Digital Music Purchases - Downloads or Ripped CD's?

[J-Mac]

I'm just curious: Other than the ability to purchase only specific tracks, how do most here purchase their digital music, by purchasing downloaded MP3's or purchasing and ripping CD's?

I'm not talking about sharing music; just purchasing online. I have done both, though usually I only purchase downloadable MP3's if I don’t want all tracks on a given album. But for entire albums I usually just purchase the CD and then rip them to my HDD.

Thanks!

Jim

[tsaint]

I've (almost) given up buying cds... mainly download from emusic. Given the poor range of jazz cds available in stores in almost all australian stores, I'm shopping a lot cheaper with a hugely improved range.
I did buy 2 michael feinstein cds in the past year tho

[4wd]

I'm not talking about sharing music; just purchasing online. I have done both, though usually I only purchase downloadable MP3's if I don’t want all tracks on a given album. But for entire albums I usually just purchase the CD and then rip them to my HDD.

If there's an album I really, really want, (which basically means nothing made in the last 10 years or so), then I'll go to a pawn shop and buy it, then rip it.

I don't pay full price for an album......ever.

Used is fine by me.

[Josh]

I support most bands that I listen to on a daily or weekly basis. Bands like Metallica, megadeth, slayer, disturbed, korn, etc. I will always buy their cd and in the case of Metallica's latest release (death magnetic), I bought the coffin box gift set which includes the CD, digital download, demo cd, dvd with making of footage, guitar picks, bonus code for download of a live show, poster, flag, and a bunch of other things. I will then rip the CD to a VBR mp3 set as I don't believe that the different in quality for FLAC or other "lossless" audio files is worth the extra space. The difference between the two I don't even really notice, if at all.

[J-Mac]

...I will then rip the CD to a VBR mp3 set as I don't believe that the different in quality for FLAC or other "lossless" audio files is worth the extra space. The difference between the two I don't even really notice, if at all.

To be honest, neither can I. I guess I have never had quite that discriminating of an ear!

Jim

[Carol Haynes]

Wherever possible I still buy CDs. I have eclectic tastes (classic rock, heavy metal, more melodic rock music and my first  love is classical music) and have found that there are almost always issues with classical music you download - either quality is not especially good or mutli-movement works where the parts flow together don't work well. I did buy some from iTunes but always felt unsatisfied my purchase and many have been subsequently purchased. Quite a few have been returned as faulty for a refund.

I know that there are legal non-DRM sources now but most of the well known artists are still sold in DRMed form and I have been stung too often - and have got fed up having to write to umpteen sellers for permission to listen to my music after reinstalling windows.

Normal music albums are probably OK to download but there is still something niceabout a physical product - and much of the stuff I buy is often cheaper from Amazon on a disc. I rarely buy individual tracks (I suppose I am too anal!).

There are loads of ripped CDs on my PC but to be honest I rarely listen to them and still; grab a CD when I want to listen to music. They are also more flexible - in car I have a multi disc changer which is ideal for long journeys. MP3 players in the car are pretty useless because you can't change track or album while you are driving.

(I have edited the poll to add an extra option)

[Josh]

Edit the poll to say both I usually do both.

[Lashiec]

I always buy full albums and rip them to the computer as soon as I reach home. These days I usually make my purchases either in second hand stores, or online, as the price of CDs here are outrageous. I would buy digital music if Amazon offered its catalog outside the USA, but this is not the case, so I have to resort myself to the physical format. Besides, they only offer MP3s, and if the music business is going to go digital, at least I want things to remain faithful to the old paradigm, so no FLAC, no buy :)

[Carol Haynes]

Edit the poll to say both I usually do both.

Edited poll to include purchase both! Rich person you ...

Note if you want to change your vote in the poll (now there are new options) you can do so. Just click remove vote and then vote again.

[Josh]

Rich? Most albums I purchase INCLUDE a digital download edition, such as metallica's latest.

[mahesh2k]

I prefer Amazon for this, you can purchase & download high-quality music from them 
Lot of Progressive Trance stuff can be found there

[f0dder]

buy & rip.

I don't want to risk inferior download quality or DRM-infested crap. Besides, I like the physical booklet thing. If I end up a CD that's copy-protected so I can't rip it, I return it for a refund & grab a bit-perfect warez release of it instead. If they don't want my money... they're not getting it. But I'll download the album anyway, as a flip-off statement saying "yeah, you just lost a purchase, you hurt the legitimate end-user, but you can't stop the f'ing pirates."

Also, I try to support bands directly if I can, by going to concerts and buying CDs/shirts/whatever. Matters more to the bands, in terms of $$ as well as showing support.

[40hz]

Buy and rip. (FLAC for home use and archive. MP3 for the road.)

I buy CDs. I have no respect for the talents of any musician or group that can't produce enough good material to make an $18-20 album purchase worthwhile. Anybody with a modicum of musical talent can write one good song. So play me three more just so I'll know it's not luck.

The downloadable single is what drives the market for all those "One Hit Wonders." People that got lucky with their one song - and then tried to make up for the rest with choreography and "a whole lotta cleavage." I've got nothing against "eye candy" - but I really want something to listen to more than anything else.

And because I don't pirate - ever - I absolutely refuse to tolerate DRM in any way, shape, or form.
(Go chase the people that are actually breaking the law and leave me and my music collection alone! )

[J-Mac]

Buy and rip. (FLAC for home use and archive. MP3 for the road.)

I buy CDs. I have no respect for the talents of any musician or group that can't produce enough good material to make an $18-20 album purchase worthwhile. Anybody with a modicum of musical talent can write one good song. So play me three more just so I'll know it's not luck.

