Is it worth making 'actual' CDs? Do people buy CDs anymore?

bbchris

Just had a few conversations this week and am really wondering if it's a good idea to come out with a "CD Compilation"

I was told DVD would still sell but when it comes to music, so many people are used to buying or downloading online and that even your big music shops sell far more DVDs than CDs these days....

So my questions is

1. Do YOU still buy CDs? Why? ANy special criteria?
2. If you do when and waht was the last CD you bought?
3. Do you buy CDs and buy downloads?
4. Do you prefer downloading and have stopped buying CDs?
5. Do you THINK CDs are going to be outdated very soon (whether you love them or not)?

Hope I can get some ideas from all my friends from all over the world!
_________________
http://undergroundhk.com
Original Music for Original People
http://thinkingoutloud.com.hk
Possibly Hong Kong's best band....

ianbal1 · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 55 Location: UK

Hm. This could be an age thing, so I'll answer for myself, and for my kids.

I still buy CD's. The Last CD I bought was "Snow Patrol" "Eyes Open".
I don't buy Downloads.

My kids however, do both !

I still prefer to have the quality of a CD playing thru a good HiFi. However my HiFi is very old ! So I'm out of the loop as to functionality and quality of new HiFi's.

I've never been a music on the move type of person. ie personal HiFi's. So I don't even have an MP3 player or iPod. When out, I like to be in touch with the world around me. That is, when I did have a walkman once, it drove me nuts having to turn it off every time someone spoke to me.
Again, however, my kids don't seem too mind this, and seem too be permanently plugged into some kind of player or phone even.

Off topic, don't even start me on the nobs who walk round supermarkets with their blue tooth ear pieces, like they're cool, or maybe some kind of status symble. It has too be said, they're usually my age, with offroaders which have never been off road in their lives, or PT cruisers (the ultimate nobmobile)......

I think I'm turning into a grumpy old man !! ???

Regards

Ian

bbchris · Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:36 pm Post subject:

Thanks for your informative reply Ian! Just what I want to hear - I want to hear from everyone - young and more mature members of our board

_________________
http://undergroundhk.com
Original Music for Original People
http://thinkingoutloud.com.hk
Possibly Hong Kong's best band....

ianbal1 · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 55 Location: UK

More mature............ he........... I like that.

Regards

Ian

yidneth · A Spanish Fairytale Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 780

I admit i buy less than I used to, but still do.
I've wondered a few times about the need of making a cd, and unfortunately I felt compelled for many legal reasons to do it so, actually many radio stations, press, journalists, and so forth do not pay really attention to you unless you have a legal physical cd out there in the market... thus it's good to make a set at least for promotion
by the way, my cd arrived this week and i have a pile of box here, but arrived wrongly and now they need to be replaced :/ feels very dissapoining... sigh! i took some pics of them though if any is curious, I opted for a very pro and expensive packaging it's the only way to comept with online music actually

bbchris · Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 6:24 am Post subject:

Good point Pris - so maybe the 'industry' and 'promotions' need CDs but the actual consumers choose either CD or downloads....

Cant wait to buy Pris's CD

_________________
http://undergroundhk.com
Original Music for Original People
http://thinkingoutloud.com.hk
Possibly Hong Kong's best band....

yidneth · A Spanish Fairytale Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 780

yes
I think so, I think you have to make a couple of thousands that will eventually sell or goe through promotional points, thus also to sell them i'd go to offer goodies in the physical cd that cannot be online. In my case I pressed an unique serial in each cd so if you have an original you can get to get karaokes, tabs, and other exclusive contents, as well as enter some conttests and give aways...
but the future of the music, in my opinion still is focused online, still we have not given the step to make cds absolutely obsolete, as i told most press nad radio won't pay attention to a cd-r even if nicely printed unles it's a legal publication.

and also cd is a non safe medium, just see the factory sent all of them wrongly pressed, and now i'm all stressedto have them replaced (they had to give me cds 5th of October as release is 31th) and i'm still waiting for the resolution because tehy sent them wrongly pressed.

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

Yes

The only radio I listen to is classical

I don't think I'll ever be getting my music off a chip

HatefulMusic · Ears bleeding yet? Joined: 08 Jun 2003 Posts: 793

I haven't bought a CD in a couple of years. I buy mostly downloads now. I travel a lot and my mp3 player is perfect for long plane rides. I burn mix CDs for the car.

The thing I like is not having to spend a lot of money buying a crap CD just for the one song I like.

The sound quality of downloads isn't any worse than cassettes (*hisssss*), LPs (*click*pop*) or FM radio. And at 70mph with the convertible top down, CD quality is meaningless.

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

So I guess owning CDs or not depends on whether or not you own a convertable.

tony-ibradio · Joined: 12 Nov 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Hong Kong

I find that having a CD out there still adds a bit of professionalism to an artist or band...

Anyone can put MP3s online, but it's great image-wise to be able to say that you've got an album in HMV (have you bought The Academy's CD 'Taikonaut'? Available in HMV now!!*)

See, didn't that sound great??

In other words, MP3s are great, but I think that's it's good to have a physical copy of the music for people to take home. Downloads are still having compatibility problems when bought on iTunes or on MSN, and if you just put an unprotected MP3 out there then there's no copy protection.

Selling something physical like a CD or DVD also gives you the chance to bundle some goodies with your tracks. If you give people a simple CD then they might not buy it... but if you bundle a load of postcards, limited edition goodies etc then people will like it and buy more.

Tony
www.ibradio.net

PS *Tony loves shameless promotion
PPS This is my first post... Hello world!!

bbchris · Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 3:22 am Post subject:

Tony!!! WOW! Great to see you here! Everyone, I know Tony, he is in HK!! Great points you made Tony! just a CD is not enough, great artwork is a must, etc etc
_________________
http://undergroundhk.com
Original Music for Original People
http://thinkingoutloud.com.hk
Possibly Hong Kong's best band....

Larree · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 5 Location: L.A., CA, USA, Earth

Bring back vinyl records. Vinyl RULEZ!
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http://www.iacmusic.com/larree

satch · Joined: 29 Jul 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Wales, UK

I sure hope people still buy CD;s - our new one (Susan Raven) will be released in January!!! And it will not be available for download.
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Satch and Susan
It's about the music!

one sun · Joined: 02 Aug 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Virginia, USA

i only buy downloads. the price of new cds is prohibitive and that's the reason i started buying the downloads. nowadays i see them as being cheaper, more convenient and less wasteful because of the lack of packaging of any kind. i'm converting all of my cds to digital and getting rid of them even because of the space they're taking up.

so for me, cost, plastic and clutter all make me go the download route.
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Bud Bennett

And remember, stained glass makes a great gift!
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