Where do you get your Digital Music from?

[JimC]

Hello to All and a Happy New Year.

Not visited regularly for a while as have moved House and only just got the Internet connected.

New (smaller!) accommodation requires a smaller CD collection and so have decided to investigate the Digital Music route. I already have a small Digital Music collection, some FLAC files and WAV files but mostly MP3's.

Whilst I am ok with MP3's for 'general' music, music which I am more 'precious' about I would prefer CD quality (or higher in the future as I get something to play it on!).
My question therefore is where can CD quality music be purchased from?

I am aware of sites such as LINN's site :-

http://www.linnrecords.com/

but this doesn't cover all types of music.

If, for example, one wanted to download the latest album from Maccabees, ''Given To The Wild'' (due to be released on the 9th of this month), where would one go for a CD quality copy of this album?
HMV's digital site only seems to sell MP3 files of varying bit rates with a maximum (that I have have found so far) of 320kb/s.

I have tried iTunes a long time ago but got fed up with the limitations put upon the music downloaded and how it seemed to take over my PC so I would be reluctant to return to them. As far as I am aware they do not offer CD quality downloads either, though i willing to be informed otherwise.

I look forward to your thoughts, kind regards,

James.

[bobbasrah]

Hi James,
There are a number of sources, but as you say, most are fairly restrictive in their catalogue. The likes of Linn, B&W, Chesky, etc have some fabulous albums, painstakingly recorded and mastered to a very high standard, but the selection is narrow.
The mainstream industry has had it's head up it's rectum over digital downloads for some time, obsessing over piracy, PR, and maintaining their existing business model (largely unchanged since Vinyl) instead. Here, the quality of recording and mastering of CD is pretty variable, although most are compressed to hell as it is the current vogue.
Downloading markets will roll out over the next year or so, as will changes to the established online sources such as Apple Inc. Do not hold your breath on it being quick or simple though. Paranoia is difficult to treat....

Personally, I would not bother downloading to be honest, unless a special recording is only available online, or you cannot obtain the CD locally. With the price differential being touted by the big labels between online and hard copy, you will be as well off with the CD for some time yet, and you can do with it as you wish, as all legal and technological attempts to control copying or conversion have inevitably failed.
Copy to HDD in flac or wav (much argument over that) is easy enough, and you still have the original as backup.
If you predominantly listen to mp3 on portable rather than a home audio system, you still have the original. There are few mp3s I would play through the main audio system, and none are music.
I convert all CDs to a library of flac, and download wav or flac (because of location), then convert to mp3 as needed for the portable (via Foobar).

[Werner Berghofer]

James,


where can CD quality music be purchased from?

I purchase my audio CDs mostly from Amazon, rip them to ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Encoder) files and put the CDs on the bookshelf where they usually collect dust.

Can’t remember anymore the last time I put an audio CD into my CD player for listening.

Werner.

[Alex_UK]

Until CD is discontinued, and Amazon et al expand to either WAV or FLAC then I will continue to buy the CD. I think the industry is way behind on this - I love the idea of Bandcamp (http://bandcamp.com) - a site where artists can essentially sell there own wares - or in some cases, give them away - and in lots of different formats/resolutions - try searching for Maccabees - assume it is the same band?

[bobbasrah]

...Bandcamp (http://bandcamp.com) - a site where artists can essentially sell there own wares - or in some cases, give them away - and in lots of different formats/resolutions.....

Nice one on the Bandcamp link Alex.... Will have a browse later, something may attract my attention, and will certainly keep an eye on it in future.....
A brilliant alternative to the existing closed-mindset industry. I really do wish them all the best of luck....

[dave2010]

I'm currently listening to Bach Organ music played by Michel Chapuis. This is one of a 14 CD box set, which is not very large, as the CDs have cardboard sleeves - http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/United%2BArchives/NUA05 - I paid quite a bit less, by the way.

I am just completing ripping this set to hard drive.

The hard drive is the 750Gbyte version of this Samsung - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-M2-Portable-HX-M500UAB-external/dp/B004VSH1HC/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1325764960&sr=8-11

You'll notice that it's smaller than even just this CD box set. I could get several of these drives in that CD box.

Currently the drive has 7809 "songs", 30.5 days worth of music, which take up 166 Gbytes, according to iTunes - most ripped into Alac format. I've still got a way to go with the CDs around the house.

Obviously I need backup drives as well to avoid having to rip this lot again.

