rjh_54

I was talking with a friend the other day about music, and I was shocked to find out that she also buys albums on CD still. I know I'm in the minority here, but who else out there prefers to buy their music on CD?

Obviously if it's just a few songs I'm looking for I'll download them digitally. But if it's an entire album I want, I just can't justify spending the $9.99 - $14.99 for a bunch of digital files, especially when I can buy the CD for around the same price (sometimes cheaper). I like to look at the artwork / packaging, etc. I can rip the CD right onto my computer and load the album onto my phone that way.

What are your thoughts on buying albums on CD?

auto

When I started buying vinyl again about a year ago I stopped buying CDs cold turkey (own about 1500-2000). With everything on Spotify at my fingertips I just can't justify it.

The only exception I can think of was Dylan's complete Basement Tapes last year.

cdollaz

I still only buy music on cd. And I buy a lot of it.

UAIOE

I generally still buy on CD. Mostly to have a physical backup of the music I put on my MP3 player. But sometimes it's easier to grab a CD or two to pop in the car CD player, than it is to make an MP3 CD, or hook up my MP3 player.

Josh-da-man

If I'm paying money for music, I want a physical,copy.

Though I find myself mostly uninterested in buying music these days, as I find the stuff I already have sufficient. Most new music falls into the dategory of "listen to it once, sits on my shelf collecting dust" and "your old stuff was better" from artists I like.

JAA

Same

EdTheRipper

I still buy 95% of my music on cd. My car doesn't have hookups for an mp3 player or anything like that, but it does have a cd player. When I first got the car 6 years ago, I binged on cds, getting caught up on stuff I'd overlooked. Now, I have slowed down quite a bit, just buying the occasional title. I have gotten sick of the space they they take up though, and recently moved them all from jewel cases into a couple of very large binders.

Jason

I rarely buy CDs anymore, as I have pretty much zero interest in new music and have complete discographies of a lot of my favorite artists. I will buy digitally when it's just a "45", and mostly just pop music of my youth. The only album I've received digitally is that U2 album that Apple dumped in our laps last year, and it's largely unplayed.

I have been thinking about getting into Vinyl, mainly because it could be fun to go and root out old records. Any new purchases would be nice packages of longtime favorites.

milo bloom

No, only the occasional used disc for my collection, but for listening it's Pandora or borrowing CDs from the library.

Eddie W

I sometimes buy CD's from Amazon because of their auto rip feature. You get the the CD+MP3 version for just a couple buck more than the MP3 version alone. So sure, why not.

Still, they feel like a waste of space. I can't believe that 10 years ago I used to carry around a 100 CD binder & have to swap out whatever I felt like listening. Nowadays I have 3xx that many albums on a stick the size of my pinky fingernail, permanently plugged into my car stereo.

mndtrp

I still buy CDs, but very few. These days I only get maybe 3-4 a year, as opposed to 3-4 a month. I've got a boatload of music already, and I don't have as much fun finding new music as I used to.

Coral

Bingo... I'm the same way.

I still buy CDs... and I go through spurts. I'll buy 3 or 4 a year, and then I'll buy that much in a month or so. Basically it's when I'm in the mood.

I've bought around 15 CDs/SACDs in the last couple months though through Amazon resellers for cheap - whether it's "like new" or unopened. I love the idea of paying $3-$5 for a CD and with the exception of new releases from only a handful of artists.

I'd rather have a big CD/SACD collection than a BD collection. Music is much more random and I can go through so many different artists/CDs in one evening - making the collection feel much more worth it. I don't get the same feeling with movies.

Eventually I'll want to get a high-end music server so I can play the ripped FLAC files off it and not have to fumble with discs and such - but I'll still be buying the CDs.

Jason

Sometimes they're even less than the MP3 version. Especially on older catalog titles.

I preordered the Yes Atlantic Studios Albums box set and Amazon emailed me telling me the autorip download was available almost two weeks before it shipped. Not much incentive to even take the plastic off at that point.

Bob_Bobbson

I stopped buying CDs a year or two ago. I'm actually in the process of getting rid of all my CDs right now. I realized that they're all ripped into my computer and just sit on the shelf collecting dust anyway. I have way too much clutter in my life, so that was an obvious place to start.

Currently, I use Spotify or buy an album on iTunes or Amazon if I really want to own it. For physical copies, I just buy vinyl now.

PhantomStranger

I only buy CDs and will continue to only buy CDs until they pull them from the market. Why purchase MP3s when you can hear the same music for free on YouTube most of the time?

