Is the Compact Disk (CD) Dead?

[rockinrob]

I only buy vinyl. I am 23, and when I was 16 I moved to tampa, which actually has several cool record stores. I started buying a bunch of used vinyl, got hooked, then started buying a bunch of new vinyl and rebuying things I had on cd on vinyl, and now I am 100% vinyl. I find I dont really like listening to stuff on mp3 at all cause it doesnt sound as good, so my ipod is pretty much only for fresh air podcasts and bootlegs. I have a turntable in my room, my living room, at my girlfriends and at my parents place, so that is my main way of listening to music. I think vinyl is absolutely the best, and I hope the press new music until well after I quit caring about new music!

 

And also at this point, my main vinyl setup kicks my digital setup so bad, it is kind of pointless to buy stuff on digital.

[LouieB]

I dunno...I think the death of CD is still greatly exaggerated. I am happy folks like vinyl, but I was in a record store yesterday in Evanston where they sell both and now with the market for vinyl expanding and prices rising, there are lots of CDs for sale for cheap. If you play a CD through a decent stereo system it sounds fine. Price will eventually push some folks interested in LPs out of the market. Plenty of folks were looking at and buying CDs at this store. Also some artists simply aren't going to be able to press up LPs and are going to have to continue to rely on CDs (and downloads) to get their product out.

 

Also I am totally amazed by how much new vinyl is already finding its way into the used bins, which can only mean that some segment of the vinyl buying population has already fallen out of love with it. All the new LPs that are selling for 20-30 bucks a disk (or more in the case of box sets; some new some reissue), that are now being sold used has to mean that some folks caught the bug and then lost it. Good for us, but not necessarily good for the future of the LP. Actually I am constantly shocked by what shows up used, both vintage and new. But then again the trade keeps indie stores in biz so that's good too.

 

Meanwhile those in the Chicago area should come to the CHIRP record sale in a few weeks. A super fun time and a great place to get used LPs. (And you can stop and say hello to me.)

 

LouieB

[rockinrob]

I dunno...I think the death of CD is still greatly exaggerated. I am happy folks like vinyl, but I was in a record store yesterday in Evanston where they sell both and now with the market for vinyl expanding and prices rising, there are lots of CDs for sale for cheap. If you play a CD through a decent stereo system it sounds fine. Price will eventually push some folks interested in LPs out of the market. Plenty of folks were looking at and buying CDs at this store. Also some artists simply aren't going to be able to press up LPs and are going to have to continue to rely on CDs (and downloads) to get their product out.

 

Also I am totally amazed by how much new vinyl is already finding its way into the used bins, which can only mean that some segment of the vinyl buying population has already fallen out of love with it. All the new LPs that are selling for 20-30 bucks a disk (or more in the case of box sets; some new some reissue), that are now being sold used has to mean that some folks caught the bug and then lost it. Good for us, but not necessarily good for the future of the LP. Actually I am constantly shocked by what shows up used, both vintage and new. But then again the trade keeps indie stores in biz so that's good too.

 

Meanwhile those in the Chicago area should come to the CHIRP record sale in a few weeks. A super fun time and a great place to get used LPs. (And you can stop and say hello to me.)

 

LouieB

 

Ive sold records I bought new that I didnt like. Im about to sell a couple to fund the preorder for the wilco box

[LouieB]

Ive sold records I bought new that I didnt like. Im about to sell a couple to fund the preorder for the wilco box

You must be far richer than I was at your age. Even though new LPs were 3 or 4 bucks at that time, it seemed like a whole lot to buy one and then discard it that soon. At 20 bucks a shot, a new LP is still a big investment and I have much more money now.

Then again when I was your age you couldn't sell back LPs at most stores. And then again again, I know LPs on resale aren't worth all that much.

 

LouieB

[jff]

borders and b&n have no CDs any more.

 

CDs will be around long after Borders is a distant meory. I give Borders two more years before they throw in the towel.

[cryptique]

CDs will be around long after Borders is a distant meory. I give Borders two more years before they throw in the towel.

I'm not sure they have two years. But we'll see.

 

Nice warm sound of vinyl aside, CDs are still an excellent means of storing and playing back music, and their small size and portability will keep them in the game for quite some time.

 

I love vinyl, but its analog nature renders it susceptible to the accumulation of flaws over time that degrade the quality of playback. The typical CD, as long as it's returned to its package after use, suffers no such degradation. That alone makes the CD a survivor, at least versus vinyl and magnetic tape.

[Guest Speed Racer]

borders and b&n have no CDs any more.

 

The last time I went to one, they barely had books. I'm not quite sure what they sell, except Starbucks.

[LouieB]

I'm not sure they have two years. But we'll see.

 

Nice warm sound of vinyl aside, CDs are still an excellent means of storing and playing back music, and their small size and portability will keep them in the game for quite some time.

 

I love vinyl, but its analog nature renders it susceptible to the accumulation of flaws over time that degrade the quality of playback. The typical CD, as long as it's returned to its package after use, suffers no such degradation. That alone makes the CD a survivor, at least versus vinyl and magnetic tape.

