Does anyone you know still buy CD's?
I was a little surprised when I stumbled upon an article today asking whether or not the CD is dead.
To me, it seems a pretty obvious answer--
Uh, yeah.
I don't mean to say that in a year or so all the CD stores will pack up their products and turn into supermarkets. In terms of relevance, however, I think the CD disappeared about two seconds after ITunes arrived on the scene.
In music, or in any art form, something is only alive as long as it's culturally relevant. So no, the CD isn't extinct, but is it still a relevant way to buy music compared to buying online?
Cassette tapes were still available to buy up until a few years ago, but when was the last time anyone you know bought a cassette?
I do still know a few people who buy CD's because they like the cover art. Some just like actually having something they can look at, which to me, makes sense.
The problem with buying music online is that you feel like you aren't really buying anything. I'm still proud of my CD rack, even though nothing's been added to it in years. CD racks used to be similar to bookcases in that you could tell a lot about a person by what you'd find there. Asking to go through someone's IPod just doesn't seem polite.
I'm sure the music industry is at least a little bit panicked over the CD's imminent demise. You can buy music online for almost half what they used to charge for most CD's. Then again, I'm much more likely to buy a song or an album online when there's no actual transaction involving cash or credit.
Half the albums on my IPod would never have been purchased if I were looking at them in a CD store.
I guess I do miss the feeling of popping a new, shiny CD out of its case and putting it in my stereo for the first time, while looking at the track list on the back to see where my favorite single was located.
Some say buying music online has created a rebirth in music, but last month when my IPod broke, I ended up going even further back than cassette tapes for my music.
I actually had to turn on the radio.
I was a little surprised when I stumbled upon an article today asking whether or not the CD is dead.
To me, it seems a pretty obvious answer--
Uh, yeah.
I don't mean to say that in a year or so all the CD stores will pack up their products and turn into supermarkets. In terms of relevance, however, I think the CD disappeared about two seconds after ITunes arrived on the scene.
In music, or in any art form, something is only alive as long as it's culturally relevant. So no, the CD isn't extinct, but is it still a relevant way to buy music compared to buying online?
Cassette tapes were still available to buy up until a few years ago, but when was the last time anyone you know bought a cassette?
I do still know a few people who buy CD's because they like the cover art. Some just like actually having something they can look at, which to me, makes sense.
The problem with buying music online is that you feel like you aren't really buying anything. I'm still proud of my CD rack, even though nothing's been added to it in years. CD racks used to be similar to bookcases in that you could tell a lot about a person by what you'd find there. Asking to go through someone's IPod just doesn't seem polite.
I'm sure the music industry is at least a little bit panicked over the CD's imminent demise. You can buy music online for almost half what they used to charge for most CD's. Then again, I'm much more likely to buy a song or an album online when there's no actual transaction involving cash or credit.
Half the albums on my IPod would never have been purchased if I were looking at them in a CD store.
I guess I do miss the feeling of popping a new, shiny CD out of its case and putting it in my stereo for the first time, while looking at the track list on the back to see where my favorite single was located.
Some say buying music online has created a rebirth in music, but last month when my IPod broke, I ended up going even further back than cassette tapes for my music.
I actually had to turn on the radio.
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