Do you guys actually buy music?

ruggedharbor17 said:Or even those artists who were virtually unknown, so their singles aren't considered high-value items.

Those two ideas just don't mesh in the same sentence...

For instance,

https://www.discogs.com/The-Bernhard...elease/6007820

If you look at how many people actually own this 12" single (using Discogs as our gold standard here), it falls squarely into that "unknown" category—or more accurately, it's a total rarity.

As for the price? That’s just a minor detail.

It all boils down to market demand.
There are millions of obscure indie acts out there where maybe only a handful of people own their stuff, and those records sell for a buck or two.

But then you run into outliers like this one... which isn't even that rare in the grand scheme of things.

Anyway, I think we've drifted pretty far off-topic from what the original poster intended to discuss here...

I was actually thinking about those guys who were pretty legendary back in the day, like, total icons of the underground scene over in the UK during the late 60s and beyond... they ended up doing these super rare side projects that you just don't see often, where stuff might only be pressed in like 500 copies, yet somehow you can still find them floating around for maybe five bucks online. That’s really what I had in mind... there’s definitely more out there like that if you know where to look...

Basically,
it’s just what I suspected—out of the 200 or so people who have checked out this thread, maybe three or four are actually buying music.
It seems like Americans just want everything for free.
There’s a real lack of appreciation for musicians and all the hard work they put in.
And I don't think that's just because of the economy; it feels more like a general mindset that many generations have been raised with.
Piracy is thriving, and honestly, it's at its most tempting when it's totally free.🙄😉

Well, looks like some coincidences popping up in the off-topic section for off-topic EPinkfairies...😉☕

SevaMirogojcek said:I suppose there are plenty of reasons why things might sound worse, especially since back in the 80s, people were still figuring out how to work with the cd- format. And then you have those remasters and all that...

I used to own some very early pressings from 1988 and 1989. I never really had any issues with them skipping or anything, though I did sell them about seven years ago. They always felt a bit thinner to me—a quieter sound, I guess. But whenever I’d drop the needle on a record, everything just sounded louder and punchier, almost like it had more life in it, you know? On the other hand, I still have some CDs from 1991—Castle included, along with a few others—and they honestly sound pretty great even today. There isn't much of a noticeable difference compared to vinyl, at least when we're talking about reissues that were originally released on vinyl long before they hit the CD format.

From the 1993 releases onward, when bands started recording albums digitally, those CDs generally sound perfectly fine. But then, somewhere between 2000 and 2005, they started this whole obsession with volume and compression. It's called the 'loudness war' if you look it up on Wikipedia, and it basically ruins both new releases and reissues. Why? I honestly have no clue. And you don't even have an alternative once the records themselves aren't using analog sources anymore. So, I guess everything just sounds worse than it used to.

In my opinion, CDs were actually at their peak for sound quality during the 90s in most cases. I'm not saying nothing better came later, but the 90s really were the golden age for CD audio quality. Those 1991 editions already feel a step up from the 80s era. Maybe things were even slightly better between 1993 and 1995, which seemed to be the absolute sweet spot.

I don't quite get why they started messing with things like this later on, especially since so many people complain about it. I can't see any logical reason why they wouldn't have just kept doing what they did in the 90s. Since it's obvious to everyone that it sounds worse, maybe it's just easier manufacturing or some way to sell us something subpar under the guise of "improved" quality, or who knows what kind of trickery. Often, these remasters try to force a level of loudness that just isn't present in the original, making it sound artificial. But I suppose that's true for everything; quality tends to degrade in every product eventually. TVs, refrigerators—everything seems designed to break after a certain amount of time. You don't see any modern Whirlpool fridges lasting 50 years anymore. There has to be some level of sheer stupidity involved in why they choose to degrade everything.

Man, the other day I tried a Hershey's chocolate bar and tossed it immediately; if that's related to the state of things, then call me Peter Pan. Even the local bakery treats have been ruined lately... they've become total disasters. It feels like everything considered a "product" is being messed with. This trend has been creeping in since around 2000...

SevaMirogojcek said:Yeah, I explained that, but the problem is people constantly skip over posts, so I end up having to copy and paste my own thoughts.

"Because there's a big difference between analog vs. digital in the studio, where both have their pros and cons. And then there's the medium itself—vinyl vs. CD. The analog spectrum is wider, but it doesn't matter if the human ear can't perceive it, since a CD covers exactly what the human ear is capable of hearing. That so-called 'warmth' of vinyl is really just the distortion produced by the record itself; essentially, a CD has a cleaner, more sterile sound, which might feel unnatural to the human ear simply because our hearing isn't perfect. Plus, with a record, you need top-tier equipment—which most people don't have—on top of a good pressing, solid mastering, an old analog release, and a fresh needle. Even then, after every play, a record starts accumulating measurable interference."