Finally a man of reason...

 

If you don't mind the occasional pop or surface noise, vinyl is perfectly fine. Even a somewhat beat up CD will play flawlessly.

 

The major problem with LPs is that you can't play them in your car, at the park, or anywhere except where there is a turntable. So unless you are Elvis and can have one in your jet or your limo, you are stuck with digital music for on the go, be it CD or iPod from download or CD.

 

That doesn't mean I don't love LPs. I found an original Poppy/demo copy of a Townes Van Zandt album at a resale shop somewhere off the beaten track the other day for 25 cents. It played fine despite being a bit beat, but it certainly was not flawless.

 

As for Borders...I think they will be around for awhile; like CDs the death of books is also exagerated.

 

LouieB

[Guest Speed Racer]

the death of books is also exagerated.

 

The death of Borders/B&N will not be about the death of the book, I assure you. They are bloated businesses that sell a hugely overpriced product to cover the overhead of overstaffing/overhousing/overstretching a supply line. That they have branched out into gifts, games and non-media just shows how much they're trying to stay afloat.

[jff]

 

 

As for Borders...I think they will be around for awhile; like CDs the death of books is also exagerated.

 

LouieB

 

Books aren't going anywhere. Borders does a terrible job of selling books and an even worse job of making peope (especially me) want to buy/read books. Any time I walk into a Borders, I see tables full of the most mundane reading material (Twilight, corny BBQ books written by fake rednecks, books of meaningless trivia, tabloid-esque biographies, etc.) I'm lucky if I see a few out of the hundreds that I'd consider reading.

 

Contrast that with a small store like Kramerbooks in DC. Evry time I've had the pleasure of walking into that cramped store, just about every book on their front table is something that I feel would be an intriguing or entertaining read.

[tinnitus photography]

The major problem with LPs is that you can't play them in your car, at the park, or anywhere except where there is a turntable. So unless you are Elvis and can have one in your jet or your limo, you are stuck with digital music for on the go, be it CD or iPod from download or CD.

 

more often than not, a new LP will come w/ a digital download card. and if it didn't come with one, there are a lot of ways to source mp3s...

[Vacant Horizon]

CDs will be around long after Borders is a distant meory. I give Borders two more years before they throw in the towel.

 

good point. i'm just sad about that. used to love going there and listening to music samples.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Universal is planning to cut its CD prices, ranging from $6 - $10.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/godsmack/news/universal-betting-on-lower-prices-to-boost-cd-sales--62000139

[jff]

Universal is planning to cut its CD prices, ranging from $6 - $10.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/godsmack/news/universal-betting-on-lower-prices-to-boost-cd-sales--62000139

 

Should've happened a long time ago.

 

Does universal own Sub Pop? I just got the Beach House cd (+ DVD) for $7.99 from Amazon.

[Moss]

Finally a man of reason...

 

If you don't mind the occasional pop or surface noise, vinyl is perfectly fine. Even a somewhat beat up CD will play flawlessly.

 

The major problem with LPs is that you can't play them in your car, at the park, or anywhere except where there is a turntable. So unless you are Elvis and can have one in your jet or your limo, you are stuck with digital music for on the go, be it CD or iPod from download or CD.

 

That doesn't mean I don't love LPs. I found an original Poppy/demo copy of a Townes Van Zandt album at a resale shop somewhere off the beaten track the other day for 25 cents. It played fine despite being a bit beat, but it certainly was not flawless.

 

As for Borders...I think they will be around for awhile; like CDs the death of books is also exagerated.

 

LouieB

 

I love vinyl but it can be a pain. Usually I throw an album on, get comfortable with the headphones, then inevitably the cat gets comfortable on my lap. Very quickly side one ends and I have to kick the cat off, put the coffee down, struggle out of the chair and flip it. With the 5 CD changer I can sit there for hours with only the threat of deep vein thrombosis to worry about.

[rockinrob]

You must be far richer than I was at your age. Even though new LPs were 3 or 4 bucks at that time, it seemed like a whole lot to buy one and then discard it that soon. At 20 bucks a shot, a new LP is still a big investment and I have much more money now.

Then again when I was your age you couldn't sell back LPs at most stores. And then again again, I know LPs on resale aren't worth all that much.

 

LouieB

 

 

Student loans!!!

 

Im pretty irresponsible with money when it comes to music and music stuff. I also dont buy anything else. So I basically wear the same clothes until my fiancee or my mom decide that my clothes look like crap, so they get me some new ones.

 

Also, Ive found that since most new vinyl goes out of print, if you sell it in the whole before they announce a reprint, you make your money back or more. For instance for some reason I bought the rage against the machine live record a few years ago. I dont even really like them, but whatever. Browsing on ebay, I saw that it is going for 60+, so Im going to sell that. I paid 15 for it.

 

Also I dont buy a ton of new lps. mostly old used stuff. But the new music that I do like I pick up.

