10 reasons why I still buy CDs

[@matteolone]

Buying CDs, go back home and listening to them while exploring the booklet is still one of my favorite things to do. I still do it with the same, light joy of when I was 15. I need no other reason :).

[@jimgardner5129]

This adds so much to the listening experience. More of your brain is being stimulated. It's more memorable.

[@markligon1051]

Ditto

[@FelixtheMetalcat]

Completely agree.

[@EnriqueHernandez-zk7qc]

I always disliked CD booklets with their tiny print. I get the same media with downloads. IMO they look much better on a computer screen or tablet and are easier to read.

[@thomasvarady1210]

Opening up a new LP or CD was an event. A tactile thing. Always liked reading about when it was recorded, what studio, & lyrics if provided...

[@legrandmaitre7112]

Not only do I still buy CDs, I'm always buying them!

[@josetoro4405]

beautiful. let us keep the dream alive

[@Cosford869]

The CD is the definitive digital format, as the record is the definitive analogue.

[@davidfuentes4360]

That's the fun part of it

[@tiafayed7545]

Love this! People make me feel stupid for still buying CDs but i love them.

[@dancalmpeaceful3903]

NOT the crowd I hang out with....that crowd makes fun of you for using that streaming shit.... I will NEVER let someone (a streaming service), control what and where I can listen to.

[@graemeknowles1431]

Never stop buying CDs my friend. I always will purchase compact discs.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

People that buy (non-compilation) CDs are the proper music fans who love music enough to be able to sit down, relax and just enjoy a great album of music from start to finish. Those that download the tracks they want like "Pick 'n' Mix Sweeties" aren't proper music fans. How many of them use music for anything more than just something in the background while they are working out or painting a wall?

[@josetoro4405]

you’re not alone bro

[@larrymagee8758]

You stick to your guns buddy. I love them too. Who wants to listen to inferior vinyl any way. It just don't make no sense!!!!

[@lazycalm41]

Reason I still buy CD's is apart from the sound quality . I like to buy music that I will always have, and not borrow something that streaming services can remove at any time!

[@alpzepta]

That’s right Spotify removed my favourite music and it’s really pissed me off. Also is there every song in Spotify? Absolutely not. Most CD I owned are the song that is not on a Spotify. It’s seem like Japanese song and Various Artist song don’t get any love on Spotify

[@czxr_8]

Number 1 for me is that when I buy a CD, I don’t have to worry about the album I’ve been listening to for months just vanishing.

[@bikdav]

@Thom Castles: You’re right. I forgot about that.

[@djmaxxhtx]

Right, and a lot of listeners are just cheap. Who wants to rent all their music.

[@bikdav]

@@djmaxxhtx I plead guilty to that also. And, I'm terrible at streaming.

[@BICIeCOMPUTERconGabriele]

Furthermore: with the streaming you are tied to the service for life. You have to pay 19.90€ / month for Quboz in EU, all your life long, otherwise you'll lose all your music collection. At the beginning it seems a bargain: 19.90€ and I'll have almost all the music I could ever listen! But as easily you get it, you'll lose it! If you buy a CD or two every month, they will still be yours for your entire life.

[@life5161]

Yep. Why I brought a CD Recorder. Too many times I find I great concert or something on U Tube and then it disappears one day randomly. Got tired of it happening. Now when I find something I like, I burn it to CD.

[@mr.grumpygrumpy2035]

It's like when people ask me if they should go into vinyl, and I tell them, it's the best way of reminding yourself why the Compact Disc was invented in the first place.

[@ellielopez1615]

YESSSS. I just bought a turntable & got my first vinyl & mannn, I understand why cds were invented.

[@pwn3426]

I recently got into vinyl, It seems it is now the hipster thing to do.... WHAT A FRIGGEN HEADACHE AND A HALF MAN! Let me tell you, brand new sealed albums that pop and crack all way through. Sealed albums that are warped beyond belief. Used album rated at VG+ that is only really G... Its a nightmare man and just not worth imo. I sold out, started back into CD and am never looking back. No more static to fight with, or dust or warped and just noisy records. I can also select which track i want to start on. If im listening to an Vinyl and have to leave and when i come back it is not as simple to pick back up where i left off and also not recommended to do so even as its not good for the vinyl they say.

