The Amazing Collapse of CD Sales

[Hawkeye83]

I haven’t read this whole thing yet but it’s a timely thread because I just bought back a very expensive CD player that I had sold about a year ago.

It is a very good sounding player and it just looks so cool!

I do still like picking up CDs at the Goodwill for 25 cents

Bel Canto CD2

 

[smoothtune]

Has anyone tried shopping for a nice CD changer lately? Where are they?

 

[GyroTuner]

The high cost of new vinyl is the hardest thing for me to understand about the revival. You see kids who make less than $15 an hour paying $30 for a new record, say $3 a song, when they could get three months of Spotify for that. Even iTunes was only 99 cents a song.

Was recently looking at the Tom Petty collection, "Wildflowers and all the Rest" - 54 songs. On Amazon, $152 for the vinyl and just $43 for the CDs. That's almost 4X as much! You really have to like vinyl to pay that.

Don't know whether or not CDs will make a comeback. But have thought since the eighties that it's a better format than vinyl. You don't need a discwasher, don't have to worry about the cartridge/stylus wearing out, don't have to worry about the record being warped, don't have to flip the record over, don't have to adjust the speed or tracking force, you can play it in the car, takes up less space. I also think CDs sound a lot better, but respect those who think they don't, because sound quality is always subjective. And these days it is a fraction of the price. So what's not to like about CDs if you like physical media?

 

[GChief]

The high cost of new vinyl is the hardest thing

Adjusted for inflation they cost about the same as they always have

 

[YY1]

I'll offer this-

Picking up that $30 LP is a one time transaction. It's easy to save for if anyone still saves up for stuff. It's rudimentary "budgeting" at best.
Buy it and it's done. No more thinking about it.

A subscription is an open ended series of transactions, which can add up quickly, especially for those that have the same constitutional weakness as those in the 80's that couldn't send back the "stop" or "don't send" cards to BMI or Colombia. Plus starting and stopping such a service repeatedly is a PITA.

 

[oscarinovp]

I've never been a fan of streaming but that's likely because I have zero interest in today's contemporary music. I'm a fan of geezer rock, jazz, and classical. Classical and Jazz (and other small ensembles) benefit greatly from high resolution media derived from good mastering (CD and most streaming services need not apply). The only use I see for streaming is of the free variety to determine if I want to purchase high resolution downloads or physical media (e.g. SACD, vinyl) of the streamed content.

 

[GChief]

I'll offer this-

Picking up that $30 LP is a one time transaction. It's easy to save for if anyone still saves up for stuff. It's rudimentary "budgeting" at best.
Buy it and it's done. No more thinking about it.

A subscription is an open ended series of transactions, which can add up quickly, especially for those that have the same constitutional weakness as those in the 80's that couldn't send back the "stop" or "don't send" cards to BMI or Colombia. Plus starting and stopping such a service repeatedly is a PITA.

I currently do both, neither is difficult and both have their place for many. I don’t what to have the clutter of a hoarder sized vinyls collection so I only have what I “need” to own, all the rest is in my streaming library. IMHO if I listen to that album once every 5 yrs why have it take up space.

 

[GChief]

I've never been a fan of streaming but that's likely because I have zero interest in today's contemporary music. I'm a fan of geezer rock, jazz, and classical.

That is not all steaming is ... and there is plenty of what you like. Also all the new great bands that would never get air play on the radio.

I mostly use it for finding new music and as background radio. But recently, since my streaming front end is now on point I find myself critical listening more often.

 

[dwaller131]

I will still purchase used CDs, but haven't bought a brand new CD in years.

As for streaming, I think I'm broken or weird or something. The idea of having my music come through my (admittedly crappy and old) phone just makes me wheeze. Seems everyone is doing it, but I just don't see the joy in scrolling through pages and pages of artists looking for what I want. I'd rather waste my time standing in front of a musty box of records at a thrift shop, hoping I make some sort of glorious find (I rarely do). But I'll keep trying.