As Werner suggests, rip your CDs to hard drive, make sure you have at least one back-up copy, then put the originals into shoe boxes or other storage, and put them in your loft, or at the back of your wardrobes etc.

I still keep some of my CDs out for various reasons, such as reading the booklets (particularly for operas), and for playing on CD players, but more and more is now being done directly from the hard drive.

[Zoidburg]

Am I the only one who uses torrent sites for music? Its unethical maybe (its all free) but the stuff I actually like I then try to buy in one medium or another.

[Spur07]

As Werner says, continue to buy CD's and rip them to lossless files - try and buy used if its cheaper, it wont make any difference to the rip and its a great way to fill the gaps in your collection if you have any. There's some excellent bargains to be had on Amazon and the like.

I've bought and downloaded very few lossless quality albums, the industry just isn't up to speed on this.

[John]

Some sites to consider for downloads
HD Tracks The last time I looked they had expanded the amount of artists on it
https://www.hdtracks.com/
http://www.rhino.com/article/promotions have a few HD downloads
As been said we still a long way off to where we should be by now

[Spur07]

Am I the only one who uses torrent sites for music? Its unethical maybe (its all free) but the stuff I actually like I then try to buy in one medium or another.

It may well turn out that eventually free music becomes the norm - the music industry are fighting a losing battle imho. but in the meantime just pray cowboy lawyers don't find a way of prosecuting individuals for accessing torrents because there's a shed load of money to be made if they do. don't forget ISP's know where you've been and that kind of info could become very valuable.

[howlindawg]

I also buy the majority of my music on CD and rip to FLAC.
As a last resort it serves as a physical media backup and if I don't like the material I have something that I can swap or sell onward.

I also buy downloads (MP3) from eMusic.com
The rips, although inevitably lossy, are usually high quality and the few that haven't been up to scratch they've credited me for upon request.
I usually only download albums that are difficult to obtain or are significantly cheaper than a physical media.

Someday I must get around to ripping my Vinyl... maybe... if I'm really bored...

[Canetoad]

Paying for MP3 files is a serious rip-off in my opinion. Why pay for only part of the song? :mental:

I'll never pay for MP3 downloads. :)

[Alex_UK]

Am I the only one who uses torrent sites for music? Its unethical maybe (its all free) but the stuff I actually like I then try to buy in one medium or another.

Or, you could say instead of "its all free" - "it's all stolen!" ;)

I'm not getting on my high-horse, but essentially, it is theft. However, I am currently using torrent sites to get FLAC copies (where possible) of my vinyl - simply to save the aggravation of having to rip the albums myself, which with 1,000 + LPs is going to take some time... Is that illegal? No different to making a cassette copy for the car, is it? Or legally ripping my own CD? I've also torrented some albums where I have the CD, but for some reason or another, can't rip them myself 100% with EAC - so anyone snooping would see I am torrenting, but as far as I am concerned, it is perfectly legit...

Anyway, matters are further complicated, because I am a Premium subscriber to Spotify - and as part of that service, I am allowed to download 3,333 tracks (I think) on my local machine, which I can listen to as long as I like, assuming I keep my subscription going. Now, if I also have a torrented FLAC copy of a perfectly legitimate Spotify Download, is that illegal? Given that the music industry allows no financial difference between an MP3 downloaded and the WAV file on a CD, (any difference is the savings they make in cost of the media, production and distribution) how could they argue owning a higher bit-rate version if I choose is any different?

There's also the new itunes service, whereby you pay an annual fee, (around £30) and you are entitled to use their "cloud" version of any tunes you have downloaded - and they originally made a big thing of it "legalising" any illegal downloads, though when I was checking at the weekend, they now seem to have back-tracked on that side of it.

Basically, it is a mess, the whole digital file issue...

[howlindawg]

Why pay for only part of the song? :mental

I can think of a few reasons but first it's worth saying that not all MP3 files are equal but they can be of high quality. A LAME encoded VBR -V0 will sound very good indeed.

As to reasons...
Some material is only available by download.
This album, for example, is an absolute belter but you won't find it in HMV.
http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/strand-of-oaks/pope-killdragon/12032165/:

Some material, particulalry EPs and single tracks can be very difficult to source but are readily downloaded.

Some material is out of circulation and not available to buy new. Again, download is an option.

Some Albums are much cheaper to buy by download. Especially LP's with really long tracks as you pay per track and not per album. Classical in particular can be exceptional value like this.
For example this album features soem exceptional cello music and costs under £2 to download.
http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/natalia-shakhovskaya/russian-performing-school-natalia-shakhovskaya/12492835/:

(* Hope those links are OK *)

If anyone would like to try it I can send a trial invite that gives 10 euro worth of downloads... won't cost you a penny to give it a try for yourself.

