I only have 6 CDs left in my collection!

[Paulie]

Digital music sucks IMO, it sounds awful.

Really? You do realize the CDs you mention are digital right? What do you base this observation on? 128bps mp3's on a stock car stereo? Earbuds? The built in speaker on an iPhone?

I would make a confident bet that the sonic difference between your vinyl/cassette/CD collection and a properly ripped 256kbps mp4/AAC collection is negligible at best, and to most, nil. Do a lossless RIP and you have a perfect dupe. No difference. It's just ones and zeros at this point.

I can completely understand you saying digital music sucks due to the fact that you adore your physical collection and its tangibility, but to say it "sounds awful," well, sounds awful. Embrace your collections. My collection is just as important to me. The only difference is, mine resides in a 7.7" x 7.7" x 1.4" box in my entertainment center.

[trurl]

You'll probably want to cash out on this fairly soon. In less than 10 years, a significant portion of this value will be lost.

Yep... I sat on my DVD collection too long and the rare and OOP stuff went from being worth maybe thousands to hundreds.

[3LockBox]

I've done this as well, though I have nowhere near 3000 CDs (maybe half that). I have stored them however, not sold them (won't sell them). Can't count on my hard drive to not go 'tango uniform' on me.

[Ken Baird]

I have a friend who has a wonderful room in his house. There is nothing else in the room but a couch and a chair and of course the stereo and speakers. From there on it's ALL Cds on the shelves in alphabetical order, many of them are progressive rock but really it's such a massive collection that practically all styles are represented somewhere. He actually keeps the LPs in another room, but maybe they'll eventually be in there as well. The wall space that is free has all kinds of music posters. There is also a shelf that contains various box sets and music books, biographies of various bands and musicians, tour programs etc. "Cool", is all I can say.

All my CDs are stuffed into my small studio in some kind of order but a bit messy, but I'm still glad to have them and maybe one day, I'll be able to set up a "room" like that although it would be quite a bit less extensive. I love the artwork, lyrics sheets and packaging, even to read the credits is of great interest to me. Maybe I'll eventually do the MP3 thing too since the sound quality is starting to improve with lossless files and things, but I'd never want to lose the LPs and CDs.

[battema]

I converted all my physical media to good quality digital a while ago, and keep it up to date regularly (thank you for being awesome, Media Monkey ). At home it is more convenient for listening, and for loading up songs on my portable players for the gym & office. My car only has an aux in, and IMHO mucking with a player that isn't fully integrated with the sound system is as stupid as texting while driving...so I still only use compact discs in my car, with very rare exceptions.

Even if/when I buy a new car I won't be discarding the physical media though...I have the space and enjoy having them, as a collector if nothing else. Many of the albums I have, have stories behind them: where or how I got them, what I was doing at the time, and sometimes, who I was with when I first gave it a listen. Eric: I still recall buying the unExpect after having a great chat with you at ProgDay 2012...in all truth, I think I enjoy the memory of our conversation that afternoon as much or more than the CD itself I appreciate those memories and foolish or not, it is easier to recall some of those things when holding the actual item in my hand.

That isn't to say that folks can't also do the same thing with their digital files going forward; just for me, I have almost 25 years of fun memories and discoveries saved up in all those lovely little discs and I'm in no rush to toss them out

[sotdude]

I own probably close to 7,000 CDs, and have no desire to get rid of them or make the switch over to all digital files. Yes, I do have roughly 25,000 songs on my 160GB ipod, but I basically only use that at the gym or when I'm travelling. Still pull out CDs on a regular basis to listen to while working, cooking, hanging out in the back yard, etc. Something about having that physical copy I just don't think I'll ever get away from. Buying downloads, to me, almost isn't like buying anything, and with a crashed computer all that can be gone. I know I sound like an old dinosaur, but hey, it is what it is, and I'm happy with it.

[Duncan Glenday]

I was waiting for this shoe to drop.
...

I tried to avoid that discussion when I pointed out that my CDs are in storage. I.e. I still own the physical copies ... but don't ask me to fish out any single disc - it would take a week-long search! AFAIC, I'm covered both legally and morally.

...and still shop at record stores.

Again - that convenience factor ... these days, I'm far more inclined to hit iTunes / Amazon / whatever. By the time I've driven to a record shop (if there was one anywhere nearby) I could have completed purchase of dozens of albums, often cheaper. The only time I actively scratch through CD bins is at the prog festivals.

...Can't count on my hard drive to not go 'tango uniform' on me.

That's why I (like Eric, and I hope everyone else) have backup copies in many places.

[strawberrybrick]

Selling CDs but retaining a copy on the computer is the same thing, from a legal perspective, as ripping them from torrents without ever buying them, no?

Amen brother. This is as bad as saying "I just downloaded [whatever] for free".

The purchase of a CD does not necessarily entail one to make a digital reproduction of it, unless it is explicitly stated in its license.

