Apparently Amazon wants you to buy CD's

The past couple of albums I have bought through Amazon, it has cost less to buy the CD than to buy the MP3 album. Which is silly, because buying the CD also gets you the MP3 album for free. So, spend less and get more. It makes me wonder who looks at that and says, "I will pay an extra $1 to not have the CD with my digital music."

Works great for me. I like having a full album if I like an artist and the album is reasonably solid with at least a couple songs I really want. Even though I use MP3 most of the time, I like having CD's for the van.

I still am rocking my cassette tapes from the late 80s, early 90s. Um and I don't consider myself a "hipster" lol. Still love my cd's also. Will never get rid of my Appetite for Destruction and Mechanical Resonance cd's.

Yeah, I've noticed that, too. My usual move is to buy the CD, rip it, then sell it at one of the many garage sales my wife is always having.

The only reason I can think of for paying more for the MP3 download is that you get the music right away. But I can wait a couple of days.

the only vehicle i own with a radio is a cd player so its all i buy. its not even fancy enough to play an mp3.

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

Amazon gives you access to the MP3's instantly when you buy the CD, so you don't even have to wait.

Javelin wrote: In reply to Tom_Spangler: Amazon gives you access to the MP3's instantly when you buy the CD, so you don't even have to wait.

Really? Huh, I never noticed that. Of course, it's been quite a while since I bought one.

The "auto rip" thing is pretty new, but I'd noticed the same thing. Pay less for a CD and get immediate access to the music with a DRM-free file. It's the best of both worlds!

You also have access to music from any CD you've ever purchased from Amazon, btw. It's under "my music" or something like that. Reminds me of MP3.com before it got sued into oblivion by the RIAA. Sometimes being the innovator hurts...

People still pay for music? although there are things you just can't find otherwise I guess, I've been through that before.

revrico wrote: People still pay for music? although there are things you just can't find otherwise I guess, I've been through that before.

Some of us like to actually support the artists..

novaderrik wrote:

revrico wrote: People still pay for music? although there are things you just can't find otherwise I guess, I've been through that before.

Some of us like to actually support the artists..

I find myself streaming it more than anything now. Transferring and dealing with MP3's is a pain.. What a wimp I have become.

novaderrik wrote:

revrico wrote: People still pay for music? although there are things you just can't find otherwise I guess, I've been through that before.

Some of us like to actually support the artists..

I like to support the artists but not the record companies, so I go to concerts and buy merch direct because the artists get a bigger cut. I still buy things, because I like a lot of really hard to find things usually made by people currently dead. But if someone is alive and touring whom I like, I'll drag a car full of friends along, and buy stuff at the show.

there was a chart and some income percentages here, but I decided that it would look like an argument even though it's not intended as such, and I don't want to start an E36 M3

Not saying anything or anyone is right or wrong, unless you're supporting Bieber (wonder if that dirty word is filtered), because it's important to support the artists anyway we can. Except pop stars, berkeley them.

Is also nice to see a lot of artist releasing their stuff for free, and having it work out for them. They may be getting screwed on streaming, but they can't deny that ticket and merch sales increase radically which more than makes up for it. Kid Rock comes to mind, Trent Reznor has been doing it forever, a lot of the folk artists I listen to do it as well.

I've been known to send a letter of thanks and the cost of the cd or dvd directly to bands or movie directors if I thought it was something spectacular. I haven't gotten any replies or anything, but to me it's the best way to ensure they make something for their work and know it's appreciated regardless of box office take or critics reviews.

If you're listening to ads, you're paying for music.

Keith Tanner wrote: If you're listening to ads, you're paying for music.

android has a fix for that with pandora, unlimited skips too, which was what got my attention.

Not to jack the thread, but any word on the stock of the lift kits keith?

Back on topic. Never underestimate used cd stores. In Sacramento, I was able to find a live cd from a Pittsburgh PA local band that I couldn't find in PGH or order from their site anymore.

Flac files ftw! I love having a few friends who are sound engineers by profession. I've been listening to 2-3 concerts in flac format a day over the past few weeks. I really look forward to the end user, and thus industry, moving on from a compressed low quality file type such as mp3. Storage is cost effective now to allow for widespread use and consumption of better options.

novaderrik wrote:

revrico wrote: People still pay for music? although there are things you just can't find otherwise I guess, I've been through that before.

Some of us like to actually support the artists..

THIS. I don't give a crap about the new digital world, piracy is theft.

Plus I'm a huge fan of having an actual, physical copy of the media that will be around for as long as the hardware exists to support it.

And I was just reminded of why - my wife had a bunch of legitimate music that we paid money for ripped to her work computer. Something changed in their network setup and POOF all her music files won't play. If those were the only copies we owned, it would be hundreds of dollars in lost media.