[Tim]

I reckon 90% of my music files are CD's ripped to FLAC, but I do like to support artists directly so do buy from Bandcamp which has already been mentioned, as there is a FLAC option. I sometimes get downloads directly from an artists website too, only if they are FLAC (I would never consider buying a lossy format). I also like to visit the Kickstarter (http://www.kickstarter.com/) site and occasionally pledge to fund projects for a lossless download.

That's it, I have never bought downloads from anywhere else as far as I can remember.

[JimC]

Thanks for the replies folks.

It seems I will have to, as you all seem to suggest, continue to buy the CD copy of the music I really like.

As I said in my original post though, space has now become an issue after moving house. My collection of CD's is already in the several hundreds and I don't have room for all of them. Once I get all the renovations completed and the discs come out of storage I will have to have a clear out (once they're ripped) as I just don't have anywhere now to put them. The only thing I am concerned about is that even if you Rip a CD, legally you are still meant to keep the physical copy, apparently. However, how this is policed I am unsure.

I will have to be really choosy as to the physical copies I purchase from now on and will have to make do with MP3 copies until such time as better quality downloads become available.

Thanks Alex for the suggestion of Bandcamp, however, it doesn't seem to be the same Maccabees:scratch:

All the best,

James.

[Reid Malenfant]

Alex, you had better show James how you store your CDs - it definately saves space :)

[Tim]

Alex, you had better show James how you store your CDs - it definately saves space :)

I'm just about to this myself ;)

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showpost.php?p=134064&postcount=1

[Alex_UK]

Alex, you had better show James how you store your CDs - it definately saves space :)

Good point, Mark. I reckon they take about 10-20% of the space: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=6900

(Can't do it with vinyl, though, and since I took those pictures it has grown about 33% somehow and I now have 8 cubic feet of vinyl not 6!)

[JimC]

Alex, you had better show James how you store your CDs - it definately saves space :)

Brilliant idea chaps!

However, I live in a Park Home now (yes I am officially White Trailer Trash! Not sure what the neighbours are going to make of my Hi-Fi, still it's only a 3Watt Single Ended Amp:eyebrows:)

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=park+home&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1304l3260l0l4844l9l9l0l0l0l0l212l1418l1.6.2 l9l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=713&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=KOMFT-_xIIzUsgaK8ICEDw

and even with the Jewel cases removed and stored as in the links above may be still too much:rolleyes:

James.

[keiths]

(Can't do it with vinyl, though, and since I took those pictures it has grown about 33% somehow and I now have 8 cubic feet of vinyl not 6!)

Tell me about it. All my vinyl is stored in the bedroom laughably called my 'office' together with the Moth RCM. I've just spent half a day last week glueing and screwing bits of MDF together to make more vinyl storage.

[Welder]

Well I'm not going to piss about...........torrents :sofa:

You can give me all the sanctimonious shit you want about illegal music downloads, how torrents are driving the poor music distribution companies to wall etc etc.:rolleyes:

I bought vinyl for 30 odd years; heaps of the stuff. Then along came CD and I bought heaps of those as well, over 1000 at last count.

Now I'm file based and yes i do still buy CD's but if I can find what i want for nothing, I'll take it.

Course, nobody else here would do this would they ;)

[Tim]

You can give me all the sanctimonious shit you want about illegal music downloads, how torrents are driving the poor music distribution companies to wall etc etc.
John, that's all well and good justifying it in your mind that way, but what about the artists - the people that bring you the pleasure of music?

[Reid Malenfant]

John, that's all well and good justifying it in your mind that way, but what about the artists - the people that bring you the pleasure of music?
Paul McCartney doesn't need £650,000,000 :mental:

No-one does, it's just bloody greed!

[Bluedroog]

While I understand people will try and justify illegal downloading in all sorts of way and others will only ever see it as theft personally I think it’s helping to move the industry forward. These days bands often give their albums away free in the papers or via downloads on their site and instead make revenue through live performances.

We get to enjoy the music at home without forking out huge sums and invariably bands have to really be on their game to put together processional and profitable shows.

We’re in a period of transition and I don’t think it will be long before free music media will be the norm. If you like the artist enough we vote with our feet and go and see them.
+ 1 for HDtracks.com

[Welder]

F**k em! :ner: :D

Rumor has it that the majority of artists don't make enough money from CD sales to pay the leccy bill for the recording studio.

