Compact Disks v Downloads

Do you by CDs or do you download music?

  • CDs

    Votes: 14 48.3%

  • Downloads

    Votes: 15 51.7%
  • Total voters
    29
Marc

Marc

TPer Emeritus
Suspended / Banned
Messages
34,670
Edit My Images
Yes
I'm in the process of uploading my CD collection to itunes and thought I'd have a look in the itunes store at music to purchase and download. I was rather surprised to see that albums average £10.99 as opposed to £9ish in Tesco. So, apart from the ability to download individual tracks, what is the advantage of downloading music versus buying CDs. I'll add a poll as well.

Please don't forget forum rules regarding discussion if illegal activities. ;)
 
I do a mixture. Some of the music I like now is no longer available on CD - these I will download. Or if I want a particular old CD and can't be arsed trawling ebay or paying premium record shop prices.

However new releases I will always buy a CD as it will always be the in the same price range as digital download. You really need an option for both on your poll...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I find that I download a lot more than I used too. I will however still have a look at the cd's in Tesco etc when out shopping, but find that being able to listen to a small snippet of each track on iTunes handy.

If I know what I want and I'm out shopping I will buy it on CD, but I browse quite a lot on iTunes especially with the genius application. :D

Marc, I've done the CD collection install, it is boring... :D
 
both
 
If I buy music I'll buy the CD. You can't beat picking up a package in my opinion and that includes the inlay card and artwork. That's 505% of the experience in my opinion. I'll stream music and do so a lot through Spotify or Last.fm. But if I want to own it I'll buy the CD and burn to mp3. I just like flicking through the inlay cards, especially booklet types that you used to get all the time.
 
KayJay said:
If I buy music I'll buy the CD. You can't beat picking up a package in my opinion and that includes the inlay card and artwork. That's 505% of the experience in my opinion. I'll stream music and do so a lot through Spotify or Last.fm. But if I want to own it I'll buy the CD and burn to mp3. I just like flicking through the inlay cards, especially booklet types that you used to get all the time.
Click to expand...

^^^^ What he said!
 
I don't care for a CD/DVD inlay/outlay/case at all. In fact, one day I will get myself organized and free up space on my shelf by having all my DVDs/CDs digitally stored. If I want something on DVD/CD I can rip it in minutes. The only exception to this currently would be bluray on the basis that blank media is not cheap enough yet.
 
I've only just bought one album off iTunes, and that was because I couldn't find it in stores anymore.

CD all the way for me. I dread to think of a day when we will no longer be able to buy our music from the highstreet ... much as our grandparents can't buy their groceries from the local farmer :p ... but that's progress, I guess :shrug:
 
I like to have something tangible so CD's all the way for me.

I probably have about 700+..!
 
I like the idea of something physical, be it a game, a CD, a DVD, but I hardly have room for it.

All my CD purchases (erhem) get burned straight onto the server and the CD then placed onto the shelf. Just in case something terrible happens and the server is wiped then I have the back up of the CD.

I've purchased a few indie albums off itunes and the like simply because you can't buy them anywhere else, and I've always found the prices reasonable.
 
Downloads all the way for me. Not having racks of CD's cluttering up the house is a godsend.
Really not fussed about the packaging, I buy an album to listen to the music.

I use a mix of iTunes & Amazons MP3 store, depending who's cheapest.

I occasionally have to resort to buying the odd CD though, if a particular track or album is not available online.
 
Download for me :thumbs: The convenience of having my entire music collection with me on an iPod wherever I go far outweighs the touchy feely experience of owning the CD :)
 
Grendel said:
Download for me :thumbs: The convenience of having my entire music collection with me on an iPod wherever I go far outweighs the touchy feely experience of owning the CD :)
Click to expand...

:plusone:

im the same except its on my iphone


why not download then stick it on cd there is plenty of other music site to download from Legit one's
 
Last edited:
I can never understand the logic of paying more for a low quality MP3 download than a physical CD :shrug:. I buy all my music on CD then convert to MP3 at the bitrate I want :thumbs:
 
I don't understand why album downloads via the likes of itunes are so expensive. As was said earlier you can download for £10.99 or buy a physical CD for £9 in a supermarket. Surely if the industry want to get rid of piracy then the price of downloads should be reduced massively. I'd pay for an album download if it was only a £3 or £4 but as it is I stick to listening to the radio and the CDs I'd bought before the MP3 era.
 
