UKC

I didn't take youtube seriously when it was first available. Then I moved on to the idea that it might be useful to preview my purchases using youtube ... and finally I'm questioning whether to bother purchasing when there is so much available online (and in reference to other sites which pipe music to order - Spotify et al)

Who's still buying ?

In reply to LeeWood:

Apple knackered CDs a decade ago

In reply to LeeWood:

In the last few months I've bought CDs by New order, PSB, drenge, Laura marling, sonic youth, honey blood and slaves.

But then I'm an old git

In reply to LeeWood:

I still prefer to buy my music on CDs. But then I am a very old man now.


...And can listen to music when there's no internet connection.

In reply to OMR:



Well, you can download stuff from YouTube (and other music streaming services) to listen to offline.

In reply to LeeWood:

I occasionally pay for music, but just downloads. I've gone from having collections of CD and vinyl that meant the world to me, to just letting youtube autoplay in crap quality. Got to say, while it should be great to be able to listen to whatever you want, instantly, in practice I think that it has killed some of the pleasure of music - especially since pretty much everything I listen to now is in shit quality.

In reply to Willi Crater:

Like I said... I'm a very old man. Why, I still play my old vinyl albums. I like things like that: albums, CDs, things I can hold in my hands. Positively geriatric.

In reply to LeeWood:


I am. YouTube, Schmootube.

T.

In reply to LeeWood:

I get my music by playing it on you tube and recording it straight through a mic onto cassette.

In reply to Urgles:


Brilliant!

In reply to LeeWood:

Will YouTube play my 78s?

In reply to LeeWood:

I use Youtube if I want to share a link, I use Spotify when on the move, I buy CD's if there's an album I really like and I still buy albums (asks your Dad ) of older stuff - I bought a James Taylor album last month.

I never use torrent sites and I think they have had a greater effect on record/CD buying than youtube ever has.

In reply to OMR:


And why not. Kind of regret getting rid of my vinyls. Can't say I feel the same way about CDs and cassettes though.

In reply to Jon Stewart:


of course the quality isn't the same - when all the (lack of) bits snap and popple

The other aspect is the visual element -which I used to scorn - an element which does not really contribute to - but confuses the true musicality present. I mean, do you really like the music or the catchy presentation ?

In the classical domain I'm recently making acquaintance with artists who I could never otherwise see in action (no TV chez nous) and to observe in detail an artist's skill / dexterity / personal presentation - I find quite compelling - a hefty compensation for the poor quality which to be honest I only occasionally notice (I'm getting old too )

In reply to LeeWood:
Youtube is great for finding new stuff.

Being an old hippy I put "clothes of sand" (Nick Drake,) into the search, I was rewarded by finding this;

youtube.com/watch?v=RhxAnRaHUK0&

In reply to LeeWood:

Used to buy CDs when I had my last car and still take them if we go on holiday in my wife's car.

I already had most of them ripped to MP3 for use on my phone on flights, which was handy as my current car doesn't have a CD player - only SD card slots.

These days, I'm more inclined to purchase downloads from Amazon.

In reply to LeeWood:

Still buying old and new stuff.

It's funny because although I'm not an "audiophile", I do like listening to my music and as far as possible, I like listening to it in as high fidelity as possible. This means I buy CDs, rip them to my music storage (in FLAC, uncompressed) and then play back over my Cyrus/B&W stereo setup. It sounds good (to me), but...

When we have people round, i.e. entertaining, we fire up youtube on the screen and watch & listen to music videos through the same system, but obviously the source material is far lower quality.

Guess which everyone (who has tried it) prefers? Yes, the lower quality but more immersive/interactive AV solution.

Don't get me wrong, when I'm on my own, I prefer to listen with the lights out and no video (or perhaps just some CD art projected up).

In reply to LeeWood:

Haven't bought a CD for years though I almost never listen to music on Youtube. Soundcloud is the equivalent for music and there is tons of stuff on there. Then there are so many other sites, torrents, radio etc. to explore that I couldn't imagine wasting money on CDs that will inevitably end up scratched and skipping in a usually fairly short period of time.

In reply to Urgles:

Genius. Nearly enough for me to press the awful "Like" button.....but not quite.

In reply to LeeWood:

There is no reason for CDs to survive much longer, in a few years' time there will be two ways to buy music: vinyl and online (either paying to download tracks or streaming on YouTube or similar).

If you have a half-decent sound system, listening to recent albums on vinyl is _so_ much better than CD, I'd say it's a good thing, especially if vinyl sales continue to increase.

In reply to James FR:

I can't stand the clicks and hissing you get from vinyl. Warmer sound my arse! Utube dosen't have the quality so I much prefer cd and will probably soon acquire an NAS and the means to rip them to FLAC files or similar and play them that way but for now it's a reasonable quality cd player amp and speakers

In reply to James FR:


We had this discussion a few weeks back. The conclusion was that no, it isn't; it's just what you prefer.