The day is approaching, however, when the labels stop fully servicing the CD market. Target has a new media re-design coming that cuts CDs down to one measly rack of newish releases. It's going to get more and more difficult to buy CDs at retail.

I actually think music stores might make a small comeback, now that the big chains are getting out of CD sales.

mickey65

I buy maybe about 5 CDs a year these days. Most of the ones I've been buying lately are greatest hits of various classic rock/r&b/country/pop bands to round out my collection with.

I buy MP3's from Amazons for one hit songs by various new artists I hear on the radio stations (mostly the college type of radio station that play stuff the other radio stations don't) (after going thru song samples on Amazon). If I only like the one song by them, I'll buy it, amass a few others and then burn a CD compilation of them all together.

hal9000

CD's for me (and used only) - old habits die hard. I don't purchase downloads. Although if I need one song that I'd personally never purchase I have sources. I still stand by my opinion that the recording industry fucked themselves big time by not adjusting the price of CD's in the 90's and obviously the 2000's. The same thing is happening to the movie industry with ticket prices and physical copies.

All the hipster kids I work with 20-30 year olds don't even go to the movies let alone buy DVD/Blu Rays. It's amazing to see it - they all have rips of the movies and then they don't even keep physical copies. They'll end up deleting their copy because they feel it will always be available somehow to download again from wherever they get it from. So strange, the difference in generations.

Alan Smithee

That's what our last remaining REAL record store has been hoping.

That can't be said enough times! I've been buying CD for **30 YEARS** now, and the reason given for why they were a few bucks more than records or cassettes was that they cost more to manufacture, but eventually the prices would come down. Instead they went UP starting in 1993! Then they started raising the prices on OLDER titles as well! $18.99 list for a regular-edition single disc album is absolutely ridiculous (that was the typical list price when Tower Records went out of business a few years ago- don't know if it's still that way currently).

I've lost most of my enthusiasm for buying CDs, but downloads HAVEN'T replaced that- if there's music I want, I still buy it on CD. I'll admit Spotify has contributed a bit to me buying less music (I use the free version with commercials) but if there's something I REALLY like I'll go buy it, as Spotify could start charging or take any songs offline at any time. Plus CDs just SOUND better!

Mike86

I don't buy as much music as I used to but generally speaking when I do I want a physical copy and CDs are still easiest. I buy the occasional vinyl copy of an album too but usually I reserve that for an artist or album I really like. I've really cut back on buying music though and probably bought under ten albums last year. Haven't gotten one this year and the only thing even on my radar is the soundtrack to Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck whenever it releases.

Dan

I'll still buy the occasional CD if it's the only option available and/or I'm feeling impulsive.
Otherwise, I stick to streaming music for checking out new/old stuff. If it's not there, I'll probably skip it entirely.
If it's something I feel compelled to own, I'll opt for vinyl if it's an option. I like when the vinyl comes with a CD that I can throw in my car for a few months, but hate when a code for MP3s is included, since I have absolutely zero interest in maintaining a "MP3 library" of my own anymore.
I worked at a major record store up here for a few years, so I have a collection of 800+ CDs... I just... don't want to deal with them if I don't have to.

Michael Corvin

I buy about 30% on CD still. Mostly just favorite artists. I also tend to try and buy through the band's website to get promo bonuses or autographs.

Any new bands I try out I tend to just go digital.

Because pulling up YouTube videos while you're driving isn't the best idea?

The record industry fucked themselves and deserved it.

PhantomStranger

The record industry definitely kept prices as high as possible on albums until they had to start competing with free Internet downloads. It used to be a miracle to see a new-release CD sell under $10.

hanshotfirst1138

I still do, but I'm one of those weirdo physical media holdouts. As I can put it straight into it iTunes anyway, I find it pretty convenient. But I'm such a small minority that I'm kind of surprised that CDs are even still around.

To be honest, no matter how low they dropped the prices, I don't think that they could compete with the digital market.

Ringmaster

I still buy CDs but I'm more selective than ever because I feel overwhelmed by my collection sometimes. I'll rip a copy to a CD-R for my car and that's usually my main method of listening to music but physical copies sound way better than MP3s.

davidh777

I buy new releases on CD, and if it's from Amazon, I just use the autorip to put it into itunes as I do the most of my listening on mobile devices anyway. Then I can get the CD on slow prime shipping for another digital buck, which I spend on MP3 singles or cheap catalog albums. I believe it's legally questionable to then sell the CDs so I hold onto those.

Youtube is great for sampling music or listening to random stuff, but it doesn't replace putting tracks on my mobile device.

I sometimes use Pandora but haven't really dug into Spotify.