Under the first sale doctrine, you can resell your physical copy without compensation to the copyright holder. You cannot keep a digital copy (which again you may not have even had the right to make in the first place). All the rights to listen to the work remain with the physical copy and are transferred to the new owner. Same applies to books. You can only keep memories if you were to follow the law.

So you broke the copyright.

[strawberrybrick]

Also, this is why CDs have no value anymore. Nobody wants "stuff", just the "stuff" that's on them. Why do you think that Apple computers no longer have optical drives? There's a plan...

[nosebone]

I started selling off my CDs & DVDs in April .

http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/store...=AN50M95D5WMY5

Things are moving along nicely.

I got $50 for a few, but most are selling for under $20.

I figure that in five+ years, I won't be able to give them away.

I am holding on to the nicely packaged boxsets.

[Trane]

Also, this is why CDs have no value anymore. Nobody wants "stuff", just the "stuff" that's on them. Why do you think that Apple computers no longer have optical drives? There's a plan...

And one day, you'll find your electronics have gone sour, and wind up with nothing.

I fugure that in five+ years, I won't be able to give them away.

I am holding on to the nicely packaged boxsets.

From a purely speculative PoV, I'd tend to think you're selling them at the wrong moment (it's too late nowadays... you should've dione that five years ago)
Right now, the CD is the crease of the wave.... But in 15 years time, they'll be like vinyls today... back in vogue... for a small but wealthy crowd that'll regret selling them away unwisely two decades ago.

Besides, I coudn't care less if my CDs are worth nothing on the speculative markets... It's not why I bought them.

[rcarlberg]

I would miss the covers and especially the liner notes.

[arturs]

I have ripped most of my collection (2500 or so) but could never part with the physical copies unless I lose my job and really need to eat...

I started ripping about 10 years ago and my HD was so small I could only rip in 96 kbps. New stuff I rip in 256 or 320 today. The 96 kbps rips, some sound fine, others terrible. With 320 I can't tell any difference between the cd and the rip... what is your experience of this?

[Brian Griffin]

I have ripped most of my collection (2500 or so) but could never part with the physical copies unless I lose my job and really need to eat...

I started ripping about 10 years ago and my HD was so small I could only rip in 96 kbps. New stuff I rip in 256 or 320 today. The 96 kbps rips, some sound fine, others terrible. With 320 I can't tell any difference between the cd and the rip... what is your experience of this?

About 4 years ago I started ripping the collection

At the time I used 192kps, but in the past couple of years I stated using 320kps

I've compared the 192's to the CDs - to my ears the difference is negligible, I haven't re-ripped too many at 320

My ears, like my eyes, are not likely to start working "better" in the time I have left

BG

[Fracktured]

What the f@&k is wrong with you people getting rid of cd's and putting them on digital hard drives?

[walt]

I have two wall units in my living room that i use to store my cds,and there's very little room left in one of them for more cds.The other is totally filled with discs,as well as my books, magazines,audio equipment, tv,etc.I reside in a modest sized, one bedroom apartment.

When there's no more room in my wall units,that may be the impetus/motivation for me to start, slowly but surely, to rip my cds.I'm sure ripping to 320 kps will be more than sufficient for sound quality to my alabaster ears.

[JKL2000]

The argument against this is how possession of the physical product became tangled up with the license of ownership. This became murky once one could purchase product in the form of digital files without physical form. Since you can't really sell MP3s back to anyone, their value once purchased essentially becomes zero. What happens if Eric had just misplaced all his CDs or gave them away? What if he trashed them or lost them in a fire? Isn't that why people make backups to begin with? Should they then in those situation still delete any files/burned CDs, etc.?

Very good question - interesting to think about. Yeah, it will be interesting as these issues crop up more often. Remember in the earlier days of MP3s there were complaints about people letting friends make copies of all the MP3s on their iPods?
If I ever copy my whole collection to hard drives, you can bet I'm going to give copies to both my sons, because I'm not going to mention it in a will where it could theoretically be subject to estate tax. My father left some valuable collections of books which had to be appraised and were subject to estate tax - so regarding music collections, this is potentially becoming a lost area of revenue for the IRS. Probably not a big one in most cases, but an interesting thing to think about.

[nosebone]

From a purely speculative PoV, I'd tend to think you're selling them at the wrong moment (it's too late nowadays... you should've dione that five years ago)
Right now, the CD is the crease of the wave.... But in 15 years time, they'll be like vinyls today... back in vogue... for a small but wealthy crowd that'll regret selling them away unwisely two decades ago.

Nah..,most of my stuff is prog related, and that crowd ( like you ) are old and loves to hold those little plastic things.

[Camelogue]

Question - How much money did you net?

Statement - I have never ripped even one of my CD's, I have no ipad- ipod, iphone or mp3 player. Am I lazy, a Luddite, or crazy? I plead that I am none of those.

[Just Eric]

Cozy brings up a good point and until that time if and when their is an actual legal decision on the issue of personal copies my conscience will be clear.

