[Aman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trains are bad I agree completely. The redbook CD is obsolete, more so than the LP.

The LP is going to have a longer life than the CD. LPs are becoming the means for indie artists to get their names out - they release LPs exclusively, with no CD parallel. LPs are much more tangible than CDs, and are overall a greater value in the eyes of most. You really feel like you own a piece of music when you buy an LP, especially if the vinyl is thick and comes in a gatefold. CDs are tiny little pieces of crap you could easily break in half with one hand, and are stored in tiny, stupid-looking fragile plastic boxes that get disgusting over time with seemingly no way to protect them from dirt, grime, and finger prints.

LPs, while down in sales significantly, are still embraced by a big group of music listeners, and the sales are increasing every year. Be honest here - all else equal, if you were to look at a rack of 100 LPs you own, alongside a rack of 100 CDs you own, which do you think you'll feel more proud of owning?

Especially in light of all the recent backing up and hard-disk storage of CDs, more and more customers believe they are merely buying music. When you buy an LP, however, not only are you buying music, but you're also getting a tangible, luxurious, fancy, and often times artistic product. Sigur Ros' LPs are a wonderful example of this fact.

 

[pds6]

OGTL says:
Quote:

[Y]uppies demanding . . . I HAVE to have a hard copy of music I like.

My God!

Would it be the end of the world if you downloaded and burned the damn cd or better, dvd.

A Lossless site could be set-up by a record company were EVERY album they every made was available for download at 4 or 5 dollars per album.

 

[biged]

I'm still waiting for Apple to offer lossless. I think this could help and rejuvenate the industry, across the board. Think about - this could help the sales of headphones, cables, amps, etc..

When I have let my friends listen to my meager set-up, their jaws drop. The vast majority of the public isn't up to speed yet, but they just don't know better. Set up a display at the Apple store with a good set-up (some good cans,cable,amp,lossless) compared to your typical display (Ipod and Bose) and think people would be impressed. Just like when you go to BB and see lower end TVs next to HDTVs.

Just my 2 cents, Ed.

 

[FalconP]

By "additional material", I fear something worse. Survey the pop-music market in Hong Kong: all the CDs from our favorite darlings come in cartons as big as a cereal box, and inside you'll find a 60-page photo book, postcards, posters, little dolls, coupons of karaoke bars and sports boutiques, round badges, necklaces with pendants, samples of hand cream... and the actual CD is lost in the rubble. I daresay this strategy is commercially successful, otherwise no one will waste so much money on such packages.

 

[Aman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pds6 OGTL says: My God! Would it be the end of the world if you downloaded and burned the damn cd or better, dvd. A Lossless site could be set-up by a record company were EVERY album they every made was available for download at 4 or 5 dollars per album.

While I would never care about such a thing, it is proven that you do lose some information when going from hard disk to CDR.

But why should customers have to go through the physical labor of burning a CD just to have a backup of the music? Have we gotten our priorities so mixed up that we don't even understand the concept of owning a product anymore?

If I wanted to buy merely music, I would go out to the jazz/experimental club and see a show. But when I buy a CD or LP, I expect to be able to have an individual, tangible product to not only display my purchase, but also be assured that I have a real copy to hold onto in case of any accidents.

Is it so much to ask to be able to receive a reasonably-priced album? Actually, yes, it is. And I would know. There aren't enough people buying CDs and LPs today. Record companies have to do this to be able to keep up. As others have said, it basically requires a musical Armageddon to radically change the qualities of recorded music AND keep the prices low.

When I get more influential in the industry, I'll let you guys know

I'm out for people like us.

 

[YamiTenshi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FalconP By "additional material", I fear something worse. Survey the pop-music market in Hong Kong: all the CDs from our favorite darlings come in cartons as big as a cereal box, and inside you'll find a 60-page photo book, postcards, posters, little dolls, coupons of karaoke bars and sports boutiques, round badges, necklaces with pendants, samples of hand cream... and the actual CD is lost in the rubble. I daresay this strategy is commercially successful, otherwise no one will waste so much money on such packages.

Oh God, I hate those things. Nothing fits inside the CD rack anymore and moving CDs is a pain. It also makes for a lot of garbage too every time I open a new CD.

 

[Daryn Alexander]

I, for one, welcome this change. Now I can be like all the vinyl people I've been jealous of and scoff at downloads for their tiny pixel art and tin-ridden, compressed sound.

On another note, there are way too many CD's and the possibility of making less of them would be welcome. When I go in to buy a CD by a given artist I like, nine times out of ten it will be something slightly off the radar. Best Buy ain't exactly stocking up on Squeeze's discography. However, if it's something in heavy rotation, the shelves will easily commit an entire section to only that one album with little possibility of selling that many. Rows and rows of the same CD with no movement after weeks until they are eventually taken off so that rows and rows of a different one can be stocked. The CD's on the chopping block would be these mass produced, overexposed, manufactured artists. It would allow for more of a selection in national chains like Best Buy. IMO.

 

[cerbie]

This is EMI. The only worse of the Big Four is BMG. To these guys, CDs have been dead for years anyway.

Gimme downloadable lossless rips for less than the CD package w/o DRM, and I'll bite. Until then, CD it is.