The downloadable single is what drives the market for all those "One Hit Wonders." People that got lucky with their one song - and then tried to make up for the rest with choreography and "a whole lotta cleavage." I've got nothing against "eye candy" - but I really want something to listen to more than anything else.

And because I don't pirate - ever - I absolutely refuse to tolerate DRM in any way, shape, or form.
(Go chase the people that are actually breaking the law and leave me and my music collection alone! )

I don’t entirely agree, 40hz. I purchase CD's for the most part, but there are occasions when purchasing individual tracks is the only sensible way to do it!

Take, for example, the case of a favorite artist where I own 8 or 10 of their albums (CDs); if a "Greatest Hits" compilation that includes several artists - most of whom I don’t wish to purchase their music, but there is ONE track by the artist I DO like that is not available on any of his or her albums. In such cases - and I come across more and more situations like this lately - I would rather buy a download of that one track instead of purchasing an entire album/CD for one track.

Another case - a new album was released by another favorite artist that contained mostly songs that I already have the exact same recording of on several other albums I own, but there are a couple that I would like anyway. Again, I now buy just the downloadable version of those two, rather than buy an album of mostly tracks of which I have too many! Years ago I would have bought it anyway, just to maintian the "collection". But nowadays I don’t feel that same need.

Jim

[Josh]

J-Mac, I believe that to be 40hz's point. Most artists now-a-days are one hit wonders. You end up buying a cd (not you and i, but most consumers) for that single song. With the advent of iTunes, you can now purchase that one song. iTunes, in my opinion, is a great indicator of a band's true popularity as you can use it to determine what bands are really popular and which are relying on a single song or two to push them through the economy and fan base.

Greatest hits albums are released based on the most popular songs of a band. They are used when normal album sales aren't selling as much as they should, or in some cases, when a band has reached high popularity such as korn. Korn did not release a greatest hits album until after their 7th studio release. Same goes with the beetles. Most of their music consisted of hits. What they did was take the most popular songs and put them out on a CD or record.

[J-Mac]

J-Mac, I believe that to be 40hz's point. Most artists now-a-days are one hit wonders. You end up buying a cd (not you and i, but most consumers) for that single song. With the advent of iTunes, you can now purchase that one song. iTunes, in my opinion, is a great indicator of a band's true popularity as you can use it to determine what bands are really popular and which are relying on a single song or two to push them through the economy and fan base.

Greatest hits albums are released based on the most popular songs of a band. They are used when normal album sales aren't selling as much as they should, or in some cases, when a band has reached high popularity such as korn. Korn did not release a greatest hits album until after their 7th studio release. Same goes with the beetles. Most of their music consisted of hits. What they did was take the most popular songs and put them out on a CD or record.

Guess so. I took it that he was saying that there is never a need to download a single track, which as I mentioned I sometimes do have such a need.

Also (as I publicly blush!   ), I even happen to like some one-hit wonder songs!!    OK - not many, but once in a while... 

Thanks!

Jim

[J-Mac]

To clarify my last post about one-hit wonders...

Currently I cannot get out of my head that song by the '70's one-hit wonder group, Player, in the Swiffer commercials - where the mop is sending flowers, etc. to housewives who are using Swiffer?

OK, OK: No, I won't be downloading that one! (But I do have to get someone - anyone - else to get infected with that tune so that I can get it out of my head!!)

Jim

[Josh]

J-Mac, I am not saying there is anything wrong with one hit wonders, check out the new radicals and their song "You get what you give". There are some great one hit wonders out there, however, in the modern age you cannot justify purchasing an entire album just for one good song. Now, that said, iTunes and the digital music world has helped aide this as you can now buy a single track, however, like I said, this is helping to weed out the bands which are truly great and those which are just trying to get their name out there with a single song.

[40hz]

Guess so. I took it that he was saying that there is never a need to download a single track, which as I mentioned I sometimes do have such a need.

Also (as I publicly blush!   ), I even happen to like some one-hit wonder songs!!     OK - not many, but once in a while... 

Thanks!

Jim

"Don't get me wrong," said Chrissy of The Pretenders.  And me too. There are a few great songs that that have only been released as singles. I have no trouble with downloading something like that if it's my only option.

And no need to for anyone blush. I like some "one-offs" myself. (Soupy Sales' cover of Pahkalafaka comes to mind for one.)

I just wish they'd collect them onto one CD in groups of 20 and sell that instead. They're already doing it with bands from the 60's and 70's. Let's keep that practice ongoing.

BTW: I liked the "weed out the bands" comment. Says in four words what it took me two paragraphs to ramble through. Thank you, Josh!

[Josh]

Homer do good? err....Josh?

[app103]

I normally buy CD's and rip them, but for the last few years I have hardly bought any music.

Most of what I listen to is free and CC licensed or streamed on Pandora or Last.fm.

I often find even more free downloads after logging what I listen to on Pandora, to Last.fm.

But the CC licensed stuff is really nice because I can legally share it. 

[Music_Guy]

Good CD's, or ones that I enjoy the production and want to hear in a lossless format, I buy the CD, then rip in WAV. If I heard all the music off a CD from a friend and only like a few singles while not impressed by the sound quality, I'll pay to download each individually.

For the quality difference, if you have a good set of speakers (I have a home studio so you get to hear the difference), the CD versions of the songs are completely worth it, but if you always listen to music off of a laptop, it's not worth the difference. Might as well download your music.

If I didn't mind quality, I'd stick to a single, quality legal music download site with a monthly membership to listen to anything I want, whenever. 

[allen]

I have no need/desire for the compact discs -- just more clutter lying around. I do sort of miss thumbing through the linear notes, taking in the album as a complete work of art -- audio as well as visual -- but any more, I just want to get the digital music and enjoy all of the conveniences that come with that.  Thankfully, the places I get music all offer DRM-free mp3 downloads these days.