Like most of us here the act of owning, handling, and enjoying music with the physical medium, whether it be CD, LP, tape or other, was integral to the enjoyment of the experience. However, life changes and I no longer have the space to lug and store physical media, nor do I have the time to sit and enjoy a listen with the physical media itself. Nearly all my listening is done on the go, either in my car, while working, or at home while falling asleep (iPod and earbuds). And even then, I've found that I dig into my library less and less, preferring to stream new music from Spotify.

I was terrified of selling my collection but found the Ebay experience cathartic, carefully packaging and mailing my precious collection one by to one to deserving homes. Some of my biggest costumers were PE posters and I feel good knowing that the music is being enjoyed and valued. I didn't make much money, just enough to keep buying music and surprisingly I have not purchased a single digital copy of music.

Duncan - The music store is a hassle, however the experience of browsing the shelves for a few hours is critical to my mental well-being and I set aside a weekend day each month for a trip to one of my local shops. Even my wife knows when I haven't been in a while and she'll suggest I go CD shopping.

[KGHofSF]

You'll probably want to cash out on this fairly soon. In less than 10 years, a significant portion of this value will be lost.

I would definitely second that thought. CD sales have been dropping like a rock, whilst LP sales are showing significant increases. This eventually will take some of the luster off of the rarities and oddities market.

http://gloriousnoise.com/2013/album-...soundscan-data

For me though, I like having the CDs (and vinyl) around so that I can listen to the tunes the way the band / artist put them on the disc together occasionally. When I listen digitally its almost always on shuffle. And yes I realize you can play an album on Itunes (I just generally don't).

regards
KGH

[rcarlberg]

Really? You do realize the CDs you mention are digital right?

You're wasting your breath on Peter. His mind is made up and science, logic and facts will not dissuade him.

[Duncan Glenday]

...And even then, I've found that I dig into my library less and less, preferring to stream new music from Spotify...

Same here.

...the experience of browsing the shelves for a few hours is critical to my mental well-being...

Okay - I understand that. My mental well-being is beyond redemption anyway...

[Facelift]

I would definitely second that thought. CD sales have been dropping like a rock, whilst LP sales are showing significant increases. This eventually will take some of the luster off of the rarities and oddities market.

http://gloriousnoise.com/2013/album-...soundscan-data

For me though, I like having the CDs (and vinyl) around so that I can listen to the tunes the way the band / artist put them on the disc together occasionally. When I listen digitally its almost always on shuffle. And yes I realize you can play an album on Itunes (I just generally don't).

regards
KGH

Yeah, I didn't at all mean to suggest that everybody should be selling their CDs - if you like having them, that's great. I just meant that if you expect to be selling them "someday," ... now is a better time to do it than a few years from now.

I don't really agree with Trane's argument that we're in the crease for CD sales and that they'll bump in 15 years or so like vinyl, precisely *because* of vinyl. If you want your physical product, it's going to be vinyl. It's fundamentally different from a CD. You also get more of what you buy a physical product for. A CD is just a copy of what you keep on your computer. The artwork and the casing is something lesser than what a consumer gets with vinyl. The CD was made smaller so that it could be portable - which was a valid concern for 1990, but which by 2005 had already become irrelevant. Why would there be resurgence in demand for something that is technologically obsolete, sounds no different than a lossless computer file (which, by the way, in 15 years will not be considered to be requiring much memory at all to store), and which gives you less than what you would get if you buy the physical product in the alternate format (vinyl)? There could be the case of something that was never released on vinyl, which would encompass only music from the early '90s to the present. Most albums that sold fairly well during that era got vinyl releases, but there are obviously plenty (much in prog, probably) that did not. Still, that means appealing to a pretty small audience for any particular title. It would have to be someone who doesn't already own the physical product but wants to, despite probably being able to DL it for free. I dare say that a goodly number of people who won't be with us 15 years from now are these kinds of people, and not too many more of them are being made.

[Trane]

I have two wall units in my living room that i use to store my cds,and there's very little room left in one of them for more cds.The other is totally filled with discs,as well as my books, magazines,audio equipment, tv,etc.I reside in a modest sized, one bedroom apartment.

When there's no more room in my wall units,that may be the impetus/motivation for me to start, slowly but surely, to rip my cds.I'm sure ripping to 320 kps will be more than sufficient for sound quality to my alabaster ears.

hang on... I fully agree that stacks of vinyls and CDs (or comics or DVDs) can become VERY cumbersome...

I've always regularly pruned the stuff I don't (and will never) listen to again (nooks as wel)... Just start with that stuff and see what happens... If you get rid of the 20 to 30% of the stuff you listen to least (digitalize it obn your computer if you wish, of course), you'll find that it gets easier oce the first few decisions are taken... everything is relative, so you'll quickly learn to get rid of stuff that's more or less useless.

First try with sopecialized magazines (eventually rip out a few interesting pages from an otherwise uninteresting monthly issue>> and get rid of the crap). I did that with average later 70's Santana albums and made an zexcellent compilation out of the better tracks from each

But getting rid of the classics or future classics seems so harsh... You all will probably regret it, at a later date.