Do people still buy CDs?

NOTE: the title should have buy and not by. I am sorry

Most of you know about this new trend of getting all of our music from illegal dowloads or buying it from legal sites like itunes.
Despite the fact that we still listen to music, we are neglecting the CD cover.
Few people today go to the music store to buy an album, because it is just a box where the CD is and nothing more.

As Steven Wilson (lead singer of Porcupine Tree) would say it is not our enterely fault that we do not buy CDs. Bands should also try to turn the CD cover into a piece of art, or something that is worth while to have.

I recently came across Blasted Mechanism's album Mind at Large, that uses a technology that is called augmented reality, which has been used for the first time in the CD cover's history.
They explain how it functions on their website http://ar.blastedmechanism.com/

To sum it up you should have a computer and a webcam, and by showing the cover to the webcam, several holograms will appear on your computer as well as their music.

By making CD covers different I think people will start to buy them again. At least it is an interessting thing to try out.

What are your opinions about it?
Should a CD be just a box, or should bands try to improve them, besides their music.
Do you fell the same collector's pride in CDs as with your vinyls?
What should bands do to improve their CD covers?

Most people don't, really.

I buy the CD's.

I'm not old enough to really have vynals. I guess they are sort of coming back though. But yeah, it just feels better to have something physical that you can actually touch, even though it's just going on the computer/ ipod right after. I guess it's also good if your computer crashes too, since you still have them if it's CD's.

I still buy CDs. I also occasionally buy LPs.

I like listening to music in the car so I always bring CDs with me. I also love the looking at the covers. I'm glad that AC/DC continues to sell their music offline.

Originally Posted by Black Dog

I still buy CDs. I also occasionally buy LPs.

I like listening to music in the car so I always bring CDs with me. I also love the looking at the covers. I'm glad that AC/DC continues to sell their music offline.

Even if they did go online, you could still buy it offline too. Well, most likely. Has anyone gone only online?

The last CD I purchased was, like, last year because Limewire wasn't working.


Ahh, The Script, you money sapping whores

I, for one, am forced to buy CD's because MP3 Rocket WON'T FREAKING CONNECT. It's a pain because no local stores sell Black Sabbath CD's.

I usually only buy CDs when itunes doesn't have it. Its just that itunes is usually about 25% or more less that buying the actual CD.

I like to buy CD's because if my coputer crashes I dont loose all the music, sure, I have to re-rip it. But I will always have it. And CD Quality music is so much better.

I buy the CDs.

Originally Posted by Zachary

I like to buy CD's because if my coputer crashes I dont loose all the music, sure, I have to re-rip it. But I will always have it. And CD Quality music is so much better.

You could just leech off your friends/family and copy their CD's.


I just ripped and burned all my pop's Chuck Berry CD's and it still sounds good. Let THEM spend the money.

Only for the bands or albums I love.

Meh, on occasion.

Originally Posted by Forte

Meh, on occasion.

I believe you told me it was "only if they got some mean swagger".

Originally Posted by Ringo Starr

I believe you told me it was "only if they got some mean swagger".

Sounds about right.

I still buy Cd's just not as much as I used to. I try to only buy CD's from my favorite bands or discs that contain at least three or more songs I really like.

I'll buy CD's of music that I absolutely love, but the thing about CD's nowadays is that it's so expensive to maintain the habit, when you could be paying five to six dollars less (sounds like nothing, but if you buy a lot of music it adds up) for iTunes or any other assorted music-purchasing services on a computer. Not to mention how easy it is for anyone to pirate music.

Originally Posted by Zachary

I like to buy CD's because if my coputer crashes I dont loose all the music, sure, I have to re-rip it. But I will always have it. And CD Quality music is so much better.

Yeah.

Originally Posted by Mafoofoo

Only for the bands or albums I love.

Same here. If I respect the band enough I'll purchase their album to support them. But if it's just a guilty pleasure or something I'll download it.

Absolutely.

If it's something I want enough, I buy the CD. If it's something I'm interested in checking out because of some vague interest, then I will find out if one of my many friends who are into music have it, and get it from them. I don't download music. I'd just go digital for stuff I have a passive interest in, but there are no digital retailers that I am interested in using that are open to Canadian purchasers, so I am restricted by that.

In any case, I mostly buy CDs to support the artists, but also because I just like having them. The album art, liner notes, CD art, it's all stuff I want to have if it is a band I love. It's as much a part of the record as the music (ok, maybe not as much, but still a part of it). It can be a bummer if there isn't much effort put into the artwork or liner notes, but when a band like Broken Social Scene or Fleet Foxes puts out a CD that has fantastic packaging, it is totally worth the price tag.