I prefer to purchase my music in cd format (I like the fullness of the music over mp3). I usually purchase indepentent artists on small labels (where the artists get adequate compensation).
Digital downloads solves the problem of a few good songs on an entire album purchase (what a waste of money), where you can pick and choose only hit songs for a fraction of the cost of an entire album.

Just my thoughts


Jo

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Not surprised by these numbers. I think I've only bought 1 CD (Viva La Vida) in the past 4 years, and I only buy them if I really like the band.

I too still like to buy CDs and then rip them to MP3s and place the CD in a safe spot. But it is obvious that even though CD sales are slipping digital sales are up and compensating for the loss of CD sales. So the way I see it is the RIAA has no room to complain for loss of profits and they can quit blaming pirates for stealing music like they have been for years.

i buy cds for the bands i really support (Depeche Mode, Alphaville etc)

Yea, I still prefer to buy cd's because they have more collectible value, heck, I even still buy them in Records, specially with the latest albums such as Coldplay, Jason Mraz, Mariah's latest albums, they still sound good in Vinyl's and then I rip them in MP3 format to listen on my phone. It just feels like is more collectible than just digital track that you cant see, touch, or read.

well quality of music gone downhill i only found few good albums that are worth buying like the new ac/dc album and few others.

Originally posted by bobiroc:

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I too still like to buy CDs and then rip them to MP3s and place the CD in a safe spot. But it is obvious that even though CD sales are slipping digital sales are up and compensating for the loss of CD sales. So the way I see it is the RIAA has no room to complain for loss of profits and they can quit blaming pirates for stealing music like they have been for years.

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Actually, digital sales do not even come close to compensating for the decline in CD sales. The labels would have to sell multiple billion digital tracks to even come close :)

HOO! HOO! hell I will hit a new mile stone February 2nd making it would be 6 years of no media purchase from myself, I have saved my self $16,758.00 in past 6 years when RIAA started with there so call fit against piracy, and went after 80 year old grandmothers and so on, that is when I quit buying music and videos, I guess the hardest hit was my teen age daughter, who asked why I stopped buying music and videos for them and I explain that I would never so port crooks that would willing go after old ladies or sick kids in the hospitals, just to make there point. And told her that all that money would be better spent on schooling like her guitar lesson or for her private school I guess it was not that bad of a trade off, thinking on it now, I would like thank you RIAA. for money better spent on my kids education, It would not be possible with out your outlandish behavior, and for not having respect or morals for the elderly or the sick.

CD quality beats MP3 hands down and particularly if you have even halfway decent gear, let alone "Hi Fi" proper.
Nine inch nails released "The Slip" digitally (free too!) but in multiple formats from 24 bit down - way to go!
I'll give up my silver disks if I can have quality downloads that aren't stained by megalomaniac DRM type nonsense, and pay too.

Originally posted by bengo:

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CD quality beats MP3 hands down and particularly if you have even halfway decent gear, let alone "Hi Fi" proper.
Nine inch nails released "The Slip" digitally (free too!) but in multiple formats from 24 bit down - way to go!
I'll give up my silver disks if I can have quality downloads that aren't stained by megalomaniac DRM type nonsense, and pay too.

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I totally agree with you. What was not reported in this article was the rest of the report that showed an 89% increase in vinyl sales (which was up 40% the year before). All major bands are releasing in vinyl, as well as many new radical punk bands. My 20 something interns are having listening parties and buying vinyl. Vinyl plants are backlogged 3-6 months.

I have been a recording engineer and producer for more than 20 years. Watching the decline of 'sound' in the last 15 years has turned my craft into an artform. CDs sound so bad these days (both sonically and musically) I can't blame the public for not buying. The music business killed itself. If there is any good news, the rif raf is leaving the business because it is no longer profitable.

Pointing out that the last quarter was particularly dismal makes me wonder if anyone noticed that the entire world economy slumped making the music business look like it fared pretty well considering.

