Do you still buy music?!

[SampleScience]

I got the inspiration for this thread from a post about ambient music been hard to sell. There was a time when ambient and instrumental synthesizer music was sold in New Age stores, but nowadays CDs & music seem to be mostly gone from these places. Personally, I mainly buy my music on Bandcamp, iTunes, Discogs and thrift stores. Used CDs are particularly cheap nowadays.

I don't support streaming services as I think they are unfair to the musicians. Actually, I don't get why musicians would give away their music to such "service" since they only get pennies from them. Once, I considered subscribing to Spotify because I was amazed by the amount of music I could get there, but before doing so I noticed that there was some "holes" in their catalog. Some of Duran Duran albums weren't there...

[NerdMcBoon]

Sure! I'm mostly buying music from Bandcamp these days. It's a really great service, imo!

I can't remember the last time I actually bought a CD or any other physical medium, though.

[pljones]

Yep, another vote for BandCamp. There or direct from the band.

[.jon]

+1 for Bandcamp. I used to buy from eMusic and iTunes, but emusic went to shit, itunes was always shit, and all the good stuff seems to be on bc anyway.

[AnX]

I only buy vinyl. Trying to get my old collection back, and buy new stuff too.

Never bought any download/mp3/streaming stuff.

Still got some CD's from the 90's, but no CD player. Should sell them really.

[ghettosynth]

I'm guessing that it was my comment that triggered this, so, for the longest while I didn't buy anything other than DJ music. Now I'm buying music again and like the other posters, pretty much exclusively from bandcamp. I hated buying ambient music on CDs because it was just really hard to filter through all of the "way too new age for its own good" type of stuff. My taste for ambient runs to the experimental side, so I largely buy (and create) stuff that would never really make it into any kind of even minimally distributed release.

I can remember the last time I purchased a CD though, it was a really cool CD with a cool concept from a bandcamp artist that I follow. I mostly don't buy CDs though, that was the only one that is in my recent memory.

Still, compared to what I actually buy, there is just so much available. Even from artists that I like I tend not to buy very much. Honestly, I think that there's a good reason for this. It's just too easy to crank out a lot of material. Also, for me, I actually like (and create) the type of material that's easy to crank out. So, you could argue that a really interesting piece takes a lot of time, but, I would counter by saying that's subjective. A lot of what most people considering interesting, I consider to be way too busy and irritating.

My last release was done in an afternoon. They're not always that fast, but I had an idea and just went with it. I like it, and for the first time in years I'm regularly listening to my own stuff, however, I'd be completely lying if I said it was difficult to do, it wasn't, it was really quite easy. Multiply this by lots of people doing the same thing and that it takes all of fifteen minutes to put your "release" on Bandcamp and you have an answer for why supply outstrips demand.

To compound matters, since ambient music tends to be long to begin with, there's only so much time one has to listen to it.

I can tell you the feature that would probably get me to buy more, that is I would like to be able to easily stream random tracks from my Bandcamp collection. My collection contains my own stuff and stuff that I've personally curated. This way I'm not hearing stuff that some computer thinks that I will like, I generally don't. But, if I had that, I would just leave it on all day and the repetition would trigger my desire to put more new material in my own collection. It's like my personal radio station that's perfectly curated, no nonsense, they are ALL gems!

[Nielzie]

And another +1 for Bandcamp. Lots of great music from independent artists on there

[elxsound]

I still buy music and subscribe to streaming services (currently Spotify) as a way to find new stuff.

Not a fan of ambient music, so no comment there.

I still buy CD's for when I want a higher quality sound that's not available for download, but once its ripped, the CD is of no use.

[foosnark]

As a general rule, I don't buy anything that's on Google Play Music (which I subscribe to) unless I just really want to support the artist.

I still occasionally buy stuff through Bandcamp, but not as much as I used to. And I'll buy CDs at the rare shows I go to, or to collect old stuff that I miss.

[chk071]

I don't support streaming services as I think they are unfair to the musicians. Actually, I don't get why musicians would give away their music to such "service" since they only get pennies from them.

It's a changed concept for a changed demand. I know quite a few people who are subscribed to music streaming services. Personally, i disliked the feeling of not "owning" my music. It's all in the cloud, and, when i'm no longer subscribed, i lose my music, because it's rented. Not good for me. Maybe one day, i'll change my mind about it.

Regarding Ambient music, i agree, probably tough to sell, and make a living of it. Just too niche for the most part of it. There's quite some quality music available for free. And a few artists which are popular enough to be ablet o sell their music. And a lot of artists who try, but probably can't make a living of it.

Anyway, i rarely buy something, maybe once every 2 months or so. I listen to a lot of internet radio though.

[ghettosynth]

As a general rule, I don't buy anything that's on Google Play Music (which I subscribe to) unless I just really want to support the artist.

I still occasionally buy stuff through Bandcamp, but not as much as I used to. And I'll buy CDs at the rare shows I go to, or to collect old stuff that I miss.

I'm curious, do you play shows? I only asked because I noticed that your stuff is what I would call experimental, i.e., niche.

I've noticed at noise shows that a lot of artists are into the packaging. Some like to collect cassettes, but then play the downloads and keep the cassette in its original packaging. I've also noticed at noise shows, however, that the audience is usually about fifty percent the other noise performers.

[burkek]

Absolutely do, yes! I also prefer Bandcamp as I can get a digital lossless version. It irks me no end when companies release new albums in CD and MP3 format only. If you want to know what's up with music sales - look no further. And if that's the case, I won't buy. Only digital lossless. Nothing else.

KEv

[thecontrolcentre]

I buy CDs all the time. Have bought 8 or 9 so far in 2017 ...

[Numanoid]

I go second hand shopping all the time.

Must have bought 50 CD's last weekend alone.

[zerocrossing]

I buy CDs, Vinyl (if I think it makes sense and is available) and I pay Apple Music a fee every month.