[jaxadam]

Not that this is unexpected. What are your thoughts on this, and where the music industry is going as a whole, i.e. marketing yourself on youtube, digital media and music availability (cloud, etc.) and any other different trends you see?

Digital music sales top physical sales - Jan. 5, 2012

 

[metalheadpunk]

surprised it took this long honestly

 

[bulletbass man]

Personally I'll never get over the full effect of a physical album. Album covers, linear notes, the cd cover itself. I personally love it. I hardly buy music right now (maybe a few albums a year) because I' spend all my money on gear though I do not illegally download music (unless it's a gift from a band). I will steam what band's put out for free on soundcloud and such.


The industry has been heading into something strange for a while now. No body is making big money off records anymore. Record companies are giving out smaller and smaller budgets so they have easier time getting back to even. But hell most kids are smashing mixes anyways so they fit on their iphones and are listening thru tiny little earbuds.

livedownloads.com I love this website and think it's a huge market for any band that's actually worth seeing live. They are only making money off touring anyways. They might as well make the investment in a multi track recorder and a splitter box. The majority of the mixes on that website are far from studio quality. But I've bought atleast 6 shows I've gone too and like to relisten to. In fact I've spent more on that website than on cds this year.

Though I really really want the Gish and Siamese Dream remasters. I'll be able to afford them eventually. :lol:

 

[Hendrix]

Personally I'll never get over the full effect of a physical album. Album covers, linear notes, the cd cover itself. I personally love it. I hardly buy music right now (maybe a few albums a year) because I' spend all my money on gear though I do not illegally download music (unless it's a gift from a band). I will steam what band's put out for free on soundcloud and such.

The industry has been heading into something strange for a while now. No body is making big money off records anymore. Record companies are giving out smaller and smaller budgets so they have easier time getting back to even. But hell most kids are smashing mixes anyways so they fit on their iphones and are listening thru tiny little earbuds.

livedownloads.com I love this website and think it's a huge market for any band that's actually worth seeing live. They are only making money off touring anyways. They might as well make the investment in a multi track recorder and a splitter box. The majority of the mixes on that website are far from studio quality. But I've bought atleast 6 shows I've gone too and like to relisten to. In fact I've spent more on that website than on cds this year.

Though I really really want the Gish and Siamese Dream remasters. I'll be able to afford them eventually. :lol:

+1 you basically said everything I was going to say. :agreed:

 

[arweryn]

Personally I'll never get over the full effect of a physical album. Album covers, linear notes, the cd cover itself. I personally love it. I hardly buy music right now (maybe a few albums a year) because I' spend all my money on gear though I do not illegally download music (unless it's a gift from a band). I will steam what band's put out for free on soundcloud and such.

The industry has been heading into something strange for a while now. No body is making big money off records anymore. Record companies are giving out smaller and smaller budgets so they have easier time getting back to even. But hell most kids are smashing mixes anyways so they fit on their iphones and are listening thru tiny little earbuds.

livedownloads.com I love this website and think it's a huge market for any band that's actually worth seeing live. They are only making money off touring anyways. They might as well make the investment in a multi track recorder and a splitter box. The majority of the mixes on that website are far from studio quality. But I've bought atleast 6 shows I've gone too and like to relisten to. In fact I've spent more on that website than on cds this year.

Though I really really want the Gish and Siamese Dream remasters. I'll be able to afford them eventually. :lol:

I :wub: liner notes, physical copies for my car, album artwork, the other artwork on the album, I can't live without physical copies.

 

[WarriorOfMetal]

I will never pay for music if I'm not getting a hard copy. CDs ftw, the iTunes music store can suck my balls.

 

[arweryn]

I will never pay for music if I'm not getting a hard copy. CDs ftw, the iTunes music store can suck my balls.

:agreed:

 

[zslane]

This certainly suggests that we've crossed the generational line that no longer has any attachment to physical media. The diehards who have to have a CD or an LP in their possession are a dying breed and represent a shrinking customer base that becomes less relevant every year. I don't really have a horse in this race, as a consumer, since I've adapted to every format that has come along for the last 40 years, and I will continue to do so for the next 40 years.

As for how it affects musicians, that's an interesting question. It seems like there are fewer superstars being cultivated, but the upside is that digital distribution allows a much greater diversity of product. It may be harder than ever before to become a millionaire, but the flip side is that it is easier than ever to at least get your creative vision out to people. I think, ultimately, it is a positive development.

 

[metalheadpunk]

I will never pay for music if I'm not getting a hard copy. CDs ftw, the iTunes music store can suck my balls.

I agree, for the most part. There are some bands who i wouldn't really want a full cd from, but still want to pay for a song. It's definitely the exception to the rule, but every now and then I'll buy a song from iTunes. More often than not i'm buying full physical cd's or records though. Kids nowadays are so used to having the ability to cherry pick what singles they want to buy from their phone that to them buying a full physical album doesn't make sense. They've also probably never had a discman. Strange times.

 

[arweryn]

I agree, for the most part. There are some bands who i wouldn't really want a full cd from, but still want to pay for a song. It's definitely the exception to the rule, but every now and then I'll buy a song from iTunes. More often than not i'm buying full physical cd's or records though. Kids nowadays are so used to having the ability to cherry pick what singles they want to buy from their phone that to them buying a full physical album doesn't make sense. They've also probably never had a discman. Strange times.

I still listen to my minidiscs...

 

[Reverend 7 Strings of Hate]

I think its great for arts sake, and horrible for people wanting to make money. But personally i'd rather have it that way.

Oh, and as for physical media? The less clutter and crap, the better. You can pretty much see any of the inner notes and art online if you prefer.

 

[1377]

I still buy physical versions of some things, but for the most part I buy the majority of my music online, especially since I started using Google Music.

Oddly though, I mostly still seem to mostly buy digital music as if it was still a physical CD. In some cases I'll buy one song but if I'm buying something, I'm getting the whole record 99% of the time. That could just be because I tend to listen to music that still lends itself to the album format though.

 

[Joe]

I used to love physical CD's. I would collect them and keep them pristine. Now I simply don't have the room or like the clutter. I will buy some special stuff physically, but everything else is digital. I mean my phone is smaller than 1 CD and has like 200 in it.