Buy or download music?

[Fusilli]

Was briefly talking about this the other day, so I thought I'd make a thread on it. Do you prefer to download music or buy it from a shop? Personally, I much prefer buying CDs... it's just nice to have the CD to look and stuff, and I like having a CD collection. Although I do often download music aswell, like the odd song where I don't want the whole album. Lots of times I have went and bought a cd after downloading it aswell, because I like it so much. xD It's like when I borrow cd's off my friends, or dvds aswell, and they say they could just copy it for me, but I would prefer to have the actual album for the artwork and stuff. ><

 

[Bambi]

I do actually prefer to buy the CD and have it there to like....look at. Altho I downloaded my first album today which was very exciting for me (totally need to get out moar)

BUT I only did it because I get to get James tickets before the rest of the general non downloading public

I probably will do it again, but, tbh, Im paranoid about my pc dying and loosing the music forever

Ultimately, I prefer to have the CD to add to me collection

 

[Fusilli]

Ah yeah, that's another thing. My iTunes fucked up before and I lost all my songs. That was horrible, so when I DO download an album I'll usually burn it onto a disc just incase. Much nicer to have the CD though with the artwork.

 

[Bambi]

Yeah, I like having something to look at aswel, I think I will have to get it onto a cd just to be on the safe side.....I just have to work out how to do it...haha Im such a retard when it comes to all this modern shite

 

[Laro]

I prefer both. When having a CD I feel better by knowing it's not piracy or something. I can show off the CD to somebody else. I can have a collection of CD's.
By dowloading, I can download various songs not found on the shelves via my ipod.
I like both, so yeah that's my opinion

 

[Amizon]

I usually download when it's a few songs. But if it's a major CD like a NOW album, then I'll definitely get it. My CD collection is pretty huge, it has been really in the past three years.

 

[Mitsuki]

I guess it depends. Really, I would like to have the CD more than anything, but I also like to download songs in order to check what the music sounds like...and if the majority of the songs interests me enough, then I'll go ahead and buy the CD.

Downloading songs is more convenient though because there's only one - three songs that I'd usually like each month, so I don't actually download all that much. What would be the purpose of buying a CD then if only a few songs caught my attention?

So like I said, it really depends. If it's AFI though, I'd definitely buy the CD. xD

 

[Casanova]

Buy music ffs.

Music is a gift that people work hard for to be able to give, the least you could do is spend a fucking tenner on the album.

Keep the music business alive. Buy music.

 

[Jack's Smirking Revenge]

I used to do nothing but download, but for some reason I buy it all now, unless it's something extremely rare. Like my Muse B-sides collection.
I still download the odd song though, but I think I only have about a dozen saved in Limewire.

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

I want to be a good little boy and not be punished by God...therefore, buy them
But seriously, I pretty much buy every piece of music I own even if I think its risky or never heard of them before...coughJamescough, and then I just rip them onto the computer. However, I will download single songs when an artist comes out with a decent song but I don't want the CD.

 

[Rockman X]

Buy music ffs.

Music is a gift that people work hard for to be able to give, the least you could do is spend a fucking tenner on the album.

Keep the music business alive. Buy music.

lolwut? By any chance you weren't paid to say that, were you? And the HELL with the business, because that's precisely what it is: a business. Everyone knows most of the money you pay for albums goes to the record labels, jewel case manufacturers, and the artists/photographers who did the stuff for the lyrics booklet. Artists make most of their money from the concerts.

Anyway, I do both. I'll buy IF AND ONLY IF I deem the artist/group worth it. That is, I'll only buy if they're an absolute favorite or if I find them unique in some way. I refuse to buy music from a band that sounds nice but isn't unique. For example, I like Breaking Benjamin, but I dl their stuff because there's nothing original about them.

Downloading is also useful if you're trying to find B-sides and other rare stuff, or albums by foreign bands. I'm not about to spend $30+ on an MUCC or Eisbrecher album.

