Apple/iTunes is #1 Music Retailer

rreihart · Post by **rreihart** » Friday Apr 04, 2008

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/04/03/app ... -retailer/

Is the death of the CD imminent?

I know a couple of bands I like, who have major label deals, released their latest musical effort via online outlets only.

nickname · Post by **nickname** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

I'm thrilled that someone toppled China Mart for the top spot!

I'm going to miss albums. Do you remember when bands put out groups of songs rather than the singles that !tunes and other online music retailers are steering the industry towards?

I received an !pod Shuffle a few years ago, but I got sick of !tunes and it's inherent clunkiness. I like to drag, drop, and be done with it so I downloaded a patch that allows me to do that with my Shuffle. Works like any other mp3 player now. No !tunes necessary. !tunes is great, but i think Apple is just another pod, phone, or teleputer device away from becoming another techopoly like Microsoft or Google.

tornandfrayed · Post by **tornandfrayed** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

I agree that the death of the CD could be imminent. I do like the web for delivery though. Check out the new NIN stuff and the delivery system and the options at

http://ghosts.nin.com/main/home

I heard unofficially that they have sold over $500,000 within three weeks or so that this has been out. Look at radiohead releasing "in Rainbows" and the success that they had. So yeah I guess that I like the lack of major labels as long as you can still get an actual product from the bands.

As far as Itunes I would always choose the I-rack as my favorite apple company.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

I don't suppose you'd share that patch with us would you? Love my Nano, HATE Itunes.--------->JMS

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

You know, it's just how things go....record, 8 track, tape, cd, now it's all digital downloads. It's all just a format change, as always...this time it's only different because you really don't have a physical thing to hold on to.

rreihart · Post by **rreihart** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

RobTheDrummer wrote:You know, it's just how things go....record, 8 track, tape, cd, now it's all digital downloads. It's all just a format change, as always...this time it's only different because you really don't have a physical thing to hold on to.

Sure you do. Just burn your downloads.

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

rreihart wrote:
RobTheDrummer wrote:You know, it's just how things go....record, 8 track, tape, cd, now it's all digital downloads. It's all just a format change, as always...this time it's only different because you really don't have a physical thing to hold on to.
Sure you do. Just burn your downloads.

Yea, I was gonna say that, but it's not the same as a "production" disc with the cover and all that.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

There was nothing as cool as opening the new "album" you just bought and checking out the cover art, reading all the info on the inside cover, seeing who might guest musicians, putting it on the turntable and hearing great analog sound in stereo played by a tube generated home hi fi. Just an old farts memory.

tornandfrayed · Post by **tornandfrayed** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

Funny when Vinyl came into its own it was partially because of the single. Check out the NIN link above and you will see that the Collectors vinyl run sold out immediately. I have heard that Trent might run more...

Interesting to watch and see what happens...

And Joe, I just got the new Springsteen album on vinyl, did just about what you just talked about (- the tubes). I am waiting for the Doors - Perception vinyl release which we are hoping will be in April...

Post by **Jim Price** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

It's the passage of another era. Because I do use vinyl on my "Closet Chronicles" show on Sunday nights (shameless plug

), I pulled out Jethro Tull's Stand Up album this past week, and was pleasantly reminded about the joys of vinyl album covers when I opened the cover and a folded card image of the band stood up. That type of thing vanished when the CD era took over.

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

The Scraps,Fedup,and the Side Effects will be recording a 3 way split to be out on vinyl this summer.

We're spearheading this technological revolution.

nickname · Post by **nickname** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

songsmith wrote:I don't suppose you'd share that patch with us would you? Love my Nano, HATE Itunes.--------->JMS

songsmith, the only thing I could find for the Nano is: http://lifehacker.com/software/feature/ ... 151662.php

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The most important thing to remember is to set the ipod to use as a portable drive. I hate itunes, too.

I think that vinyl could make a comeback based on the nostaligia here! It's not that expensive to have a record pressed. In this day and age when bands are releasing albums on preloaded mp3 players, it would be refreshing to see more bands releasing some vinyl. I miss that vinyl sound. Mp3's are great, but they suck whatever analog soul out of the music that may have been inserted. I acquired an Akai reel to reel and I'm thinking about mastering some material on it to get that saturated sound. Digital is great, as far as delivery, storage, and production, but it is so cold sounding.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

Lets start an Old School revolution and bring back vinyl albums, double and triple ablums, and turntables, and quadrasound, and of course black light posters. Oh to be 19 and coming back form the record store with my new copy of Tres Hombres by ZZ Top. The picture of a Mexican feast on the inside cover still makes me drool.

DrumAndDestroy · Post by **DrumAndDestroy** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

DirtySanchez wrote:The Scraps,Fedup,and the Side Effects will be recording a 3 way split to be out on vinyl this summer.

We're spearheading this technological revolution.

that's how the music we play should be heard...

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Sunday Apr 06, 2008

I've always been one to get excited about new technology, but this is one instance where I am not really thrilled about it. I suppose that I'm old school on this, but I like the physical medium of music. As UCJ pointed out, I like to look at the album cover, read who produced it, see the names of the musicians, etc. I'm glad that the digital age has revolutionized music and helped to put some power back into the artists' hands. On the other hand, I lament the death of physical medium. I also worry that this means that record companies are going to put even more emphasis on singles over album cuts.

I still haven't bought an MP3 player, though to be honest, I'd dig one for the car.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Monday Apr 07, 2008

DirtySanchez wrote:The Scraps,Fedup,and the Side Effects will be recording a 3 way split to be out on vinyl this summer.