I guess I simply don't really want to have instant access. In an ever-increasing 'instant-gratification' society, I'm good with what I've got, and how I do it. But I'm glad that streaming exists, because my wife has actually been listening to some music that I like (she "tries it out" when she's getting ready in the morning). So far her streaming service has gotten her to become a fan of The Marshall Tucker Band, Volbeat, Blackfoot, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, and even Pearl Bailey.

 

[GChief]

I will still purchase used CDs, but haven't bought a brand new CD in years.

As for streaming, I think I'm broken or weird or something. The idea of having my music come through my (admittedly crappy and old) phone just makes me wheeze. Seems everyone is doing it, but I just don't see the joy in scrolling through pages and pages of artists looking for what I want. I'd rather waste my time standing in front of a musty box of records at a thrift shop, hoping I make some sort of glorious find (I rarely do). But I'll keep trying.

I guess I simply don't really want to have instant access. In an ever-increasing 'instant-gratification' society, I'm good with what I've got, and how I do it. But I'm glad that streaming exists, because my wife has actually been listening to some music that I like (she "tries it out" when she's getting ready in the morning). So far her streaming service has gotten her to become a fan of The Marshall Tucker Band, Volbeat, Blackfoot, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, and even Pearl Bailey.

Zero scrolling is possible, and while you can stream from your phone it typically is just a remote for a streamer.


And it sounds like your wife has discovered the great side of streaming

And I counted my CD collection... it is huge at 14.

 

[dwaller131]

Zero scrolling is possible, and while you can stream from your phone it typically is just a remote for a streamer.

And it sounds like your wife has discovered the great side of streaming

And I counted my CD collection... it is huge at 14.

yeah, she's better at tech than I am, that's for certain.

And kudos to you for having the Outlaws queued up!

 

[RT Fan]

[QUOTE="GChief,

And I counted my CD collection... it is huge at 14. [/QUOTE]

I got more cds by The Kinks than that!

 

[GChief]

And kudos to you for having the Outlaws queued up!

That’s from my library. I have everything I own on vinyl and CD in it plus a couple thousand more. For “radio” I just go to my songs and hit shuffle

 

[DesertRatt]

I'm about 2 weeks into my first real trial of streaming with Spotify. I early on determined the SQ wasnt as good at CD, but it wasn't bad.

What I find myself doing is using it the same way I used FM radio back in the day. Then it on just to hear some music by selecting a channel I want to hear. Since FM has been pretty much dead, streaming files a nice hole.

The other use I discovered is reviewing songs I play on guitar. I use to use YouTube for that, but Spotify is much faster at finding the right song version.

I'm now debating whether or not to step up to high res like Tidal.

 

[GChief]

I early on determined the SQ wasnt as good at CD, but it wasn't bad.

Spotify does not do 44/16 so that would be the answer.

I noticed a significant difference between Spotify and Tidal in my system.

And in our age demographic we also need to consider if we are really going to hear a difference.

 

[Condorsat]

Sign of the times we live in. Local Mall ... Penny's, Sears, Elder Beerman etc .. gone. We do have a Kohls left

One store .. sort of like an all year around flea market .. stocks a boatload of pre-owned DVD's, Blu Ray, Books, Video Games .. hell even VHS tapes .. but no CD's .. go figure.

 

[Subtraction]

fun fact
I bought a 2015 domestic vehicle that had a factory equipped CD player

it has not been used

 

[Modlin]

I like wet water!!

have you tried moist water?....it has some advantages over the wet water

 

[cpt_paranoia]

The idea of having my music come through my (admittedly crappy and old) phone just makes me wheeze.

Streaming doesnt necessarily 'come through your phone'. It depends on the protocol you use to connect to your renderer. Chromecast and DLNA use the phone as a control point, instructing the media server to stream to the media renderer; once the stream is set up, the phone is not involved.

Other renderer access protocols, such as Airplay or Bluetooth, do stream via the phone.

Then there are systems that have a web-based user interface, accessible by any device with a web browser, where no media streams via the controlling device.

 

[Subtraction]

have you tried moist water?....it has some advantages over the wet water

I want to buy some dehydrated water