We started an audiophile label of xtreme high quality for HPA (high performance audio) called Blue Coast Records. Our stats were not reported to Nielsen because we are very underground and avoid traditional distribution (because they don't pay--and maybe we should discuss 'holdbacks' of product because the retailers owe too much money). Our sales are up 85% in 2008, China is 40% of total sales, we sell our SACD/CD discs online at $40 a unit and get paid in advance from our distributors, we don't sell on itunes but we do offer cdquality downloads... and people chose to pay more for the highest quality download we offered. We have already been prepaid to release in vinyl and requests for tape have been numerous, as well as new product. What it tells me is that people will seek and pay for what they want and have a passion for.

It's not just our acoustic music label, but friends like Buckethead are selling tremendous amounts of product on their website to true fans.

What is changing is how the music reaches the fans, builds the community and continues to serve that community. If I don't 'sell' through the internet, I will tell the world using it. That is pretty exciting!

Soon the physical CD's sold will be at it's all time low of 100 million per year. This is so obvious in a time that 75% of home have computers in it's house hold along with the internet and most teenagers don't have the money of $10 to go out and buy CD's so they rather figure out a way to illegal download the songs than buy a CD with 12 filer track songs on it. We are living in a time that ever the North America car industry is also down in sales over all 21% leading us now into a recession. So this just shows everyone that CD's will decline more because people aren't spending their money on entertainment items as much when they can go online and get it for free.

Artists are still over all making their money from live concerts shows and this is where the major record companies will start to take a chuck out of the artists profit. Times are different than 20 years ago everything is online.

bryston, and others not all mp3s are the same. Mp3 is just a lossy file format. Those that buy then rip (I am one) can be certain of the quality. What is sold at itunes and most other sites are fairly low quality. Anyone with a trained ear and does not need a earing aid can tell the difference between a 128 and real. There are sites that sell high quality mp3s or lossless. I gather bluecoast has such an organization. Both sound the same but lossless has much more data.

If you rip something other than new CDs and use a tool like accurip you will know the biggest problem with playing CDs is surface defects. Unless your CDs have close to perfect surfaces, there will be defects in the hearable range. Vinyl has to be much much worse. You must damage the disk slightly every time you play it. Washing the disk after each use and using light tracking will reduce the wear but can't eliminate it. Persons ripping CDs then listening to digital (hi-end mp3s or lossless) listen to higher quality music than persons that play vinyl and probably better than persons that play CDs. At best, the music of a played CD will equal a hi-end digital tune.

A 320 constant bits per second faithfully capture everything a perfect human ear can hear. Most adults with a trained ear can't make out much above a 190 BR. 320 is massive over kill. Most persons that buy and rip go over kill. I do, since that insures over-kill quality. If you can REALLY hear the difference between a 320 and 'real' the source of the mp3 was not 'true'. If you burn a set of 128 BR to an audio disk then re-rip to mp3 or lossless the music is still 128. That does not happen to persons who buys a CD then rips it.

Anyone that thinks they can tell the difference between a LAME extream mp3 and source can post a compliant on the LAME forum. To be taken seriously, you will need an mp3 with a few seconds of the music with the defect, the matching wave source, the time and frequency of the defect and a description of the defect. The forum members will check out your complaint. If it is valid I would suspect a company like LAME would start working on the defect correction emmediatly. I have read the dialong during the testing/debugging of LAME's VBR mp3 encoder. That was an eye opener! LAME corrected all valid complaints. After reading that I can only chuckle when persons tell me they can hear the difference between what ever and a high end mp3 expertly created. I notice they are never specific about the differences. They indicate only a fool couldn't tell the difference.

One other point... I am expecting some flames after this post.

There are some vinyl disks that were 'pressed loud'. They will sound better than CDs. However, a audio capture of a pressed loud vinyl will sound the same if done properly. The high frequency tones or the pressed loud disks were amplified giving the music a richer sound. That has NOTHING to do with the fact that it is vinyl. You can do the same trick using an equalizer.

Note, I never said there is no place for lossless. I used lossless to preserve audio captures of vinyl. I just don't rip to lossless if I own the CD.