Once the compact disc is finally laid to rest...

[awepittance]

Vinyl isn't dead. Cassettes ain't dead. CDs won't be dead for a long long time. Multimedia releases, however, were a fad and a flop in the nineties.

 

Vinyl is the only one that's really lasted. Cassettes are making a retro fetishm comeback but they are pretty much dead. I don't think the retro appreciation for them is going to grow much stronger, if it does id be very surprised. I've thought Cds have been dead for about 2 years, who here still buys new cds more often than vinyl or digital?

[oscillik]

Vinyl isn't dead. Cassettes ain't dead. CDs won't be dead for a long long time. Multimedia releases, however, were a fad and a flop in the nineties.

 

Vinyl is the only one that's really lasted. Cassettes are making a retro fetishm comeback but they are pretty much dead. I don't think the retro appreciation for them is going to grow much stronger, if it does id be very surprised. I've thought Cds have been dead for about 2 years, who here still buys new cds more often than vinyl or digital?

i would be so bold as to say that the only format that has truly died is MiniDisc. and when i said "dead" i mean in the sense that commercially produced, pre-recorded MiniDiscs are not pressed anymore.

 

i could be wrong though.

 

either way, it's a shame that recordable MiniDiscs never picked up momentum in the 90s, as they are a damn good format. even more so now we have Hi-MD

[psn]

I buy pretty much evenly divided between vinyl and CDs for the most part, and then noticably less digital and tapes.

 

Things aren't dead just cause they disappear from the mainstream.

 

The OP says that the album will disappear when CDs disappear. I think there are two main problems with this theory - first of all the assumption that the Album as a form or "genre" is dependent on a particular medium (the CD). Secondly I think the CD will be around for a long time, even if just for retro fetishism as you eloquently formulated it, Awepittance.

[YEK]

i don't like this idea

[purlieu]

who here still buys new cds more often than vinyl or digital?

I don't have a turntable and refuse to pay for mp3s if there's a physical release. CDs all the way.

[oscillik]

the last CD i bought was The Terminator soundtrack, on eBay because i couldn't get it anywhere else.

[chassis]

I would love to see some of today's most exciting acts from the electronic and indie worlds start becoming multimedia artists rather than music artists, releasing only videos and songs together indivisibly from one another as whole individual releases.

 

 

This is a terrible idea. I can't imagine a world without albums.

 

Fair enough, I will except the fact that an audio+visual encompassing file would be mind blowing. But can you honestly say you wouldn't miss getting your CD/LP in the post or from the store. The smell of the new paper inside and the anticipation of putting it in you CD player or on your turntable. You listening intently as you carefully analyse the packaging, the artwork, every single aspect of the whole release.

 

My eyes are almost watering at the prospect of never being allowed to get my physical release, the joy of the whole thing. Digital files are great and all but who can say they don't love they're physical collection. If you choose to buy a CD or vinyl it must be something special. Looking at my own small collection, each one has it's own story as to how I bought it and my first listen to it.

 

Don't take that away from me......please?

[awepittance]

what were the results of that poll taken here on watmm about what formats people buy

 

i didn't mean to imply that i think that album format is going to die as a result of CD's losing popularity. Albums became the mainstay long before CDs. Singles are still as popular as ever mostly among sideline music fans, but i think albums are going to be around for a while, at least as long as the 'sit down in a relaxing spot with some headphones' type of music fans are

[sidewinder]

who here still buys new cds more often than vinyl or digital?

I don't have a turntable and refuse to pay for mp3s if there's a physical release. CDs all the way.

This. I only buy digital if it's one of my favorite artists releasing something digital-only. But I hate doing it. I will never buy digital if there's a physical release available for the same amount of money or less (as is often the case with used CDs).

[Silent Member]

Screw synced up visuals, in the ass. I drink my music black.

 

 

 

ehm.....unless it's for a live performance or something.

[modey]

i haven't bought a cd in a long time. that said though, every album i make gets a cdr 'release', but only out of necessity - if i had a vinyl cutter or the money to press a 12" i would definitely do so.

 

Secondly I think the CD will be around for a long time, even if just for retro fetishism as you eloquently formulated it, Awepittance.

i have a hard time imagining how people will fetishise cds, though it'd be funny if in 20 years people will be amazed by digital surface noise/skipping, lol.

[Guest Bad Influence]

Vinyl isn't dead. Cassettes ain't dead. CDs won't be dead for a long long time. Multimedia releases, however, were a fad and a flop in the nineties.

 

Vinyl is the only one that's really lasted. Cassettes are making a retro fetishm comeback but they are pretty much dead. I don't think the retro appreciation for them is going to grow much stronger, if it does id be very surprised. I've thought Cds have been dead for about 2 years, who here still buys new cds more often than vinyl or digital?

i would be so bold as to say that the only format that has truly died is MiniDisc. and when i said "dead" i mean in the sense that commercially produced, pre-recorded MiniDiscs are not pressed anymore.

 

i could be wrong though.

