bigOfeature

That’s right…
In other times when we bought one cd…just one song is really great.The rest of songs were just to complete the space in cd.

By Rochacrimson on Jul 13, 2012

If an artist’s music is really important to me, I definitely buy the CD. If it’s an artist that i’m kind of interested in, I may just buy an mp3. The sound quality of a CD is also very important. MP3s do not even compare to CDs in terms of sound. I cannot get into streaming yet. Maybe I’m too old. I just like the liner notes and artwork too much to completely stop buying CDs. Maybe it’s the collector mentality.

By Phil on Jul 13, 2012

agree with phil,if its an artist i like and have all their records/cds i would buy any thing they put out.

By paul on Jul 13, 2012

I have to admit: I don’t buy much music, because with a family feeding them is more important than my own music tastes. I would buy more if the music (whether streamed or recorded) were more affordable. To the question, I think music does need to be recorded in order to save it for future generations. If all music were streamed, it may become lost as it became less popular. I still listen to Classic Rock as does my son. But, a lot of it is now out of print. If I hadn’t saved it on CD, my son would not be able to enjoy it as I do.

By Tom Billings on Jul 14, 2012

I love music, but I just don’t want to spend hours of my day searching the internet for it. Back in the ’70s, especially, independent radio meant that the DJs could play what they wanted, and you could hear a variety of good music, particularly late at night. Back then, we also had real friends who were more than happy to share their musical finds with you. Now, you have to look for music, then you have to find time to stream what you found to see if you like it. It’s easier, and less tedious, to just buy CDs. There is still some good music being made, but unless it is recommended to you, you have to wade through a mountain of crap to find it. (Is it just me, or is the internet becoming boring? It wasn’t always thus.) As far as streaming vs downloads, I stream to preview an album. I buy CDs to support the artist and to own the music I like the most and for their superior sound quality compared to downloads. And I don’t buy albums to get singles. If I can’t listen to the album all the way through, then it isn’t worth buying, and whatever artist releases an album of mostly filler will have to step up his (or her) game if they want my money.

By aking on Jul 14, 2012

collecting and collectors are a dying breed but there are always going to be a portion of the public who will want to own something they can hold and take with them and have that is theirs. i personally never want one song from a full album if there is a full album that the song comes from. but im obsessive about having to have what i like. normally if i like something someone has put out i like most of what they do. i dont believe talent would appear for one song out of ten or 15 songs on an entire album. in fact ill put extra effort into finding the harder to find tracks like when there were non lp b-sides from the same sessions that produced the common a-sides even if i already had the album.
a perfect example is the u2 joshua tree album. all the rare tracks that didnt make it to the actual record were as good if not better than the product that they did include on it. i enjoyed the thrill of the chase in locating the obscure songs especially when i found out how good they were. of course they ultimately released all that stuff subsequently on a later issue of the cd after they sold all the fans a copy of the cd without the bonus tracks so they could squeeze twice as much money out of them. then they complain that downloading is hurting the industry. buy back my original cds when u reissue a new one. yeah right.
i dont buy cds anymore. i never will. but thats me. i do need to own the music. thats me too. ill never stop downloading. i dont stream music. i sometimes will play something on a site in order to record it and save it so i can own it. i want it for my own.

By darth on Jul 14, 2012

in the age of the download, ownership doesn’t necessarily equate to record sales and corporate profits. It’s the age of virtual possession. but it’s also semantics. it’s interesting to me, that i’ve probably gotten more music in the last few years, yet purchased less, than ever before. the other critical component in the ownership vs. simply listening(via radio, or stream) is control. most of the time, i prefer to choose what i listen to. it’s one of the reasons i visit big O regularly. Another factor for me is, the state of radio today, is just too compartmentalized. and the internet options aren’t much better, although i must admit to liking the pandora radio set up of making your own stations, at least you might get turned on to a good band you’ve never heard of. in the end it’s all still business, and the less we pay, the better.