[LouieB]

 

 

Also, Ive found that since most new vinyl goes out of print, if you sell it in the whole before they announce a reprint, you make your money back or more. For instance for some reason I bought the rage against the machine live record a few years ago. I dont even really like them, but whatever. Browsing on ebay, I saw that it is going for 60+, so Im going to sell that. I paid 15 for it.

 

Also I dont buy a ton of new lps. mostly old used stuff. But the new music that I do like I pick up.

I find ebay tends to be fairly expensive, but if you have the patience to sell on there i suppose you can do okay. I very rarely buy new LPs. While CDs are dropping in price, the new LPs are now expensive because of the supply and demand curve, rather than the technology, which is over 100 years old at this point.

 

Case in point.....whatever is passing for ESP put out both volumes of Sun Ra's Heliotropic Worlds on new vinyl for over $25 a pop. I have both on CD. I see no reason to upgrade for that kind of price, particularly since it is a pretty lo-fi set of music anyway. But someone WILL pay that, so what the heck. Whatever the market will bear.

 

LouieB

[Guest Speed Racer]

I've gotten a few deals on eBay. Rare stuff is all I use it for - Jandek LPs, rare Wilco stuff, odd crap (Doomsday Cults Vol. 15!, the original pressing of The Shaggs). Got one of those red copies of A.M., signed by most of Wilco, for dirt cheap by some kid trying to pay his electric bill.

[LouieB]

I've gotten a few deals on eBay. Rare stuff is all I use it for - Jandek LPs, rare Wilco stuff, odd crap (Doomsday Cults Vol. 15!, the original pressing of The Shaggs). Got one of those red copies of A.M., signed by most of Wilco, for dirt cheap by some kid trying to pay his electric bill.

Well i gotta give you credit then. You must really like hanging there. I have bid on a few things and been totally outbid most of the time, because I can't figure out when to go back and rebid. Good for you.

 

LouieB

[Analogman]

Well i gotta give you credit then. You must really like hanging there. I have bid on a few things and been totally outbid most of the time, because I can't figure out when to go back and rebid. Good for you.

 

LouieB

 

I think Gemm and Ebay have jacked up the prices. I have some cds and albums I see going for hundreds of dollars on there.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Well i gotta give you credit then. You must really like hanging there. I have bid on a few things and been totally outbid most of the time, because I can't figure out when to go back and rebid. Good for you.

 

Oh, I've been outbid on a TON of stuff. I've also paid way, way too much for certain LPs. I scored A.M. for $29 because the kid posted it BuyItNow - he REALLY needed to pay his electric bill. I snatched it up two minutes after he posted it - sheer luck. The key is to bid when you're in the middle of a looong task that never ends, that keeps you near the computer, outside of business hours = being a student.

[tinnitus photography]

I find ebay tends to be fairly expensive, but if you have the patience to sell on there i suppose you can do okay. I very rarely buy new LPs. While CDs are dropping in price, the new LPs are now expensive because of the supply and demand curve, rather than the technology, which is over 100 years old at this point.

 

it's a lot more expensive on a per unit basis to manufacture LPs as compared to CDs. there was a good thread on Terminal Boredom recently, but damned if i can't find it.

 

Oh, I've been outbid on a TON of stuff. I've also paid way, way too much for certain LPs. I scored A.M. for $29 because the kid posted it BuyItNow - he REALLY needed to pay his electric bill. I snatched it up two minutes after he posted it - sheer luck. The key is to bid when you're in the middle of a looong task that never ends, that keeps you near the computer, outside of business hours = being a student.

i would say the key is knowing your limit to what you would pay, and using auctionsniper.

[LouieB]

it's a lot more expensive on a per unit basis to manufacture LPs as compared to CDs. there was a good thread on Terminal Boredom recently, but damned if i can't find it.

 

 

Well yes this is certainly true. There are also less facilities to make LPs than CDs (anymore), but that still does not account for new LPs being $25. It was just a few years ago that new LPs being sold by Thrill Jockey and Drag City were selling for just over $10. While CDs were overpriced in the early days, now LPs are occupying that same part of the market because of increased demand, not because of that much more to manufacture them. Granted t is more, but even those on so called audiofile vinyl can't account for that much of a difference except pure economics.

 

I know that used LPs are selling for more because I shop for them alot. Now I pay 7 or 8 bucks for an LP that just a few years ago was 4 or 5. We aren't talking rare stuff here, just relatively good copies (not even mint) of relatively common or lower demand titles. But as with any collectable market, this may change again in another five years.

 

LouieB

[jff]

Well yes this is certainly true. There are also less facilities to make LPs than CDs (anymore), but that still does not account for new LPs being $25. It was just a few years ago that new LPs being sold by Thrill Jockey and Drag City were selling for just over $10.

 

Yeah, during the mid to late '90s you could get new/sealed copies of SST and Matador releases for $9 or $10, and at that time the LP was much closer to extinction than it is now.

[howdjadoo]

Hope Santa gets me one next Xmas maybye?

 

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