[Head Injury]

 

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CDs are way too cheap to manufacture to abandon.

It's even cheaper to distribute digitally.
 
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Whose with me?

Nah, I'd just resort to piracy 

 

[Elysian]

I'd be extremely skeptical of these stories, given what a massive channel Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are for music companies.
 
As of May 2010, the NPD says that digital music sales was 40% of the market in 1Q2010.  The story does not add up at all given (assuming the numbers haven't changed markedly since then):
- Why would the music industry willingly give up half its revenue channel?  Most companies will fight tooth and nail just to keep 5%.
- Why would the music industry not only give up half its revenue channel to middlemen, but also surrender most of its remaining power in marketing and sales control in the process (through ceding Apple, Amazon, etc., nearly 100% control of access to the consumer)?
 
http://www.prweb.com/releases/NPD_Group/market_research/prweb4051434.htm

 

[BenAdamson]

I'm just worried about being able to add to my lossless music collection in the future...

 

[Satellite_6]

On second thought, instead of jumping off a cliff I'd probably just stop buying music and listen to everything on Grooveshark - sounds crazy good. 

 

[Uncle Erik]

Start buying more used CDs. They're cheap these days; I often find them for $2 or less.

I'll (sooner or later) put them all on a server. However, I'll store the hard copies. I like having a physical backup.

 

[brooce]

I don't buy music unless it's on a disc.
 

 

[Mr.Sneis]

But... I like CD.  I wonder if the value of CD's will plummet and we will be able to scoop them all up for very cheap when this happens.
 
Uncle Erik, I love my local used music stores but they still charge maybe $8-$10 per used CD.  I guess I need to be more resourceful.

 

[Sordel]

The price of CDs has (voluntarily, as far as I can see) completely collapsed this year: a look at the boxed sets that are coming out full of what were once mid-price albums but are now super-budget albums shows that the record companies are making a last stand to pick up some money on back catalogue. Paradoxically, the super-premium box sets show the same thing: £75 for a boxed set of an album that in its simplest form commands a price of about £8 shows that prices have lost all touch with production cost.
 
What I don't understand is this: anyone with the CD can have the mp3 in any bit rate they like. Aren't the record companies by aggressively discounting just going to drive down the price of mp3s? The Leonard Cohen Complete Albums Collection, for example, is 11 CDs for about £30 but the mp3s on iTunes would cost nearly £85 ... yet the CDs give you everything that mp3s do and more. So, how come? It seems insane.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

Anyone have any head-fi numbers or polls that show in which format most of us primarily listen to their music?  I'm probably 5% Vinyl, 20% CD, 10% MP3, 65% FLAC.  I play from self-made FLAC files for most of my day while at work, I love my CD player and CD collection though.

 

[bigshot]

I buy CDs anD I listen to high bitrate AAC. I have no use for lossless because I have the CDs.

 

[chef8489]

I have the cd's also but I burn to alac and store the cd's and dont use them. Keeps them pristine.
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I buy CDs anD I listen to high bitrate AAC. I have no use for lossless because I have the CDs.

 

 

[Sordel]

I usually buy the CDs and rip to mp3: virtually all my listening is from iTunes or iPod, so actually spinning the physical disc is rare. Occasionally I will buy something on download from iTunes, but that's normally only if a) I know in advance that I won't want the entire album and just want a track or two or b) if there's a definite cost advantage because the physical disc is expensive or otherwise unobtainable.