By Billy Jack on Jul 14, 2012

I agree with Paul - I buy everything an artist that I like brings out. Unfortunately I have been spending money to buy music that was not good enough to be included onto standard releases when they were current but now they are coming out of the woodwork on obscure albums with the tempting ‘rare’ tracks labels. Many of these are early versions of existing tracks and some that even the band didn’t think were good enought for release. I get annoyed when I am cheated out of my money to buy a ‘rare’ tracks album only to find that the bansa are cashing in on substandard stuff which have been shelved, sometime for decades , before release.

By Daij on Jul 14, 2012

We have never had to own medic but I like to own something that I can play without being at the beck & call of the PC. That means streaming does not work for me.

MP3’s get corrupted or lost in computer failures as well so I prefer shellac 10″ disks.

By BarBob on Jul 14, 2012

Streaming is the radio of a new generation. They have been marketed singles instead of albums by the record companies and iTunes. While I might like the Kinks catalog, they only want Lola. Skynyrd, they only want Free Bird. And an album like Dark Side of the Moon, instead of hearing it in context they only want Money.When I download a legal copy of an album I get a cover photo. Boots I get liner notes. To the new generation music is disposable. To me it’s not. I will turn on my stereo and listen to my choice of music while sitting at the computer. They have their preference and I have mine. Besides, streaming music slows down my downloads!!! Ironic.

By sking on Jul 15, 2012

I noticed a change, as far as people downloading my music, about a year ago. While I don’t sell all that much music in any one month in the first place, I did begin to see more pennies coming in by way of Spotify than iTunes and that trend has continued. The problem for artists, however…or at least for me…is that it takes 64 plays of a song (or songs) of mine on Spotify to equal a single download on iTunes. That somehow doesn’t see fair. But, then again, the artist has rarely been the first concern of anyone who listens to or profits from music. There’s really very little difference in the way musicians are compensated for their work in 2012 from what it was in 1962.

By Jim Shelley on Jul 15, 2012

It is all shrinking away LP>CD>mp3>Stream…

Who knows what will come next. Surely there will not be anything to buy at the store. I can’t believe Cd’s are even available still..

By john on Jul 15, 2012

I want to own the music, whether it’s CDs or digital files. I’d be leery about keeping my entire collection on a streaming site, they could go under or change their terms, and everything’s gone. I don’t do a lot of streaming, I just don’t have time for it, but it’s great for a preview of a band I’m not familiar with. I can definitely see how you can use a streaming site as your radio, and set up playlists of similar bands and music styles. Of course, most radio stations offer streaming broadcasts on their sites too, and I’d rather have my music programmed by a human than a computer.

Back in the day when I could buy albums for $3.99, I’d take a chance on a unknown band just because they had a good album cover design. That ended with the advent of $12 CDs. I don’t have the budget to take too many chances on CDs, that’s where streaming helps. Like others, I’ll always buy the music for the bands I like. Most of the music I like isn’t very popular, so I want to support the band with my purchase. Unauthorized free downloading of new music is theft, you only hurt the artist. I don’t have a problem with live recordings on bigO and other sites, the music is available to the artist and label if they choose to release it, and they have not done so.

By Mark E on Jul 15, 2012

I still like to own the cds I dig the most, maybe cause I’m old, and downloading is better than streaming for me, can’t help it.

By frank capra on Jul 16, 2012

I think we’ve returned to the era before recorded music was available. During the classical era, composers’ music became popular due to live performances and written composition.

The Internet has negated the need for written composition for the most part (and with electronic instrumentation, much of that would not be recognizable as musical tablature) but even long-standing musical acts such as Little Feat (42 years performing as a band) derive most of their income these days from live shows.

Music isn’t dead, but the recording industry is dying. And given the corruption and decadence so prevalent in it, I daresay it’s not going to be mourned when it passes.

By Just Fred on Jul 16, 2012

Most of the stuff i download are live versions of songs i already have or had in the past(thanks to sites like this). If there is something new i really like i will usually buy it

By whdup on Jul 17, 2012

One thing that has gone by the wayside is taking a chance on an artist. Back in the day I might hear a song I liked on the radio (back when radio program directors and DJs were less corporate and might play something just because they liked it), and I’d buy the album. Now, sometimes the one song I liked was the only decent song on the album - but other times I might be rewarded by an entire album that I might come back to again and again, because it was so good. That process of discovery is something that you’ll never experience if you buy only one song at a time.

