The following post is a comment I left in response to a Mashable post, Why Are People Still Buying CDs? by Todd Wasserman.
I've stopped buying music, full stop (with one exception). I used to be a collector of music and would look forward to buying CDs of favorite songs as well as trying out the full albums of bands that seemed to consistently appear on my radar. I must be one of the few that enjoys buying a band's album not knowing if I'll like the songs that weren't singles. I haven't bought a CD in years with one exception... David Bowie can put out a CD and I'll buy it - don't even need to listen to the songs prior to purchase.
I grew up with Bowie but all the other music it was fun to collect bits and pieces of bands from here and there as they drift in an out of view.
For some reason I stopped buying CDs and collecting music as a tangible product. Other priorities I guess [or maybe because they stopped selling CD singles where you could sample 'B sides' and non album release versions of songs?].
I grew up with Bowie but all the other music it was fun to collect bits and pieces of bands from here and there as they drift in an out of view.
For some reason I stopped buying CDs and collecting music as a tangible product. Other priorities I guess [or maybe because they stopped selling CD singles where you could sample 'B sides' and non album release versions of songs?].
The idea of paying to download music has no appeal to me. Curating my own 'cloud' of music just isn't the same as collecting CD's. All you can say is "I've got that song" and the immediacy and cheapness of it gives no sense of excitement to owning a copy. Downloads especially have ruined the concept album where cover art and book inserts are part of the experience.
Owning music is no longer the experience it was. In many ways it's gone the way of photography where the photos you took used to be more considered because it would cost to get them developed. Now you can take a picture of your lunch, before, during and after as well as what they're eating over there, the waiter, the view etc. All images that you'll forget once you've shown them to people... if you even remember to do that.
I listen to podcasts now because they're mostly free and once you've listened to them you can delete them. Music is all around us anyway. I'm happy to leave my music on the radio and maybe watch the occasional music video clip on Youtube. I don't really need to own it... except for Bowie of course.
Owning music is no longer the experience it was. In many ways it's gone the way of photography where the photos you took used to be more considered because it would cost to get them developed. Now you can take a picture of your lunch, before, during and after as well as what they're eating over there, the waiter, the view etc. All images that you'll forget once you've shown them to people... if you even remember to do that.
I listen to podcasts now because they're mostly free and once you've listened to them you can delete them. Music is all around us anyway. I'm happy to leave my music on the radio and maybe watch the occasional music video clip on Youtube. I don't really need to own it... except for Bowie of course.
Well, David Bowie's got a new single out, which I have only heard a couple of bits of on the radio, as they haven't played it all yet, at least not on 6pr that I listen to in Perth, as it's a talkback station and not for music, but they do play complete songs sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll play the one I bought you (I won't mention what it is here) sometimes and the DVD which has some good clips. It's good to have I think.
I wasn't buying many CDs, but the Doubleday music club keeps having good discounts on 60s CDs and some present day artistes that I like.
I'm not into downloading music, because I can only listen to it on my computer, not having a fancy mobile phone, but I like to have the solid product in my hand, with the book sometimes supplied and any photos or artworks like you. I've also replaced some of my cassettes onto CDs same as I've done with my DVDs replacing things from video tapes.
I hope CDs don't disappear or DVDs, as I like my collections. I wouldn't part with my LPs either even though I only put them on sometimes, as some never went to either cassettes or CDs. It's a nusiance putting records on, but apparently, they are superior to CDs in quality sound - if they are still in good condition. It's easier to look after CDs and to put them on, plus, they are lighter and easier to store.
I'll be buying Bowie's next album of course. I haven't stopped listening to music, I just don't collect it like I used to.
DeleteI will of course listen to music bought for me. :-)