 

[L]

I mainly download OSTs of games that I own, so I'll be fucked if I'm going to dish out 20 dollars just so I can buy the soundtrack when I can just find a way to rip the tracks from my game anyway.

Having to pay money for an OST is absurd if you actually own the movie/game that it was in. I also don't suit well with coughing up a 20 for a CD that only has one bloody song on it that I want.

There's that... And then there's the inconvenience of not having a money tree growing out of my ass.

So I just stick to downloading. It's fast and free.

 

[Blue Link]

I download my music. When I hear it and like it, I'll download the sucker. I dont have a CD player, so this is the only option I have at this point, so luckily I have my little media player that is the PSP.

Oh! This reminds me, I need to download 'Knights of Cydonia'

 

[Jack's Smirking Revenge]

lolwut? By any chance you weren't paid to say that, were you? And the HELL with the business, because that's precisely what it is: a business. Everyone knows most of the money you pay for albums goes to the record labels, jewel case manufacturers, and the artists/photographers who did the stuff for the lyrics booklet. Artists make most of their money from the concerts.

Ugh, EMI and the other major labels are fucking awful. Fair enough they do a good job putting their bands out there, but when you look at the percentage of a sale they take, and how much goes to the band...
Having said that, I like having the album artwork and stuff like that, and the record label does deserve some money for doing their job, but they really need to start dividing it up better.

 

[Ironman]

i prefer purchasing my music in the form of CD's as they are great, and i love my CD player, the front pannel lights up and it lights my whole room up, looks really cool anyway...i just like having CD's to add to my already quite larger collection of CD's, DVD's and games. I also take into the account that me and my friends lend CD's off each other all the time.

 

[Enrage The Sky]

i get my songs directly from itune (so download i guess) because i don't really carry money on me most of the time...

 

[Darkstar]

There is nothing like illegally pirating music off the interwebz

You see, I'm a poor 15 year old who needs a job, but, still, I won't waste my money on things that I can get for free

So, I guess you can put me under 'download'

 

[Rockman X]

Ugh, EMI and the other major labels are fucking awful. Fair enough they do a good job putting their bands out there, but when you look at the percentage of a sale they take, and how much goes to the band...
Having said that, I like having the album artwork and stuff like that, and the record label does deserve some money for doing their job, but they really need to start dividing it up better.

Oh I like having something tangible too, especially when it comes with pretty artwork. Money definitely should go to the labels and to people creating the booklets and such...but I don't think it's divided up fairly. It's also kinda seedy the way alot of record labels control the artists and make them put out whatever sound they want. I remember a year or so ago, the J-rock band MUCC switched labels, and their new label made them change their style...fortunately they're still good anyway.

i get my songs directly from itune (so download i guess) because i don't really carry money on me most of the time...

Ah, now iTunes really screws over some artists. Anyone remember back in '06 when Weird Al was complaining about how iTunes ripped him and other artists off? Someone sent him a question on his website asking if he made more money from CDs or digital downloads (iTunes), and this was his response:

I am extremely grateful for your support, no matter which format you choose to legally obtain my music in, so you should do whatever makes the most sense for you personally. But since you ASKED... I actually do get significantly more money from CD sales, as opposed to downloads. This is the one thing about my renegotiated record contract that never made much sense to me. It costs the label NOTHING for somebody to download an album (no manufacturing costs, shipping, or really any overhead of any kind) and yet the artist (me) winds up making less from it. Go figure.

Essentially, Apple and the record label are raking in more money than they should, even though they don't have to spend as much. Someone here did the math, it ends up Al is losing $0.265 per song, and if people stopped buying CDs and just went digital, his sales would be cut by 85%.

 

[Fusilli]

You see, I'm a poor 15 year old who needs a job, but, still, I won't waste my money on things that I can get for free

I'm pretty much the same, except a year older. I do tend to download more than buy, but I prefer to buy CDs because I like having them, for the reasons I stated earlier.

 

[KR Skull]

i always download my song ether from youtube or from my friend.