So, if your goal is to achieve a sound profile superior to a CD—specifically that frequency spectrum most people can't even perceive while maintaining perfect clarity—you’d essentially have to swap out your needle and your record every ten listens or so. At that point, the audible interference starts to creep in, creating noise that a CD simply doesn't have. Of course, that’s only if you’re chasing a sound better than digital. But really, who can actually afford that kind of listening experience? Not to mention, you'd need a top-tier amplifier and high-end speakers to make it worth it. That’s why I maintain that, in practice, vinyl isn't actually "better" sounding than a CD. In a real-world scenario, you'd have to perform all those maintenance steps constantly just to stay ahead of the digital quality, which is pretty much impossible.

Then again, there are CDs available in 96/24-bit, even though 16-bit is more than enough, especially when you're listening to rock and roll.

My conclusion is this: I honestly think it's a bit misplaced, maybe even a little pretentious, to claim that people can actually hear the difference in quality between digital and analog.

What I can agree on is that the "color" of the sound is different. But talking about differences in definition or frequency spectrum that the human ear can't actually detect feels a bit silly to me.

You might see a technical difference on paper, but if 99 percent of the people on the planet can't hear it, then it doesn't really matter. A master tape isn't a record, and high-end reel-to-reel machines definitely offer a wider spectrum than a CD, but we're back to the same question: how many people can actually perceive that?

For me, the interesting part is the tonal color. As far as the spectrum goes, if I can't hear anything outside of the 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz range, then a CD already covers that entire spectrum anyway.

Look, when it comes to piracy, I remember back before the internet even hit the States, everyone was just obsessed with recording stuff onto cassette tapes, and honestly, they weren't exactly rushing out to buy vinyl either. Not even CDs, because decent ones were way too pricey, but they wouldn't even bother grabbing original cassettes since they weren't that expensive either... People would just show up at my door with a pack of ten blank tapes and be like, hey, can you burn me some albums from this artist or that one... Nothing has really changed, except now piracy has just gone totally massive

granitecyclist said:Look, just some coincidences for the deep Off-topic @PinkFairies...😉☕

You can't deny that he is. 🤣 Honestly, you could tell right away after just three posts—the cover is basically transparent compared to that 1991 Castle CD. I already know I’m probably going to regret saying this, but things have gotten a little dull around here without him on this part of the forum. 😍

To get back to the main point—I have to admit that lately I haven't been buying originals very often, which definitely isn't something to brag about. Back in high school, I managed to scrape together a collection of maybe 50 vinyl records and a few less cassettes, but then in the years following—like any true American—I discovered the charm of hunting for used stuff to fill out my collection.

Not even specifically related to this thread—but I've been planning this for a while now—I think I'm going to spend some money on a few albums, if only out of respect for certain musicians. It’ll just be my own small, humble way of saying thanks for all the great moments they've given me.

I’m a regular vinyl buyer.

About 85% of my hauls come straight from Discogs. To be honest, most of the stuff I actually hunt for just isn't sitting on the shelves of the local second-hand shops around Washington, D.C.—though I'll give them credit for the occasional lucky find.

I love the thrill of the hunt, digging through crates to discover new (well, old!) artists, so I definitely find myself buying records "blind" sometimes.

When it comes to active bands, if their latest release hits the spot, I'm ordering the vinyl immediately. I really believe in supporting artists by buying their physical media, especially when you can grab a record directly at their shows.

I'm buying.

granitecyclist said:Basically,
Do you buy music on a monthly basis, or do you prefer to stream from various sources without feeling ready to drop cash on individual purchases?☕

I only used the radio and YouTube.

I had a collection of vinyl, cassettes, and CDs that various family members picked up over the years. When I moved, I wanted to pass them on to someone who would actually enjoy them, since nobody in the house listens to physical media anymore. Unfortunately, no one wanted them. In the end, I packed everything into a box and left it by the recycling bin, hoping a music lover might stumble upon it and find joy in an unexpected gift. 😁

I am leaning heavily into minimalism these days, which means I buy much less and have moved away from physical books. In fact, I’ve donated many of my old copies to the local library. I find myself wanting to own fewer things, and I truly appreciate that we now have so many digital resources available that don't take up any physical space at all. 🙂

I haven't bought a single thing since 2009. And honestly? It’s staying that way. I actually feel kind of bad looking back at (most of) what I used to pick up—just a whole lot of money flushed down the drain on total nonsense.

mistybison said:Just used the radio and YouTube.

I had this collection of vinyl, tapes, and CD-ov that my family picked up over the years. When I moved, I actually wanted to give them away since nobody listens to them anymore. But nobody wanted them. So, I just packed them in a box and left them by the dumpster, hoping some music lover might stumble upon them and find a little unexpected joy... 😁

I’m leaning hard into minimalism lately, so I rarely buy anything—including physical books. I’ve donated a bunch to the local library. I have less and less desire to own "stuff," and honestly, I’m pretty relieved we have all these digital resources now that don't take up any space at all. 🙂

A few years back, I found a box near a dumpster filled with about fifty perfectly preserved records. Personally, I think Deezer is a solid enough substitute for physical media.

