CD's or Downloads

I buy CDs until I can't afford to any more. Then I download music until I have more money. CDs are infinitely better and I wish I could have my entire collection on CD, but until I have a proper job I won't nearly have enough cash. They look and sound loads better. Also you can't have a signed copy of an mp3. That's something pretty special to me. It's also very satisfying to have a great collection with a physical presence, and even though my collection is pretty measly (close to 300 CDs) compared to some people it's still nice to look at.
 
I've never once paid for a download. When I do download though, if I like the band enough or the album enough, I'll buy the CD. To me, there is something satisfying about buying a CD with artwork etc as opposed to just downloading it. Usually if I buy CD's I'll buy either at gigs, direct from the bands website or myspace or on the odd occasion, from my local independent record store.
 
CDs are better as far as I'm concerned - you've got a permanent hardcopy in optimal quality which you can rip to suit your needs with no DRM or other restrictions.

Incidentally my gf got some free itunes download off a coke bottle and I was reasonably impressed about how easy it was to use. If the prices dropped considerably I might consider going down that route in the future, but at the moment it costs around the same to download an album as it does to buy the cd online.

Besides, I listen to very little new music these days anyway. I've got plenty of quality cds collected over the years and I'm not bored of them all yet - I've never really been one to follow the whole 'fresh new music!' vibe that Radio1 etc claim to promote.
 
I've downloaded the odd track on iTunes, specifically pre-releases for albums I really want to hear. Probably looking at less than 10 tracks though!

The CD's from Jersey seem to work out at about the same cost, or maybe a little more expensive. The payoffs are huge though: uncompressed, DRM-Free, and I can rip to any format that I please to go onto my iPod.

Plus iTunes has a really poor selection of some genre's of music, in particular electronic.
 
I like CDs things I can hold open and keep and also look at the nice pretty cover of Britney Spears...I mean urm....
 
The problem with iTunes is that you download your music, forget to back it up and your pc crashes taking all your music with it. That's what worries me about digital media these days, i've lost photos and music before due to my carelessness.

Oh and once I got burgled and they stole the external USB drive too so no backup! :mad:

So CD probably, but I use iTunes all the time so I can get stuff immediately.
 
I buy CD albums still, don't really buy downloads, I like to get something physical.

I also think when you pay that Russian site for music you might as well be pirating the music, it's about the same legality.

What I think would be nice would be when you order the CD online you get a code to download the same thing off iTunes / other store, so you can enjoy the music while the discs still in the post.
 
Caged said:
I buy CD albums still, don't really buy downloads, I like to get something physical.

I also think when you pay that Russian site for music you might as well be pirating the music, it's about the same legality.

What I think would be nice would be when you order the CD online you get a code to download the same thing off iTunes / other store, so you can enjoy the music while the discs still in the post.
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That's a good idea. The great thing about itunes is that you can have the music instantly, but you don't get anything physical to enjoy later on. I suppose it's like buying something from a shop rather than from the internet (if you're in town) you can have it instantly rather than have to wait for postage, even if you have to pay a little more. Impulse buying is still the king, as are the huge sales in HMV/Virgin on Oxford st. It's a real shame that people judge these big chains without having been to their flagship shops, seeing the enormous range of alternative music, vinyl, singles and best of all band signing sessions!
 
I refuse to pay for crap quality downloads from iTunes etc when I can buy a CD which is uncompressed and convert it to whatever format I want. First thing I do when I get a new CD is rip it :)

Only online music I've paid for and downloaded is from Metallica's Live website as you can get music in lossless format.
 
I usually get the CD to help support the artist, at least then I can still play it how I like. I don't like being restricted to what I can play it on especially since I've just paid for the damn thing.
 
Never bought a download as I always like having the actual CD in my hands and a nice little booklet to flick through and so on. Besides I get most of my albums from a second hand shop for a fiver or in the sale. :D
 
There is nothing that beats buying a CD and adding it to your collection, Downloaded albums are expensive off itunes and you dont get the CD incase it all goes its up ans you dont get the inslip with the lyrics.
 
greenlizard0 said:
I usually get the CD to help support the artist, at least then I can still play it how I like. I don't like being restricted to what I can play it on especially since I've just paid for the damn thing.
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By all means buy CDs because you like CDs and the relative freedom you get from them, but please don't make the mistake of thinking the money the artist receives supports them in any great way.
 
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