US Record Industry Sees Album Sales Sink to Historic Lows (Again) • Page 2

last album i bought was my band's japan version album in tower records shibuya.

 

Pretty much. The file doesn't belong to you and I believe it's stored in the app to keep it inaccessible but you can listen to it anywhere you can access your Apple Music account.

 

Plus, a lot of their albums can be purchased on CD and you also get a digital copy. That's usually how I buy albums anymore since both formats can be had for the price of one.

 

I buy CDs every chance I get either at FYE or Best Buy or Best Buy online and sometimes amazon.

 

I personally haven't bought a CD since my car stereo started having issues playing them.

Between Apple Music and buying records, I don't miss CDs at all. In fact, I wish I didn't own so many...

 

Basically, if I add an album to "My Music" on Apple Play or Spotify, then I can access it on any of my devices (laptop, iPad, iPhone, PS4 also has Spotify).

For phones and tablets, music can also be downloaded for "offline play," which doesn't use wifi data, making it the ideal way for me to listen to music outside of my house.

 

I don't buy CDs at all, but I spend more on music now than ever (10 bucks a month for Apple Music).

 

I buy a lot of CD's...sometimes new sometimes used. I like having a physical copy...I would like to buy more vinyl but vinyl is waaaaay more expensive the CD's are.

 

Yea that's pretty much the main difference. iTunes you own the copy, so you have access to the file. Apple Music you can download it to your phone but you can't transfer it. I'm not sure if there's any version of Apple Music supported on computers. The other big difference is that you own it forever when you buy it on iTunes. With Apple Music, if you stop your subscription, you will lose access to all that music. Other than that though, you are right, there's not much of a difference between the two.

 

Wait, changing phones every 6 month sounds expensive af

Anyway: CDs are significantly cheaper than vinyl, take up less room, and are far more durable. I don't need to do anything to my CDs to make them last longer. Yes, I buy most used and then rip them to my computer and rarely ever use them again, but I like owning a physical collection to be able to look at and show people. I don't buy overpriced $30 vinyl records to play on a crosley, I buy $0.25-$10 used CDs from garage sales and music stores (supporting local businesses in the process). I also buy directly from bands at their concerts/websites.
I don't use iTunes because Apple is an abusive, exploitative corporation, and I don't bother with streaming services because I don't connect myself to the Internet 24/7, I minimize my online time.
I don't even use cell phones. I have a portable music player that I load music onto from my computer.

 

Got to say I do prefer CD for the car...just the couple of minutes setting up the iPod etc in the morning to work isn't needed when times short and your half asleep.

Anyone else the same as me for some car journeys?

 

Yeah, man. The old car I had used to have a CD player in it and I definitely miss it at times. It does have a nice "set it and forget it" kind of feel to it. I also miss mix CDs a WHOLE lot haha.

 

Haven't bought a CD since I started getting Spotify premium a few years ago. When I want new music, I just rotate all the new albums on to my "available offline" library and listen in my car / on the bus / at the gym / everywhere. I go to tons of shows / buy tons of merch still, but Spotify is by far the best money I have spent on media, probably ever. Though I did buy a digital copy of "Moon Shaped Pool" because I just couldn't wait the extra couple weeks...

 

CD "crumbled" by 11 percent, yet the numbers BillBoard provide show digital dropping by close to 20 percent.... There's a narrative to be upheld, can't let the actual numbers affect that!

The entire music industry is down, yet somehow articles keep reporting CD as being particularly affected. CD is still the #1 earner, it fell less than digital in the first half of this year, and it's so far ahead of vinyl that it isn't funny. But nope, more "CD down, vinyl up" articles.

I can't wait for this vinyl resurgence fad to go away as it really hurts people who still want to buy music but don't want to pay $30+shipping for an antiquated and fragile format. CD fans have really been affected. Half the new bands I get into only release on vinyl (or worse, cassette). It's like if laserdisc was people's preferred movie format instead of Blu-ray - crazy.

If it was just a matter of moving on to a superior format, like Blu-ray Audio, I'd be all for it. But I'm not going backwards. I will support bands that continue to release CDs.

 

I bought a base model soul and it doesn't have a CD player, so I quit buying CDs. Probably saved me a grip this year, but I still miss opening up that annoyingly tight Saran Wrap and sticker.

 

Buying vinyl is one of the little joys in life.

 

I've been sort of lucky that their one aisle had the new Thrice, Sevendust, Killswitch and Bullet recently but I have had to leave to go else where for Senses Fail and Atreyu. I hate the feeling of making time to go actually buy an album and can't. I'm trying to help dammit lol!

It's mostly just nostalgia for me I suppose, as a kid I loved bringing home a new album and listening to it in my room while reading the booklet and taking in the art work.