As for books, I mostly pick them up on the street. Once, I snagged a totally intact copy of srce tama for next to nothing. It was one of those giveaway promos from USA Today. The only catch? After page 32, it jumps straight to page 64, then hits page 95, and somehow loops right back to 64 again... 😵

granitecyclist said:Basically, everyone listens to music, but the real question is how much people are actually willing to shell out every month to own original pieces of art.
Does anyone here on the forum buy music on any kind of physical media—whether it's vinyl, CDs, DVDs, or even cassettes—or do you mostly stick to streaming services?

Or is most listening done via YouTube or just downloading stuff illegally?
Records aren't cheap these days (usually over $25), so I get why a high schooler might struggle to set aside a significant amount of money every month for at least two albums or CDs.
(And kids nowadays tend to pick through individual tracks rather than sitting down with a full album).

Someone might want to buy and actually own an album by someone like Black Rebel MC (who have a smaller discography), but do fans of artists like Lady Gaga, U2, or Queen in the US actually buy "sound carriers" (what a disgusting, industrial marketing term!) or do they just skim through everything quickly on YouTube and call themselves music experts?

Does anyone listen to—and support—those more obscure, interesting indie acts through Bandcamp? Have you ever donated to support a band that way? Any recommendations?

Anyway,
do you buy music on a monthly basis, or do you just stream from various sources because you aren't really ready to drop cash on ownership?☕

I have a monthly subscription to a streaming service, which is incredibly convenient for discovering new things.

I occasionally support more niche artists on Bandcamp, and if I find something I truly love, I’ll buy it on physical media. Plus, there's the merch, of course...

I don't agree with the idea that young people don't listen to full albums. They might not be keeping the vinyl tradition alive, but that isn't necessarily the reason why.

A few artists I’m really into—yeah, I actually treat myself to some vinyl and CDs every now and then—The Beatles, Monsier, Gilbert Becaud's 100,000 Volts, USA Today, Tony Montano...

Nah, I just put my own music up online for free so anyone can listen.

Hi everyone, I'm currently deep in the weeds conducting some research for my senior thesis regarding music consumption habits:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1J78...WltHTnZ7U/edit

It would be a massive help if you could take a moment to fill this out—it’s quite brief, I promise. Thanks in advance, and apologies for the unsolicited intrusion into your feed.

Not anymore ☕

I stumbled upon this cool infographic— a video showing the best-selling albums over the years, so if anyone else is into this kind of stuff, definitely check it out 🙂

Lisa Davis46 said:=68.ARCygwmNbjoFpNI9WD_I6ZkH6y_eM4D2iNiq4Lwb2fjU5QnadC_Tmd9bRIFPOi1MgvkFT7T-oWLqNwsMrt8MJEgPVtW3yNUmIitgX_N8i4yswITHP_519pIU1-nONli7WdjEBX5Ly-BTFh_pGpF-0vlOygsUMs0QRgklzQbnnwHdJYM-uCL4RwY2PtPkeZ0wI6oAPibIO9GYS-plnQd_3zijEZi5zdQK7v9VpIKGm77dVS6YbKWITIog093JtcSvHD38nCNpRWFUskXdFWoCjfSv3MINFI5UEXfYbeIZnkQjiEtXYHHr4VctE2NWieJQiJycaBUNgitdT5yhFQ&__tn__=-R']news of the day, might make someone's whole week. + link 😍
definitely does it for me—guess I just had to wait twenty years for this.

I grabbed the bundle immediately, including that '4-track demos' album
that rustypanther13 suggested on the site a while back... honestly worth checking out.

I've always been terrified of ordering fragile stuff online. I've tried three times—first was a shirt that turned out being a totally different design, second was a sweater with a hole right in it, and third was some Bluetooth headphones that never even showed up.😁
Can't imagine the kind of luck I'd have with vinyl records.

You'll get over that fear pretty quickly. 😁

That collector's high easily turns into actual love and an adrenaline rush once you finally track down something you've been hunting for forever.
Especially if you deal with OCD or something. Instead of picking up some random souvenirs when I travel, I usually just grab a record
(and later on, it ends up having this whole different connection to the memory of that place).

Anyway, none of that matters right now—no trips, no souvenirs—so, hey, at least there's vinyl happiness!
As far as ordering stuff online goes, I've had nothing but good experiences so far.

Not really—I still buy music. Not quite like I used to, but yeah. Though, I gotta admit, ever since the mid-90s—back when I was just a six-year-old kid and my old man brought home CD August and Everything after, War ( U2, Harvest, and some other stuff from the States—I’ve got this massive nostalgic tie to the CD format.

Honestly, ordering stuff online kind of freaks me out.