In defense of the CD

[Spiral]

I haven't seen anyone pushing for the format's demise as much as this guy says, but still a nice read.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/fe...he-cd-20160204

[JJ88]

I agree. I'm not budging from CDs, no matter how much some might want to get rid of them. I've dipped my toe into downloading and don't much care for it. Haven't bothered with streaming.

[Facelift]

Yet he keeps using the old terminology...

"Like many people, I spent the days after his passing relistening to Bowie records I hadn't played in years."

Uh, 'records?'

"Every so often, I'd buy a disc – the initial pressing of John Mellencamp's Scarecrow, for instance – that sounded brittle and shrill compared to its vinyl predecessor."

"Initial pressing?" Dude, CDs aren't "pressed."

Sounds like this guy is really a closeted vinyl fetishist.

[Spiral]

I still sometimes use "record" to refer to an album or collection of songs, irrespective of format.

[Facelift]

I still sometimes use "record" to refer to an album or collection of songs, irrespective of format.

Many people over the age of 55 do (and the writer is in that demographic). But you'd think that in an article about CDs in particular, this kind of confusing verbiage would be avoided.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I still care for them, but I have started anticipating vinyl for many new releases that interest me. Of course that's rather hopeless, seeing as folks aren't really into buying music in the first place anymore (let alone physical formats), and knowing how much less expensive it is to actually stick to producing CDs.

[Scott Bails]

A nice read, indeed. I haven't seen anyone calling for that, either, but I agree with him - it's still my favorite format.

[hippypants]

Yes, I don't get it either other than some have switched back to buying vinyl, which I don't see either when it's more expensive. I still listen to both formats, but buy whatever is the cheapest. I still have a ton of cassettes too. I guess I'm a hoarder. For something with quieter passages like classical, ambient, some jazz, I still prefer CD.

[strawberrybrick]

If anything, CDs have always been a little on the expensive side. Now, that they can be digitized, they have more or less "single use" value. And a good place to see this is in the secondary market, with the range between Amazon and Amazon Sellers. In the past year or so, I've seen them drop in price in local record stores. A lot of "classic" releases are now in the $4-5 dollar range for a used CD. YMMV.

[Nijinsky Hind]

One thing for sure, if i play CDs in my car it usually only weeks before they turn to useless plastic discs. They really do require as much care as you would give to an LP record if you want them to last. I prefer LPs over CDs but buy both. Downloads don't make me happy... Dunno exactly why.

[Sunlight Caller]

I'm not really moving from CD anytime soon either, but it's true in many instances they have become "single use" apart from referencing the sleeves and notes, which by and large are too small for these deteriorating eyes of mine.

I am tempted by vinyl every now and then, especially with a download code, and love the vintage feel and time-travelling effect of simply holding open the double gatefold sleeves, I'm back in my youth for a wistful moment.

[Scott Bails]

One thing for sure, if i play CDs in my car it usually only weeks before they turn to useless plastic discs. They really do require as much care as you would give to an LP record if you want them to last.

I've been playing CDs in my car since it was possible and I've never experienced a single problem.

[PeterG]

Give it about 15 years and CD's will be back in fashion, as the new retro-format

[Dave (in MA)]

One thing for sure, if i play CDs in my car it usually only weeks before they turn to useless plastic discs. .

?!?!
What are you doing, throwing them on the floor when you change discs?

[Supersonic Scientist]

I've been playing CDs in my car since it was possible and I've never experienced a single problem.

Yeah, I've never had a problem with CD's in my truck either. Treat them with respect and you should expect a long problem-free life.

[ronmac]

One thing for sure, if i play CDs in my car it usually only weeks before they turn to useless plastic discs.

That's puzzling. Are you using them as hood ornaments?

[Nijinsky Hind]

Yeah, I've never had a problem with CD's in my truck either. Treat them with respect and you should expect a long problem-free life.

Yeah thats my problem... I just don't respect them enough. I admit to being real hasty with them while driving... Especially at night.