You know, somebody was just telling me at work the other day about how bands are sharing pressing and other production costs on vinyl and such. I think that's awesome! Back when vinyl was king around here, bands were far more competitive on that kind of thing, and it just wasn't done much on a local level... not that there isn't competition now, it's just that it's on a much friendlier vibe, it used to be me vs. you, now it's us vs. them. Anyway, it didn't really matter in the long run, because the tape-trading that pushed the underground metal scene then put your song right next to someone else's on a comp tape anyway. Remember compilation tapes? They were the Napster of the 70's and 80's. You bought a record, your friend bought a record, then you put your favorite songs from both records on a cassette, and gave it to your buddies. Thin Ice garnered a lot of attention that way, despite only being a statewide band at best. Those tapes got played on radio in Europe (!), made the rounds in local state prisons (double !), and I even got a call from LA to work on a project (I never went). You just never know.
Compilations are great! My crowd used to snap up the Shrapnel and Metal Blade comps the minute they came out (yep, paid for 'em!), and we found a lot of bands that way. Be careful, though... homegrowns are best, some guys used to rip bands off with that kind of thing. DIY is generally better overall, if you can do the distribution legwork well.
Good luck, guys!-------->JMS

nightcrawler_steve · Post by **nightcrawler_steve** » Monday Apr 07, 2008

DS & DD....

Im curious why you would chose to spend money on making a vinyl record? Wouldnt your money be better spent releasing a CD or combined for studio time? Great idea to pool your efforts, but vinyl? I dont get it.

Did I miss something *scratching head*

~S

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Monday Apr 07, 2008

nightcrawler_steve wrote:DS & DD....

Im curious why you would chose to spend money on making a vinyl record? Wouldnt your money be better spent releasing a CD or combined for studio time? Great idea to pool your efforts, but vinyl? I dont get it.

Did I miss something *scratching head*

~S

Because vinyl's cool, Steve.

This kind of reminds me of that scene in Wayne's World 2 where Cassandra is all like, "Bobby (her record producer), says that my album will never be on vinyl."

I just had to get a Wayne's World reference in there somehow.

nightcrawler_steve · Post by **nightcrawler_steve** » Monday Apr 07, 2008

bassist_25 wrote:Because vinyl's cool, Steve.

Oh

guess Im out of the loop then.

.....off with the dinosaurs.

~S

DrumAndDestroy · Post by **DrumAndDestroy** » Monday Apr 07, 2008

nightcrawler_steve wrote:DS & DD....

Im curious why you would chose to spend money on making a vinyl record? Wouldnt your money be better spent releasing a CD or combined for studio time? Great idea to pool your efforts, but vinyl? I dont get it.

Did I miss something *scratching head*

~S

for what we are doing...vinyl is perfect. if you press a few hundred or so 7'' records...then those are just rare gems for any collector scum to have. punk and metal truly are meant to be heard on vinyl...

plus you can hear the scraps and fed up in rare form...low down, dirty, drunken songs done in a matter of hours.

the side effects...well that's just standard procedure

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Monday Apr 07, 2008

nightcrawler_steve wrote:DS & DD....

Im curious why you would chose to spend money on making a vinyl record? Wouldnt your money be better spent releasing a CD or combined for studio time? Great idea to pool your efforts, but vinyl? I dont get it.

Did I miss something *scratching head*

~S

Vinyl has always been a collectors item in the underground music scene.

So, Paul is right on the money. Look at how many people here are waxing nostalgic about it. Read Matt Pike's (High On Fire) interview in last months Revolver. He said he sells more Vinyl than Cd's at live shows.

I just want to have it for myself though. I think it would be awesome to have my music on a real record.

Plus, it's punk rock. How much do you think it will really cost us?

DIY = A little more work & a lot less money.

Check out this site: http://www.vinyltimes.com/index.htm

Or try www.vivalavinyl.com

nightcrawler_steve · Post by **nightcrawler_steve** » Monday Apr 07, 2008

My question was just out of curiousity

I dont know that many people, young people that is, who have a record player. My curiousity was more of a financial expenditure for "what I thought" was a dead item.

I was wrong apparently, so I learned something today. Maybe I can start reclaiming those "10" IQ points I lost to to a certain banned member.

Im not involved with the underground scene, so hopefully you can overlook my stupidity. I am however all about DIY and being happy. So if having a record makes you happy - then "hell yeah" to ya!

~S

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Monday Apr 07, 2008

nightcrawler_steve wrote:My question was just out of curiousity I dont know that many people, young people that is, who have a record player. My curiousity was more of a financial expenditure for "what I thought" was a dead item.

I was wrong apparently, so I learned something today. Maybe I can start reclaiming those "10" IQ points I lost to to a certain banned member.

Im not involved with the underground scene, so hopefully you can overlook my stupidity. I am however all about DIY and being happy. So if having a record makes you happy - then "hell yeah" to ya!

~S

It was a good question. I do a lot of stuff that makes people ask WHY? lol
Just watch admitting to learning something on Rockpage. This place is for flame wars and political arguments. We don't take kindly to educatin and learnin round here.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Monday Apr 07, 2008

Maybe Mama Corn should do a 78rpm... I hear Apple's rolling out the iVictrola soon. It auto-links via telegraph line to the RIAA, so you don't attempt to steal public-domain songs. Steve Jobs is already standing in front of a video wall waiting for the press conference. Retail: $1000 US, but it'll be $200 by June.

------->JMS

DrumAndDestroy · Post by **DrumAndDestroy** » Monday Apr 07, 2008

songsmith wrote:Maybe Mama Corn should do a 78rpm... I hear Apple's rolling out the iVictrola soon. It auto-links via telegraph line to the RIAA, so you don't attempt to steal public-domain songs. Steve Jobs is already standing in front of a video wall waiting for the press conference. Retail: $1000 US, but it'll be $200 by June. ------->JMS

lol