Of course, also give me more stuff to try listening to, as well. I've got over $300 of stuff in retail costs (yes, I'm looking at using YourMusic and similar places to shave quite a bit!) waiting for me to get the disposal funds to purchase it...and almost none of it is new.

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Everyone I know over 25 is alienated by the mainstream and much more so by 30

I'm 23, and everything I'm getting into that doesn't have Mike Patton somewhere in it is older than I am! I don't doubt there's more new stuff out there, but there's so little that's not hard to find and it can be an expensive crapshoot, too, and indie stuff often ends up costing more than RIAA stuff.

Now, I like the CD, too, but if there was a 3:1 or so difference between the CD and lossless download, I'd experiment w/ DLing for sure. It's easier to sell me on a $6 album than $12+s&h one, as long as no DRM is involved.

Quote:

The LP is going to have a longer life than the CD.

If it ain't broke...

Quote:

While I would never care about such a thing, it is proven that you do lose some information when going from hard disk to CDR.

Would you elaborate? If this were proven, wouldn't the CRC's on tracks be different between the original and the copy from lossless files? OTOH, moving to TY DVDs, keeping the files the same, is the ideal way to make hard copies.

 

[pds6]

Aman says:
Quote:

While I would never care about such a thing, it is proven that you do lose some information when going from hard disk to CDR.

I'm right. You're right.

From what I can gather from your posts, you are a "retail" kind of person. I am a "wholesale" kind of person. You love to listen to one side of a vinyl album. I want mass digital storage wirelessly beamed to my stereo.

Its a funny thing, but I don't think you and I even listen to music the same way. My guess is that you are more analytical and want to separate, separate, separate. I listen to music on a more base level. Lyrics are not that important to me. I hear and experience the music in toto. It is a giant wash - a Phil Spector Wall of Sound.

I once read an article where the reviewer was falling all over the fact that the recording was so good that you could hear the spittle in the musician's throat. I am sure you would love such a recording. I would have little interest.

Quote:

But why should customers have to go through the physical labor of burning a CD just to have a backup of the music? Have we gotten our priorities so mixed up that we don't even understand the concept of owning a product anymore?

I truly understand the joy of owning and holding an album (When I say album I do mean LP). I don't see any joy in buying a cd. If there is anything that make music look like a ""product" it is the cd case.

One of the things that has brought me back to music is iTunes. I know many hate the program. I do not!

My Bob Dylan collection is a good example. I have about 30 Dylan albums. Every album has a screen size picture of the album art and some have back and alternative covers. I have all the lyrics for every song. I have notes as to who performed on the song, date(s) of recording and other info. It is all store on iTunes and available while I listen. In many ways, iTunes has brought back the joy of holding an album and reading the liner notes. I always love to read good liner notes!

Quote:

There aren't enough people buying CDs and LPs today. Record companies have to do this to be able to keep up. As others have said, it basically requires a musical Armageddon to radically change the qualities of recorded music AND keep the prices low.

I think the future well fork and we can go in either direction - Wholesale or Retail. The wholesale model will have album downloads. The retail will be much higher and specialized.

Given a choice and for the same amount of money, I would take the Rolling Stones album catalog . On the other hand, you would rather purchase two of their better LP's. You wish to hold the album and I sublimate with iTunes.

 

[Ruggerio79]

just lower the freaking price....here in europe, the prices are even more ridiculous - 20 euro for a cd..thats around 25 us dollars...i wonder who buys cds here

 

[Spyro]

Perhaps I missed something in the article but how is the cd dead when it is still outweighing digital sales almost 7 to 1?

So what if 60% of people put cd's onto their computers. They left out the other stat that perhaps 30-40% of those people also play those cd's on traditional high end audio equipment. Not everyone exclusively plays music on the go. Most people I know do both and prefer to purchase a physical product.

 

[Oliver :)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruggerio79 just lower the freaking price....here in europe, the prices are even more ridiculous - 20 euro for a cd..thats around 25 us dollars...i wonder who buys cds here

Behold the magic of Amazon Marketplace

 

[soundboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FalconP By "additional material", I fear something worse. Survey the pop-music market in Hong Kong: all the CDs from our favorite darlings come in cartons as big as a cereal box, and inside you'll find a 60-page photo book, postcards, posters, little dolls, coupons of karaoke bars and sports boutiques, round badges, necklaces with pendants, samples of hand cream... and the actual CD is lost in the rubble. I daresay this strategy is commercially successful, otherwise no one will waste so much money on such packages.

Don't forget the CD that came in LP-sized "sleeve". I have a couple of these

Gawd, I hate all those "extras"....just give me the music on CD in a regular jewel case with a decent booklet. I probably buy about 50 to 70 HK pop CDs each year....almost all re-issues of older album.

Personally, I am in the physical media camp. I've never downloaded music and don't plan to. I want something I can caress and sniff....mmmm

 

[RYCeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soundboy I probably buy about 50 to 70 HK pop CDs each year....almost all re-issues of older album.

It's hard to find older chinese album. Right now, I mostly buy older album however I have better luck locating western album than chinese. It's hard to find a chinese album which issued 10-20 years ago however it's so easy to find western album from 40-50 years ago. I wish they can sell lossless old chinese album.

 

[guru388]

These execs make me sick. although 78s and 45s are dead 33 1/3 vinal records are still selling and even though I am an old foggie I buy cds.