CDs and Downloads Are Dead

So lets see, by Steve Knopper's own references CD's sold 89 million last year and vinyl LP's sold 14 million. According to Neilsen Music those 14 million vinyl LP's represented 8.5% of all album sales in 2017. No doubt CD sales have shrunk from their all time high in 2012 but vinyl sales still only represent a fraction of CD sales in the USA. Worldwide CD sales are considerably higher than USA sales. There are billions of CD's in the world that are not just magically disappearing. The likes of guys like Knopper and others who have professed the disappearance of compact discs have been beating this poor horse to death, but it hasn't died yet. I am old enough to remember when the same doom and gloom was spouted about vinyl LP's. Wake me up when the arguments have ended.


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Excellent

Maybe now the download sites will set their prices where they should have been for years....60% to 70% less than they are now....
 
I can’t recall the last time I bought a CD. Have not downloaded anything in over a year.
Haven’t bought LPs either but have been gifted a few.
Streaming wins it for me.
 
I buy a few CDs here and there, and more SACDs, but download quite a bit... no streaming at all... would rather own what I listen to.... plus what I prefer in quality streaming would be the bare minimal....
 
Randy Myers said:
I buy a few CDs here and there, and more SACDs, but download quite a bit... no streaming at all... would rather own what I listen to.... plus what I prefer in quality streaming would be the bare minimal....
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Randy have you tried Tidal (CD quality) at all? Since you already use Roon and HQPlayer, you could upconvert all Tidal streaming to DSD512. You may like it.
 
When Qobuz rolls out in the US after RMAF you will be able to get Hi-Rez streaming for around $25. Since with the currency conversion I am already paying that now for standard FLAC service I am going to upgrade mine when I convert my EU account to a US account. Should be easier even still to upconvert from 24/192.
 
This article is just another case of wishful thinking by the writer, who is probably a vinyl lover. As Dan astutely pointed out, CD sales are still multiples of record sales. CDs aren’t going anywhere and vinyl is gradually growing too. I like streaming but will continue to purchase CDs and high resolution downloads. CDs continue to be my favorite because they essentially last forever and can either be ripped or played. No chance of ever losing the data.

Ken
 
We have four CD racks in the store stuffed full of CD’s. The old format is holding on.
 
IMO many forms have their benefits, and will adapt, if there is music, there is sound...

Heck, I’m seeing cassettes still being made and reflect back to the Nakamichi Dragon.

With that being said, let’s all agree to leave the 8 Track to rest [emoji851]





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Just because some individuals on this site still purchase CD's does not change the fact that CD's are on life support. As additional CD plants close and production capacity decreases the cost of CD's will increase. This will drive more of the general public towards streaming. CD's will join the LP as a overpriced niche product supported by a aging "audiophile" market.

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nicoff said:
Randy have you tried Tidal (CD quality) at all? Since you already use Roon and HQPlayer, you could upconvert all Tidal streaming to DSD512. You may like it.
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CD quality is the minimal quality for me. I prefer the highest rez I can get... I figure, the better in the better out for up-sampling. But, I am just not a fan of streaming, I prefer to purchase my music. I have a hard enough time picking what I want to listen to; I don't feel like making it even harder on myself :).
 
still-one said:
Just because some individuals on this site still purchase CD's does not change the fact that CD's are on life support. As additional CD plants close and production capacity decreases the cost of CD's will increase. This will drive more of the general public towards streaming. CD's will join the LP as a overpriced niche product supported by a aging "audiophile" market.

chartoftheday_12950_cd_sales_in_the_us_n.jpg
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And some of us, just like music that you just can't find on downloads or an LP these days unless you want to pay some outrageous price. The more music the better regardless of medium.
 
Thank goodness for Amazon Prime. I don't think a week goes by I don't order a CD. Tidal lets me at least preview what I plan to order.
 
CPP said:
And some of us, just like music that you just can't find on downloads or an LP these days unless you want to pay some outrageous price. The more music the better regardless of medium.
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There is so much music to choose from that I won't waste 2 seconds thinking about an album that isn't readily available.
 
I think that if you are just starting out with music and do not have a big collection, then streaming make a lot of sense. Or, if you spend $100 a month on downloads or CD's then streaming makes sense if you want to save some money. I have almost 8 TB's of music and I now buy 1 or 2 downloads or CD's per month, so streaming makes no sense for me. My son will eventually inherit all my music, can't do that with streaming.
 
nc42acc said:
Thank goodness for Amazon Prime. I don't think a week goes by I don't order a CD. Tidal lets me at least preview what I plan to order.
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Marty.......I'm with you. Two new CD's arrived earlier this week from Amazon . There are three more sitting in my Amazon cart right now that I will probably order today. I enjoy owning physical media. Obviously many others feel the same way. I subscribe to Tidal for streaming but don't spend a great deal of time streaming music since I also have three music servers and four disc spinners in different systems that I enjoy using. Streaming music with Tidal can be fun if you can get past all the hip-hop and rap crap pushed at us, but I don't want streaming to be the sole source of my music library. The bottom line, to each their own.
 
Mechnutt said:
.....
My son will eventually inherit all my music, can't do that with streaming.
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Are you sure he wants that?
If so, congratulations!

My children are millennials are they don’t care for or purchase CDs. They carry their music with them (Spotify, etc.). I am certain that my leaving them a whole bunch of CDs would be a burden.
 
jdandy said:
Streaming music with Tidal can be fun if you can get past all the hip-hop and rap crap pushed at us, but I don't want streaming to be the sole source of my music library.
.....
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I hear this sentiment from time to time from some folks. I guess that if one is only using the Tidal GUI interface, some folks may feel as if Tidal is ‘pushing’ certain music to them.

I see Tidal as a source for ANY kind of music. One can choose and mark his/her favorites and don’t bother with the rest.

If one uses something like Roon as the GUI, the so called ‘pushing’ would immediately disappear since Tidal is only used as a supplier of whatever music that person is searching. That’s an extra benefit of using Roon.
 
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