By MrBill on Jul 17, 2012

I do appreciate having the opportunity of “hearing” things before I make that all important purchase. As others have already stated I also come from an era when the radio pretty much controlled what you could hear on any given day and this would in turn “help” you decide what to buy.
I continue to buy new music in all forms but must admit that I don’t take as many chances as I used to. I will only purchase something (I never heard) based on a review or because I like the cover art a few times a year. In the past I would purchase one “unknown” album on a weekly basis along with my other purchases based on cover art and liner notes alone.

By rondelrio on Jul 18, 2012

we are going back to the 1930’s 40’s where an artist didn’t actually earn much, few could survive without a day job, but music still got made. the days of getting fat cheques from labels is over, everyone has to readjust, musicians mostly, had it too good for too long. fans of real music can go to small clubs and bars and catch it there, if you wanna pay megabucks for a sad old superstar, that’s your look out. saw the late jon lord in sydney 2-3 years ago, at a jazz festival in Darling Harbour, he just pitched up & joined a local jazz band playing from a barge,(for free) beats paying $200 to see a sad version of deep purple rehashing stuff form 4 decades ago

By Liam NSW on Jul 19, 2012

I am 53 years old and when I was younger I went to many concerts and bought a lot of LPS, Then 8-tracks, then cassettes and then CDS and finally payed for digital music. I have spent way more on music then anything. I supported the artists I liked not only buying their music over and over and over again. Now I only listen to bootleg concerts by trading for them with others like myself. NEVER will I pay over 100 dollars to see anyone, not even the pope!

By Dale Geyer on Jul 20, 2012

The youngsters are welcome to stream their music. I would rather have the music i choose to listen to available to me anytime I want it, on my hard drive.

Anyone who depends on streamed music is doomed to hear only what is commonly available. If the provider chooses to stop making something available, you’re stuffed. And if they suddenly choose to impose a fee structure, you may end up paying repeatedly for the same thing, or for stuff you’ve spent money on before. I’m not interested in getting sucked into that.

I ‘own’ perhaps half the music I listen to. i.e. I’ve paid for the right to have it and listen to it. The rest I ‘possess’. Technically, that possession is, in some cases, illegal. But morally? That’s another debate entirely.

By Tony on Jul 21, 2012

I guess we don’t really have to own music anymore if we can get it from the “cloud” or music streaming. However, streaming is not going to be free and the sound quality may not be up to spec.People will end up having to buy a subscription for streaming and record companies will get paid a royalty for the songs listened to. As someone who transitioned from LP’s to tape to CD to digital, this is just one more medium. All the music I own is because I liked it. I can play something different every day and it means something to me. In other words, I like to own it, whether is is on a CD, LP or on my hard drive. If people like to stream music, I have no problem with that;I have SIRIUS radio in my car, but I am serious about my music and I still like to own it.

By Mackster on Jul 23, 2012

I like the material possession of the music, especially the artwork, liner notes and lyrics when possible. I will find music I like and then buy commercial releases. Artists need to eat too! I’d rather buy the CD, but if the download included files with artwork and liner notes, that is acceptable too.
My personal concept of right and wrong will not allow me to download released music; but for live ROIO’s, especially when it is an older or no longer existing band, this is more conservation of the music of fargone times (like finding a stack of old blues 78’s) than any other possible interpretations. Were it not for ROIO’s, who would possibly know just how incredible Rory Gallagher was? His studio work only hinted at what he did every time he performed live. Each live ROIO of his I hear makes me buy the commercially available studio work, and I religiously purchase each new release.
Perhaps I come from the generation where a good mixed tape at a party was a prized possession, and acted as a great advertisement for the albums the tunes came off of.
O tempora, O mores!

Kevin

By Kevin on Jul 24, 2012

I still by buy my music and enjoy reading the liner notes and words. I’m old school, but realize the new school is growing. While I do use streaming services like Pandora, Sugarmegs, NugsNet, etc. there’s nothing like popping a record on the platter and enjoying the best of all the formats.

By Bubbles on Aug 29, 2012

I still have lp’s, cassettes, and cd’s but actively collect mp3’s (thanks BigO!). Plenty of room for all of it…

By TDC on Sep 17, 2012