The very real possibility that vinyl will outlive CD - T or F?

seattle's a medium-sized city, there has to be places where you can buy vinyl

the record shops they go to have reversed the vinyl/ CD proportion in the past few years

this is not the case in SF, at least not in Amoeba, which seems to be stocking fewer "rock" records, but roughly the same amount of hip-hop, dance, and jazz vinyl.

there are a handful of other specialty shops though, that stock great vinyl (Aquarius, Open Mind, Grooves, etc.)

seattle's a medium-sized city, there has to be places where you can buy vinyl

-- Mark Clemente, Tuesday, November 20, 2007 11:09 AM (Tuesday, November 20, 2007 11:09 AM) Bookmark Link

In Seattle, yes, but I didn't say you can't buy records in Seattle. Reread my last post.

ah yes

i can't be bothered to read this thread but yeah guys people who still buy vinyl need a heavy kick to the crotch, right?

Naw, just skot.

Not everyone lives in a big city, though. As far as I know, in the northern suburbs of Seattle, there are exactly zero stores you can walk into and buy a new record, whereas there are dozens you can walk into and buy a new cd, although very few of them are actually music stores

xpost

Yeah, I think record stores - even in cities - are endangered species; big chains just as much as the little guys. It's only the young and/or obsessive that go to shops anymore.

REM "Green"

Interesting... I've had trouble with mine, too. I've have older cd's that seem fine though.

I'd say, actually, it's only the old and/or obsessive. My 17-y.o. sister never buys cds at all. She downloads all her music illegally.

xp

yeah, kids in general are not buying music in any format.

Yeah, the same people who don't download are probably more comfortable going to a record store than ordering online. This is only a matter of time, though.

i like the idea of REM cds rotting :D

DG otm.

My 17-y.o. sister never buys cds at all.

I should amend this to cds, or records, or mp3s, or, or, or...

more anecdotal evidence:

I am on vacation in my home town in Virginia, there are three places here that carry new/used vinyl. I haven't been here in two years. The first place I checked out had moved all of their new vinyl to a more prominent location near the front of the store, but the amount was about the same. The next place had tons more used vinyl than before and the guy said sales had increased to the point that he now sells turntables. And I guarantee you he doesn't report to Soundscan either.

Is it a bad sign that the latest Vinyl Anachronist column reads like a suicide note?

man i wish i thought sacd was going to make it, i hear great things

xpost: Well, there's this:

I'm not going to worry about future generations embracing the LP and the turntable. (They seem to be doing that on their own, remarkably enough.)

WISHFUL THINKING.

My 17-y.o. sister never buys cds at all.

I should amend this to cds, or records, or mp3s, or, or, or..

check - 18 yo daughter with a full MP3 player, spends maybe €50 on music if that

xpost

€50 a year...

i don't even care that much about it. if sacd and/or digital playback gets great, then fine...but for me, i get the most bang for my buck -- sound quality-wise -- from vinyl and a turntable. i don't think that's romantic or irrational at all.

for about $1000 i got a great, small speaker, amp, and turntable setup that sounds amazing and to my ears better than cd or mp3. i realize that if i dropped like 10Gs or something i could probably get server or whatever and do flac but it sounds like too much work to me.

Most people aren't going to spend a thousand dollars on a setup.

my gf just got a new CD/turntable/radio one-piece stereo for $70. It sounds better than her old CD boombox thing. They are on sale at B!-Mart, to my knowledge the first cheap new turntable in years that has been available in big box stores. Still more anecdotal evidence...

Most people aren't going to spend a thousand dollars on a setup.

Not in one go, maybe, but that's what cool about separates - upgrade one bit at a time (that's what's shit too of course - it don't stop)

..... but you have a point Rev. - time was when any young couple with pretensions to being cultured would have a decent stereo set up as part of the living room furniture; now it its home cinema, with an ipod docking yoke as the sole concession to the idea of public music

xp

Would you say music has become something more private for most people then? Something relegated to earbuds and enjoyed in solitude?