[rcarlberg]

The Rolling Stone author, David Browne, is using reverse psychology and working from bad information.

CDs still outsell any other hard format 9:1. Yes, volumes are down, but they're down across the board for all physical media.

By bemoaning the death of the CD he is repeating what he hears in the Rolling Stone offices, perhaps, but it is not indicative of the world at large. CDs are a mature technology, they're well-represented in the marketplace and have achieved "market penetration." Sales are down, one can speculate, not only due to the competition of streaming services but also because of two other factors rarely admitted by industry insiders: (1) consumers have bought all the CD reissues of their favorite LPs that they're gonna buy, and (2) new music coming out is crap.

I'd like to see a label head admit THAT.

[strawberrybrick]

One thing for sure, if i play CDs in my car it usually only weeks before they turn to useless plastic discs. They really do require as much care as you would give to an LP record if you want them to last. I prefer LPs over CDs but buy both. Downloads don't make me happy... Dunno exactly why.

I burn CD-Rs for the car for this reason.

[Facelift]

The Rolling Stone author, David Browne, is using reverse psychology and working from bad information.

CDs still outsell any other hard format 9:1. Yes, volumes are down, but they're down across the board for all physical media.

By bemoaning the death of the CD he is repeating what he hears in the Rolling Stone offices, perhaps, but it is not indicative of the world at large. CDs are a mature technology, they're well-represented in the marketplace and have achieved "market penetration." Sales are down, one can speculate, not only due to the competition of streaming services but also because of two other factors rarely admitted by industry insiders: (1) consumers have bought all the CD reissues of their favorite LPs that they're gonna buy, and (2) new music coming out is crap.

I'd like to see a label head admit THAT.

Points we have raised before, but are rarely addressed.

When these older folks write about these issues, you wonder if their heads are locked in a groove from the '70s/'80s/'90s. That music culture, which corresponded with the growth and development of rock music, (and then the first major recycling of the earlier era via reissues) is largely over. The people who participate in the consumer culture for music as was done in those eras is, today, just a small slice of what that once was. Most people think about, access and use music in a completely different way than the old album-buying culture of those years. You can't talk about 2016 in the context of 1993. Or 1983.

The fact of the matter is that there are not many contemporary artists with much market cache. There is a small handful of mega-stars, and most everybody else starts way down the line from that. Whether that is because the music being offered is worse, or because people have moved away from this because of other reasons, it's tough to say. The reissues were huge part of what drove music sales during the CD's golden age, though - that can't really be disputed.

[Digital_Man]

Part of it could be my age but cds are my favorite format also followed by vinyl. Even though they don't sell as well as they did and have probably been surpassed by vinyl by now I still don't see them going away totally anytime soon and even if they do they will probably have a comeback just like vinyl and believe it or not, more recently, cassette tapes.

[rcarlberg]

Even though [CDs] don't sell as well as they did and have probably been surpassed by vinyl by now

Not even remotely close.

[Facelift]

What like the word verbiage which you've used incorrectly? ...so yes, I agree, it is confusing. Verbiage means too many words it doesn't mean terminology.

If you're going to be the grammar police, you should make sure that your license is up to date:

According to Google:
Verbiage "the way in which something is expressed; wording or diction."
Example: "we need to look at how the rule should be applied, based on the verbiage"

[JKL2000]

I still sometimes use "record" to refer to an album or collection of songs, irrespective of format.

I still call them "record albums."

I actually have been buying a lot of downloads on Bandcamp lately - I like that you get it on your phone to stream right away, and can also download it at will (whenever you want, over and over, which is nice).
The only thing I'd love to be able to do is somehow download a record album right onto my phone from within the app, so I could listen to my Bandcamp albums via Bluetooth when driving, without having to deal with connecting my phone to my PC and using iTunes. Anyone know if this is possible?

[PeterG]

Sorry, I just removed it, as I thought I was being too cruel.

But seeing as you read it before I deleted it, what then is the "confusing verbiage" you mention, going by the definition you were using? I thought the article was well and clearly written.