 

either way, it's a shame that recordable MiniDiscs never picked up momentum in the 90s, as they are a damn good format. even more so now we have Hi-MD

 

Amen. Aside really from a few that I can think of, they were never really used for commercial releases. It's a shame too a they were such a technology that had so much potential. Personally I mostly blame Apple for the demise of the MiniDisc. After the Ipod came out the entire market shifted in favour of steady state memory and I think Sony realised that. I'm confused as to why they never merged some form of compatibily with the early UMD players they produced, it's possibly to say that it couldof given it an extra lease of life.

As for the concept of an album. I don't think the idea will ever really go. It's a concept that musicians have used irrespective of the means of distribution.

[oscillik]

Vinyl isn't dead. Cassettes ain't dead. CDs won't be dead for a long long time. Multimedia releases, however, were a fad and a flop in the nineties.

 

Vinyl is the only one that's really lasted. Cassettes are making a retro fetishm comeback but they are pretty much dead. I don't think the retro appreciation for them is going to grow much stronger, if it does id be very surprised. I've thought Cds have been dead for about 2 years, who here still buys new cds more often than vinyl or digital?

i would be so bold as to say that the only format that has truly died is MiniDisc. and when i said "dead" i mean in the sense that commercially produced, pre-recorded MiniDiscs are not pressed anymore.

 

i could be wrong though.

 

either way, it's a shame that recordable MiniDiscs never picked up momentum in the 90s, as they are a damn good format. even more so now we have Hi-MD

 

Amen. Aside really from a few that I can think of, they were never really used for commercial releases. It's a shame too a they were such a technology that had so much potential. Personally I mostly blame Apple for the demise of the MiniDisc. After the Ipod came out the entire market shifted in favour of steady state memory and I think Sony realised that. I'm confused as to why they never merged some form of compatibily with the early UMD players they produced, it's possibly to say that it couldof given it an extra lease of life.

As for the concept of an album. I don't think the idea will ever really go. It's a concept that musicians have used irrespective of the means of distribution.

in my opinion, Sony dropped the ball on MiniDisc back when they lamely "pushed" the format back in the 90s - they didn't push hard enough. it was the same as with Betamax. Also, back then, blank MiniDiscs weren't so cheap.

 

i put the failure of the MiniDisc format solely on Sony.

[Guest all_purpose_sandpaper]

I imagine Warp 3-D videos are right around the corner. What's Cunningham up to?

[oscillik]

I imagine Warp 3-D videos are right around the corner. What's Cunningham up to?

fucking around with an Arduino probably

[Guest all_purpose_sandpaper]

I imagine Warp 3-D videos are right around the corner. What's Cunningham up to?

fucking around with an Arduino probably

 

1st lol of the day achieved. Good work sir!

[psn]

Haha!

[Guest thepilot]

With the ability to buy single songs from any record from any artist, (younger) people are going to eventually stop thinking of songs in an "album-oriented" context. They probably already have. I suppose it boils down to attention span and the instant-gratification associated with hearing whatever song whenever one wants. It really only applies to pop music but unfortunately the money behind that machine holds great influence over the industry as a whole. On one hand I see the death of the album format, on the other I think 'who really cares in what order (pop artist name here) decided to sequence their latest recordings. Yes, singles have always been available and popular but the immediacy with which one can access these singles is unprecedented.

[chenGOD]

I hope that CDs die a quick death.

I hope that "album format" lives a long long healthy life.

[Alzado]

i can't remember the last time I bought a CD.

 

most people don't listen to albums any more. they buy a couple songs from itunes and the rest of the tracks are never heard. this is inevitable. I'm not advocating it. But I believe it will happen.

[Guest bigs]

pretty soon everyone will be releasing stupid albums of 20 second tracks like prefuse

[YEK]

pretty soon everyone will be releasing stupid albums of 20 second tracks like prefuse

Varcharz?

[beerwolf]

No way will the album die. It might do in the world of pop music, as apart from a handful of pop bands (like The Beatles) nobody makes an album rammed with brilliant tracks. Its 4 good tracks max. So let the digital age destroy it and let the download rule.

 

Serious artists will want still want to record albums, they don't have to be rock operas like The Wall but there are 1000's (don't ask me to name them!) of albums like The Downward Spiral, Crack the Skye etc that are meant to be listened to like reading a book. The whole thing is a journey. The wanky download has no place here.

 

The threat of illegal downloading is a good thing as record companies have to up their game and deliver first class packages for real music fans to buy. The days of UK music fans getting charged 15 pounds for a basic crappy cd are long gone, which is only a good thing! A lot of bands are now releasing really nice album sets in order to get the real fans money. So happy days I reckon.

 

Last cd I bought was yesterday The Cures remastered Disintergration. 3 discs with excellent extras all for about £10, ten years ago a triple cd would of cost about £25 if you were lucky!

 

Record companies releasing vinyl sets with free mp3 download cards is a very wise (and just) move.

[SCONES TO DIE FOR]

I still buy CDs - mainly older used ones though. So many can be found for 75 cents or a couple dollars, that they're still cheaper than buying mp3s, and higher quality too.

 

Record companies releasing vinyl sets with free mp3 download cards is a very wise (and just) move.

Yes indeed.

[oscillik]

Last cd I bought was yesterday The Cures remastered Disintergration. 3 discs with excellent extras all for about £10, ten years ago a triple cd would of cost about £25 if you were lucky!

and the rest...when i bought The Fragile in 2000, it cost me £23.99 and that's just a 2xCD album