’t want to pay for a big cellular data plan that would allow me to listen when my phone is untethered from a wifi connection. I want to play my music even if I’m in the middle of nowhere.
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
Right on.
Believe it or not, I kinda miss rewinding them with a pencil. Cathartic. Plus it made me value what I had more.