T.

In reply to stp:


I have some such problems but my experience averagely is that CDs wear well - and could be a safer long term storage medium. None of my ancient apple computers have disc problems but numerous USB keys have failed

In reply to obi-wan nick b:

I've only just started listening to vinyl, but with new records there is absolutely no static. I've no idea how long it'll stay that way but I have invested in a brush to try and keep the records clean.

Until recently I ripped CDs to FLAC and played them via my PC using a DAC, an okay amp and speakers. For me, based on a total experience of 3 vinyl LPs, the sound quality is in a different ballpark.

In reply to LeeWood:

I couldn't say when I last got a cd, I tend to buy my music through Amazon as a download then burn it to disk to play in my van and chuck a few tracks on to my phone for when I am at the gym.
No point me worrying about top quality, 30 years in industry has effected my hearing quite badly so it would be pointless paying for a top end system and media.

In reply to LeeWood:

Streaming has its upside in that you can access all those old songs you haven't come across for years. The downside for me is that I can now so easily check out an album, and give it a cursory glance then not bother again. When I bought a physical copy, I would give the album chance to grow on me.. I'd listen to the album as a whole, then learn to enjoy the nuances.

Whether its more down to my life that I don't get chance to take in a whole album, or I've just changed, but certainly I don't get the enjoyment of an album anymore really. It started going downhill when I went from vinyl to CD... nothing to do with the sound, but the presence of an LP and looking at the artwork, and sleeve notes. Its interesting now that many of the bands and music I check out I've no idea who are actually in the band and even less what they are about or what the album means to them - another downside to downloads.

In reply to LeeWood:

I haven't bought a CD in maybe 5 years. I stream all my music as and when I want it (using legal means such as Spotify mainly) and am quite happy with this arrangement. I don't even own a CD player any more (although I'm still stuck with a box full of several hundred CDs).

I don't see the point in owning digital content. You have to buy it, store it, then half the stuff you never listen to again. I'd rather lease content on an ongoing basis. I'm currently away on business sat in a foreign hotel room and can listen to anything I want, not worrying about what I managed to load my music player with. Same with Netflx etc for video content.

In reply to LeeWood:

If I really like an album, I buy the CD. Partly because I want to show my appreciation to the artist, and partly because If I buy something, I want to be able to feel/hold/caress it! lol
I point blank refuse to buy (rent) any music from iTunes, thieving bar stewards! This is my personal opinion of Apple and Ukhillwalking/climbing are in no way responsible for my thoughts... :-P

In reply to LeeWood:

I still buy.....sometimes.
I like reading the lyrics while its playing and looking at the pictures on the inset. Its a visual/tactile/audio thing.

In reply to yorkshireman:

I don't see the point in owning digital content. You have to buy it, store it, then half the stuff you never listen to again. I'd rather lease content on an ongoing basis.

Forgetting the Vinyl v CD debate, there is a noticeable loss of quality if you use streaming as compared to a CD. Even Spotify Premium (£10/pcm) is in a lossy format and you have to pay £20 a month to get lossless with Tidal.
Obviously, if you're listening via a cheap pair of speakers/headphones, then the quality difference might not be apparent, but there's definitely a discernable difference when you start using DAC's and amplifiers, etc.

In reply to FactorXXX:


I take your point - but two key things here.

1) I've used Spotify Premium for years and while the quality might not be perfect, I'm either a philistine, or the loss in quality is perfectly acceptable to me (more likely I just don't buy into a lot of the audiophile guff - not disputing there are variations in quality, but suggesting the importance is often overplayed). Its a long time since I've listened to a CD but I don't ever feel I'm missing out on something (decent Bose streaming player in the house, iPhone with average headphones rest of the time). Certainly if I'm streaming in the car then its indistinguishable from a CD and far more convenient.

2) If you buy a CD today, you're stuck forever with that quality. Streaming services are constantly improving and I'll get the benefits of those when they evolve. I own a stack of movies on DVD which will never improve in quality, but Netflix will be streaming films in 4k and I don't need to upgrade my media collection to take advantage.

If I only ever listened to music sat in my favourite easy chair in front of the same stereo I might feel differently. But music is an ongoing part of my life that I want to have around me wherever I am - in the office, my home office - in the car, sat on a plane, in the kitchen, outside having a BBQ. Having to worry about the physical location of the music just seems as odd as phoning somebody's house hoping that they're within vicinity of their landline. I'm happy to sacrifice a barely perceptible, temporary loss in quality for the convenience factor.

In reply to yorkshireman:


Very modern ! I'm nearly with you on this but I also like the absence esp when outdoors - you might miss an owl hooting during the BBQ

In reply to LeeWood:


Agree completely. I run a lot on mountain trails never, ever wear headphones. Neither when I'm walking the dog or hiking. Music has its place.