Definitely - earbuds and driving or on computer speakers/ headphones while working much more than sitting down and listening while doing nothing else.

People doubting the young hipster crowd's interest in vinyl are so wrong! I live in a remarkably unhip college town, and even here, everyone who considers themself really "into" music has a turntable and thinks its cool to buy vinyl. I don't know anyone who buys cds (besides blank ones by the 50-pack.) Illegal MP3s for most new stuff, and vinyl for the fuzzy-happy-collecting feeling (don't underestimate the draw of that feeling.)

Yeah, most teenagers still haven't touched a turntable, but CDs are just disposable trash used for car-listening, not much else. They're waning in popularity whereas vinyl is on the rise. I think vinyl is definitely sticking around, at least, I'm not sure what what'll happen to the CD market.

I'm not doubting the young hipster crowd's vinyl enthusiasm, I'm doubting everyone else's.

The Garden State effect. Seriously (kinda). I, embarassingly, know of two people who bought turntables after seeing Natalie Portman's room in that movie.

everyone who considers themself really "into" music has a turntable and thinks its cool to buy vinyl.

hence the need for a kick in the balls

iPOD PEOPLE

I don't know why you feel it necessarily to kick people in the balls for wanting to own a physical object that represents the music they love.

you sound like you need one too

the soundscan stats count only vinyl LPs sold in soundscan locations. the amount of 12"s and other singles/EPs/underground albums that are sold in places that dont report to soundscan has to be double those figures. plus any used vinyl shops! alot of records still get sold, and it will continue to happen. i dont see that ever ending, people will still be making vinyl as well, even if on a small basis. compare that to CDs which will have no advantage compared to a higher resolution digital file, i just dont see why people would keep making them.

there will be vinyl as long as pressing plants can afford to stay in business. there will be pressing plants as long as there are a billion suburban emo bands who want to put out a 7".

(well, you know what i mean.)

the big difference, which someone must have pointed out already, is that anyone can make a CD. very very few people can make an LP. things that anyone can make will probably outlive things that practically no one can make.

xpost

PEOPLE CAN'T DELETE RECORDS
PEOPLE DON'T BUY USED MP3S

the big difference, which someone must have pointed out already, is that anyone can make a CD. very very few people can make an LP. things that anyone can make will probably outlive things that practically no one can make.

In the future, the only CDs we will use will be CDrs and we will use them just as we used floppy disks in the nineties.

"In the future, the only CDs we will use will be CDrs and we will use them just as we used floppy disks in the nineties.

-- ian"

in the future? that sounds like today to me. i dont even need CDs in the car as my radio has a minijack plug on the front of it so i can play straight off my ipod or any other portable device. i use CDs primarily for listening to while i fall asleep, and for purchasing hardcopies of music that is not avalaible on vinyl that i must own.

I've always liked portable cassettes the most. They sort of force you to listen to complete albums (or at least whole sides) because it's always such an inconvenience to fast forward/rewind/pause to leap between songs.

And I like the trebly sound and odd, accidental depth.

It's sad that they will probably be lost forever.

I act like buying cultural artifacts is so horrible but I took an entire morning a month or so ago to go to the tea shop, walk around the corner to the record store, and buy the album I wanted on vinyl (new Liars album). It has a nicely designed insert and is pleasing to the eye on my floor! Also the tea was excellent and it was a beautiful morning, and people asked me what record I got because it wasn't a small cd case rolling around in a shopping bag.

if petroleum prices go up, you won't

xposts

I like how half the people on this thread assume that the way they use and consume music is the exact way every other person on the planet uses and consumes music.

the way they use and consume music is the exact way every other person on the planet uses and consumes music.

.... or the way every other person on the planet should etc....

no wait, you guys are right. people will forget all about ipods and the idea of them being able to play better quality files in the future. people will stick with CDs. they will have huge collections of them just like people have of vinyl now. vinyl will die. along with you guys, thankfully.

you definately need a kick in the balls

DG--it wasn't funny the first time

What, are you 12 or something? xp