Duke wrote: Plus I'm a huge fan of having an actual, physical copy of the media that will be around for as long as the hardware exists to support it.

Exactly. No matter what happens to my internal hard drive, my external hard drive, or whether I choose to maintain my Prime membership, if I have the CD, I have the music forever.

Bonus bargain: search Amazon for "original album series." There's an amazing range of artists (everybody from Ministry to Ray Charles), and you get their first five studio albums for $10-$25. I wanted Pretenders' "Learning to Crawl" and ended up buying all five of their first albums as a collection for an addition $6.

I wonder if Amazon is sitting on too many CDs and needs to get them out of their warehouse?

revrico wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: If you're listening to ads, you're paying for music.

android has a fix for that with pandora, unlimited skips too, which was what got my attention. Not to jack the thread, but any word on the stock of the lift kits keith? Back on topic. Never underestimate used cd stores. In Sacramento, I was able to find a live cd from a Pittsburgh PA local band that I couldn't find in PGH or order from their site anymore.

So the fix is some sort of hack to make Pandora think you're a subscriber? Reminds me of the old satellite TV card wars - the satellite company would change the access codes, the guys making the hacked cards would adapt, and so on. There was a great counterattack by DirectTV, but I digress...

Discussing the stock status of the lift kits is not a threadjack at all, how could it be? Manufacturer is promising to ship next week, I believe. We rejected the first shipment due to quality problems. There have been many fires lit under many derrieres.

Here's something to think about with regards to streaming and digital music.
Pandora has a library of about a million songs.
Spotify has a library of about 30 million.
iTunes has about 25-30 million.
Gracenote has 97 million songs in their database as of 2011. I believe that only represents music released on CD.

If you're only listening to streaming music, you're missing at least 2/3 of what's out there. It's the same sort of thinking that leads people to dismiss libraries because "everything's available online".

bluebarchetta wrote: Bonus bargain: search Amazon for "original album series." There's an amazing range of artists (everybody from Ministry to Ray Charles), and you get their first five studio albums for $10-$25. I wanted Pretenders' "Learning to Crawl" and ended up buying all five of their first albums as a collection for an addition $6.

Good tip! 5 Curtis Mayfield albums for under $10. J Geils for $18.99.

Keith Tanner wrote: So the fix is some sort of hack to make Pandora think you're a subscriber? Reminds me of the old satellite TV card wars - the satellite company would change the access codes, the guys making the hacked cards would adapt, and so on. There was a great counterattack by DirectTV, but I digress...

Similar, but they won't fry your hardware like the cards used to.

And as for piracy being theft, look at how much the download service and record company take from each sale, and the pittance that goes to the artist. Then look at how much the exposure increases merchandise and ticket sales, which is where the artists make the majority of their money. A lot of artists now just give the music away BECAUSE it helps other sales so much, and doesn't let the record company bend them over quite as far.

this helpful tip comes to mind

Sorry they're so big, I'm still practicing with the picture linking to here.

Totally legitimate thought here, but with 3d printers getting better and cheaper will it be "piracy" or "theft" when I download the plans for an F40, print the body and molds to cast the hardware? This will be a very possible scenario, probably within the next 10 years.

Not that I'm creating excuses for downloading, but it is so rare to find anything worth actually paying for that it's not worth wasting the money until I know for sure I'll like. When I used to work for Sam Goody, I learned all about music sales in the physical world, the artists got about 1.25 for every 18.99 cd we sold. The store got around 6, the rest went to the record company.

revrico wrote: People still pay for music?

Along with similar statements like
People still write checks?
People still have land lines?
People still read newspapers?
People still wear wristwatches?
etc.

I vote for an automatic ban whenever someone uses one of them.

Javelin wrote: In reply to Tom_Spangler: Amazon gives you access to the MP3's instantly when you buy the CD, so you don't even have to wait.

Sometimes. This isn't a blanket thing though it is fairly common. It depends on the license/contract with the publisher. Often on an album by album basis.

I like CDs because AIFF. Can't tell the difference through the car stereo but listening through headphones brings out the quality.

...and because I'm old fashioned.

stuart in mn wrote:

revrico wrote: People still pay for music?

Along with similar statements like People still write checks? People still have land lines? People still read newspapers? People still wear wristwatches? etc. I vote for an automatic ban whenever someone uses one of them.

That's fine, as long as it applies to the "I live in a one-room shack and drive a model T and that's all I need!" crowd, as well.

Duke wrote: ***THIS.*** I don't give a crap about the new digital world, piracy is theft.

"In common usage, theft is the taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it."

Piracy is wrong but it is not theft. It does not deprive the rightful owner the use of the item. It's like saying "rape is murder." They are both wrong but are not equivalent.