Okay, I'm technically a thieving barsteward........I've been called worse ;)
Now the future, well that will all hopefully be different; a bit like the demise of Hi Hi salesman and the rag hacks who write all that crap in the audio porn publications....rant....rant....rant; one can only hope.:lol:

Hopefully artists will distribute their music over the internet in a wee file and they will actually get the proceeds from the sales.
Course, you're quite entitled to reply "not if people like you John get them from torrent sites"

Possibly, possibly....

Just out of interest Tim, you wouldn't consider copying a CD a mate brought round then?

[Tim]

OK, time to bow out and no further posts from me in this thread.

This ladies viewpoint I totally agree with and wholesale downloading will ultimately only hurt us all IMO. And I cannot say I have never done it either and I do swap CD's with mates and have done here too, but I always try to buy something first. If I cannot get it and it's OOP or not available in Amazon Marketplace/eBay I will look for it in a torrent, but that's the last resort as opposed to the first place I go to. As per the video below, I think I fit in her category and I have connections with artists who have no problem with mates swapping and copying, I've been doing it since a teenager and that's how many artists get known, but I also spend the majority of my disposable income on music, either recorded or live (53 gigs and 3 festivals last year). Anyway...... each to their own I guess.

1ZtgtVfESck

Paul McCartney is not someone I generally listen too either thank goodness ;)

[Spur07]

its hard to imagine how this digital revolution will be policed. Most people in the position of the OP will decide to sell their CD's once they've been ripped and they want to free up some space. And as Alex has hinted where is the physical proof/authentication of a legal download as opposed to an illegal one taken from a torrent.

[Reid Malenfant]

Tim, just to let you know that I don't use torrent sites & all the music I have downloaded has been totally free from Soundcloud & similar. There are labels out there that have everything as a free download & I have made use of them to :)

I'm not into theft, but some people really do have too much money...

I also have no music by The Beatles or McCartney either, just not my cup of coffee :rolleyes:

[bobbasrah]

Frankly John, I tend to agree with most of what you have said there. Whatever the moral arguments, copyright has become a defence of the media industry (not the writer as it was originally), digital music has transformed sharing, and the internet has opened a floodgate for facilitating it.
The taped LP copy to a buddy many years ago, a CD copy later, however immoral or illegal, are now on portable drives or the internet. I did not consider the illegality then of copying my music, nor would I now, and recently dupicated a chunk of stuff off my desktop for a lady who loves classical music but had neither a large collection, the means to purchase it, nor are many of these albums available in this marketplace. However illegal or immoral I may have been, this act has neither harmed the artistes nor the media companies, only the possibility of their just reward for something which could not be purchased.
Multiply that by a million via torrents and yes you have a problem, but for whom and caused by whom?
The media industry is struggling with piracy, but not because they are losing potential sales, as few of the pirates would probably purchase the album anyway, but rather they have lost control due to the ease with which digital media can be moved around, despite considerable legal and technological efforts to do so. Shutting down internet transfer will make no difference ultimately, and will be circumvented by a generation who know how to do so.
Had the industry moved on to worldwide electronic distribution at reduced costs (examine who gets what out of an average album) perhaps it would not be so much a problem as it has become. So how much blame lies with the industry?

What physical albums are sold in which market, what price they are sold for, and whether they can be played universally, is a monopoly which the media industry has enjoyed for too long. Recent drops in UK market sales are quite different to the US results, so I guess all the pirates are British....?

[dave2010]

I don't condone copying tracks. However, when we lived in the US (now a long time back), my daughter and all her friends used to buy tapes and CDs, and then copy them for each other - usually onto tape.

This would be seen by the music industry as a loss of revenue. The reality was that most of the kids had a limited amount of pocket money, and spent a significant proportion of that on the music they bought. There was no real question of it being a loss - as there was never the money to support buying all the CDs and tapes in the first place, but the kids maximised their buying power by this process, and got to hear music which they liked.

The situation now may be worse, as there are now many young people who really do think it's OK never to pay for any of this stuff.

[littlest hobo]

Didn't see it mentioned anywhere and might not be to everyone's taste...i've bought electronic/dance music from addictech: http://www.addictech.com/ based in USA. You get the option to buy MP3, FLAC, WAV, Vinyl and CD. I recently purchased a Tipper CD, it arrived within a week and in the meantime I was able to download a FLAC version for free.