Readers Respond: Are CDs Really Dead?

Responses: 9

The music public is dividing into camps - those who buy CDs and those who don't. Where do you fit in? Are CDs the only way to go for you, or are you all MP3s all the time? Where does vinyl fit into the picture? And why do you buy music in the format that you do? Share your music buying habits and get a glimpse of what your fellow music fans are doing. Share Your Thoughts

Can't let go.

My response would be that I'm struggling to let go of CDs! I'm 15, so I suppose i would be expected to be 'in' with the MP3s-all-round craze of the new technological music world but I'm really wondering if they can ever be as good as something real, something you can hold and see? Apart from the slight inconvenience of CDs, and the issue of them getting damaged, CDs are, well i can't think of a better way of putting it - real. I admit to having the same paranoia as a previous reviewer of losing mp3 files, their intangibility causing me to worry about my music collection. I guess I just don't like the idea of stopping buying CDs and consqeuently having the rest of my life's music buys saved as no more than MP3s. Someone also said that now they don't buy CDs they don't really listen to a whole album anymore. This would be another concern for me - that you lose real connection with the music... I am being forced to cut short;(character limit), but basically, i'm torn. :(

—Guest Fresketic

YES- and will continue to

I value the artwork and the longevity of the media and having a high resolution "master" that I can always go back to. As digital formats evolve, it gives me the opportunity to upgrade with them. I was hoping SACD would have taken off and the DRM would have eased on them... but no such luck! Having said that, I rarely listen to a CD or SACD; while I appreciate the sound improvement, the MP3 convenience trumps it and a big HD/iPOD means I can rip at a high bit rate that is a struggle to spot the difference (accepting the reality of being over 30 and not having the same hearing I used to).

—Guest Dave S

I never buy CDs anymore.

I never buy CDs anymore. I still buy albums, but I feel no allegiance to physical copies. I like the immediacy of iTunes and mp3 downloads - as well as the convenience of iPods and computers. I will say, though, that I miss the experience of listening to one album over and over. I find that I never do that anymore now that I've moved entirely to mp3s.

—Guest Dave Hahn

CDs are still better

The sound quality of the CD is still signicantly better than mp3s and mp4s. Just A and B the sound and you can hear. One day, we'll be able to download wav. files from itunes. Although that will take up more space we will be more equipped to download as many wav. files as we do the thousands of mp3 files we have on our computers these days. Then, I'll say, CDs are dead.

—jcinla

Something real

Sure, I still buy CD's. You never really "own" a music file, do you? You really just paid for something you can't see or touch, and could be deleted or wiped out in a second. I like having something that I can hold in my hand, that has information and artwork, and that can be traded or sold when I might need some extra cash.

—Guest cliffydfwtx

Are CD's Really Dead?

Not for a few years & the fact I get tons of demos, free. I think artist could use CD's as a great marketing tool for their fans. Vinyl will not last. Most people are not music judges, so quality is not as important as it used to be. How will music be distributed? It will involve some kind of hand held device that allows not on MP3 downloads, but, incorporates terrestrial radio station access. Everything I have is in WMA or MP3 format...except for a few CD's.

—KleerStreem

Yes, but not as much as I once did

Most of my CD purchases come at shows after I've seen a new band that I like. The warm fuzzy feeling is flowing through you after a good show, and you want to take it home with you. That's the perfect time to sell CDs to fans. And I guess I typically buy CDs as gifts. I like to think of myself as somewhat of a music guru to my friends and family, so I pick up CDs they haven't heard but I think they might like. But those are really the only two moments where I'll buy CDs. If a favorite artist of mine is releasing a new album, I'll fire up the computer or MP3 player. I'm a happy Rhapsody subscriber, so I get most of my music from there.

—Guest Chris Brummund

No, and I really don't miss them

I just can't justify the space they require anymore. I think the end for me was when I moved to NYC and trucked hundreds of CDs there. For a while, I was the last holdout, fumbling around with CDs on the train. People looked at me with a degree of pity, like I had a beeper on my belt or something. Once I got the ipod, CDs just couldn't really keep up. I do still sell CDs, though. Nothing has really replaced them for making your case as a musician at a show. You can't, with any seriousness, hand a person mp3 files when you meet them. Vinyl sells better as merch but in terms of having an impact on people you meet, the CD is still the best way to go. Honestly, I'm glad to see them go.

—mattmorrell

Yes

I still buy CDs because with the iTunes new prices it is cheaper to buy a CD on sale than buy the whole the album on iTunes. I like CDs in my car which is where I mostly listen to music.

—Guest Claire W