That's a common argument for a CD, that mp3's "sound awful" etc. What mp3's are you listening to? My MP3's are indistinguishable from a wav file for my ears.
 
clicktor said:
That's a common argument for a CD, that mp3's "sound awful" etc. What mp3's are you listening to? My MP3's are indistinguishable from a wav file for my ears.
Click to expand...

Play them through a decent hifi or a set of headphones - you will be able to tell the difference.

I never noticed as all my music was on the PC - but then I played a CD through the PC and the difference was remarkable. I do have very good speakers and headphones though.
 
I only download, cos I am a scummy student who doesnt have a job.

If I did on the other hand. I would quite happily help the musicians with a sale of their CD :D
 
Thats all my mums money :D

The joys of knowing her pin etc...
 
I have downloaded through Amazon and iTunes - I don't understand why the production of the physical media can cost less or the same as a digital download. I am positive that Mr Tesco, Mr Sainsburys and Mr Play.com do not sell at zero profit and that would make me believe that Apple are really kicking the arse out of buying through iTunes.
 
I download everything now, mostly from iTunes, but I have bought from Amazon occasionally. I don't see the point in going to the shop, buying a CD, to bring it home, shove it in my computer to load the music onto iTunes, and then never playing it again. I may as well just download it and cut out the middle man :)
 
RichardC27 said:
I download everything now, mostly from iTunes, but I have bought from Amazon occasionally. I don't see the point in going to the shop, buying a CD, to bring it home, shove it in my computer to load the music onto iTunes, and then never playing it again. I may as well just download it and cut out the middle man :)
Click to expand...

Even though you may be doing the shopping and it being £2-3 cheaper?
 
fabs said:
Even though you may be doing the shopping and it being £2-3 cheaper?
Click to expand...

I don't get that either...

Even stranger are e-books which seem to be the next big thing.

The idea of a world without real tangible physical books seems to be a much poorer place...
 
-Rob- said:
I don't understand why album downloads via the likes of itunes are so expensive. As was said earlier you can download for £10.99 or buy a physical CD for £9 in a supermarket. Surely if the industry want to get rid of piracy then the price of downloads should be reduced massively. I'd pay for an album download if it was only a £3 or £4 but as it is I stick to listening to the radio and the CDs I'd bought before the MP3 era.
Click to expand...

Tulipone said:
I have downloaded through Amazon and iTunes - I don't understand why the production of the physical media can cost less or the same as a digital download
Click to expand...

CD's are manufactured for pence these days. Think how much you can buy blank CDs for, then imagine the discount you get when buying the sort of quantity that record companies do.

Contrary to popular belief, downloading is not a "free" distribution method. You need to pay to create and maintain your store "site", pay for the servers to run it on, the electricity to run said servers (plus the data centre costs), bandwidth from your service providor (not cheap, given the amount of data they'll be dealing with) plus covering all the usual running costs of the business.
Then you've got to pay the record companies their cut, and then you've (hopefully) got some profit left at the end, once the tax man's taken his share!

Having said all that, iTunes does appear to be shooting itself in the foot with pricing ever since it introduced it's new variable pricing scheme. It seems to mostly have varied up in price :(
When it first started and all tracks were 79p and all albums were £7.99, they were pretty much always cheaper than buying an actual CD!
Amazons MP3 store seems to consistently beat them on price now, and get the majority of my business as a result.
At least we have a choice, it's not been long since iTunes was the only real legal way to buy music online.

RichardC27 said:
I don't see the point in going to the shop, buying a CD, to bring it home, shove it in my computer to load the music onto iTunes, and then never playing it again. I may as well just download it and cut out the middle man :)
Click to expand...

:plusone:
I like to think I'm helping the environment out as well, saving on the amount of plastic being produced ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top