My view is that time and technology don’t improve everything. A short while ago I took to my virtual pulpit and preached about real books over Kindlethings; this time the post is about music.
I start with a confession; I still buy compact discs (CDs) and I struggle to embrace the culture of downloading. With music; aside from auditory pleasure, I like to have something physical to engage with as well. I value the packaging; I like to read the inserts and look at the pictures in the same way I did when my music came on vinyl and in sleeves that were gatefold.
Those thinking I am some kind of technological Luddite, please note that I was prepared to move on from LPs because CDs were just a better proposition. Whilst the size/shape of the plastic wasn’t precious, the experience of engaging in some way with the band was – CD covers/inserts fulfil the requirement; a download doesn’t.
My opinion is that CDs are a better value proposition than downloads because you get something physical/tangible for the same cost. Practically, you can sell a CD on (or a charity shop can do it for you) if you tire of it or realise you made a bad buying decision; you can move the music from home to car and from person to person easily; you can still upload it to your smartphone or digital personal stereo if you want to. If you crash your electronic impression, you can create a new one easily. I know all about cloud storage, I know that cars have auxiliary sockets for ipods (and the like) and I accept that you can have in-home stereo set ups that are part of your computer network to allow you to pipe music all over your house…………………but I don’t, I haven’t and I can’t.
Downloading bothers me for a few reasons;
I’ll accept that a CD collection does come with some challenges:
My sales pitch (or preach) for CDs is drawing to a close but I want to make some final observations; if you are with me on this subject, make your stand too because there is a significant risk that the compact disc will vanish. Visit Amazon, or pop into HMV if you have to, and buy a few; put it on your list of things to do tomorrow. By the way, if you like AC/DC, note that HMV has a good sale on right now – most of the back catalogue is available for £3.99.
CDs have a cost to make, distribute and stock; they need to sell in enough quantity to make the record companies money. If they don’t, the decline of the medium will just speed up. In the not too distant future downloading or streaming music on demand will be the only way to listen to new material. And that would be a damn shame!
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I start with a confession; I still buy compact discs (CDs) and I struggle to embrace the culture of downloading. With music; aside from auditory pleasure, I like to have something physical to engage with as well. I value the packaging; I like to read the inserts and look at the pictures in the same way I did when my music came on vinyl and in sleeves that were gatefold.
Those thinking I am some kind of technological Luddite, please note that I was prepared to move on from LPs because CDs were just a better proposition. Whilst the size/shape of the plastic wasn’t precious, the experience of engaging in some way with the band was – CD covers/inserts fulfil the requirement; a download doesn’t.
My opinion is that CDs are a better value proposition than downloads because you get something physical/tangible for the same cost. Practically, you can sell a CD on (or a charity shop can do it for you) if you tire of it or realise you made a bad buying decision; you can move the music from home to car and from person to person easily; you can still upload it to your smartphone or digital personal stereo if you want to. If you crash your electronic impression, you can create a new one easily. I know all about cloud storage, I know that cars have auxiliary sockets for ipods (and the like) and I accept that you can have in-home stereo set ups that are part of your computer network to allow you to pipe music all over your house…………………but I don’t, I haven’t and I can’t.
Downloading bothers me for a few reasons;
- Advocates commonly download individual tracks instead of albums (and for me that’s like thinking you’ve read a book when you’ve only bothered with a couple of chapters)
- Often downloading is done illegally and that’s not ideal for the health of the music industry
- A download is a bit like a digital photograph in that there’s a risk that once you’ve taken it you never see it again
I’ll accept that a CD collection does come with some challenges:
- There is the requirement for physical storage space (which in my case is a significant requirement, much to Mrs Baldwin’s chagrin)
- If one doesn’t alphabetize one’s collection it becomes impossible to find anything (but the process of arranging your CDs is slow, painful and suggests one might suffer from OCD)
- One’s CD storage units really need to match; if IKEA ever discontinues its Benno range, I will have to visit a store and protest by chaining myself to its railings.
- If you like your music conveyed to you in a randomised way e.g. ABBA one track, Motorhead the next, then you might want to use the shuffle functionality on your ipod/docking station to make life easier than switching CDs every song. Just buy the CD in first place before uploading it to your personal stereo!
My sales pitch (or preach) for CDs is drawing to a close but I want to make some final observations; if you are with me on this subject, make your stand too because there is a significant risk that the compact disc will vanish. Visit Amazon, or pop into HMV if you have to, and buy a few; put it on your list of things to do tomorrow. By the way, if you like AC/DC, note that HMV has a good sale on right now – most of the back catalogue is available for £3.99.
CDs have a cost to make, distribute and stock; they need to sell in enough quantity to make the record companies money. If they don’t, the decline of the medium will just speed up. In the not too distant future downloading or streaming music on demand will be the only way to listen to new material. And that would be a damn shame!
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