[@bondgabebond4907]

@@pwn3426 I like vinal albums back in the 60s and 70s. That's all we had. When CDs came around, it was goodby vinal. You are right, it is a pain. Snap, crackle and pop in a perfectly new record. CDs are a godsend. Like the author of this video, they get ripped. Once ripped, music goes on a thumb drive then inserted into the USB port in my car or in another computer. Just got back into playing records, it was fun, now I'm done.

[@SuperButterfly217]

I still collect cds. I love it.

[@KasperPlougmann]

There's still music you can only find on CD's, and that are never gonna come to streaming. Having a limited number of options to choose from can also be a bonus. You don't get paralyzed with the options upon options of albums to listen to.

[@gregjobes9138]

There's also music that never gets pressed to vinyl, so your only option is to get the CD.

[@alicefarrer7771]

@@gregjobes9138 I own loads of stuff that is only on CD. There's no vinyl to buy, and they aren't on Spotify.

[@joebarr725]

There's a lot of music on vinyl that never even made it to CD.

[@geraldschrader8511]

There’s also the intangible pleasure of owning the physical album versus “borrowing” it via a streaming service.

[@selectthedead]

Also think of the possibility of the company going out of business and you don't have access to the music anymore! If you own the cds, no one can deny you access or add an ad wall or extra paywall in front of you.

[@BlownMacTruck]

For me it's partially this, the fact that you'll never "lose" your music if for some reason it disappears from a streaming service or they decide to do something stupid and/or go out of business, and that CDs are RIDICULOUSLY cheap these days. Plus you can get the convenience of full lossless quality with the convenience of streaming if you rip your music.

[@RobWhittlestone]

Eine Phrase mit Gegensätze! The intangible pleasure (duration varies!) of continuously owning the tangible album versus renting an ephemeral intangible copy of it via a streaming service! Sorry, I couldn't help myself! All the best, Rob in Switzerland

[@kesamek8537]

Very tangible if you want to sell or leave a collection in your Will to anyone. Streaming is throwing money away.

[@richardcrook2112]

When you describe something as "cheap" people automatically think in terms of money. But at the same time they often subconsciously know, downloading is cheap in a deeper sense. They are debauching something that should be authentic and have some meaning.

[@evanlanctot7865]

With CDs, you just pay one price, and it's yours for life.

[@dbronx347]

Well, not quite. I transferred all my CDs to archive quality sleeves, then a storage box, then stored it into a temperature and humidity controlled storage. After 12 years, I took it out of storage and found some of them just dont play anymore. When I ripped them, some tracks would get errors.

[@paulwilson9281]

The music is never yours but you can play it.

[@thatlilgal]

@@dbronx347 whaaaat no way. did they appear scratched?

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

@@dbronx347 i have cds that is just left on the shelf for more than a decade and they play just fine.

[@2freetz]

@Fur Q for 12 years?

[@bradleyschwartz]

Best thing in today’s world: you don’t need the internet to play a CD.

[@larrymagee8758]

Good point!

[@SussyBaka-em9rq]

But digital files can also. Flac

[@josevarela6352]

Yeah, true.

[@reidwcarroll]

Same with digital. If you download your music

[@TheBloodiac]

True. I hate the idea, to depend on the internet for everything. That would be the opposite of freedom.

[@Niikuro_shuffles]

Spotify is a great way to discover new albums and if I like one, I'll buy the CD. Then I feel like I can really listen to the music.

[@iloveblue7920]

And when you play an album back on spotify they do not play them in order like the cd, thats beyond annoying

[@CriPPleR_HD]

My wife and I just started buying CD’s again this year after streaming for years. There were a couple of albums that was not available for steaming so we decided to listen to them in our CD player. First thing we noticed was the overall sound quality. Then we started comparing CD to Hi Res streaming from Qobuz and Tidal, the CDs were clearly better. We now purchase and rip CDs as now it is our preferred way to enjoy music.

[@fdsuperstar2547]

And if an artist released songs only on cd singles, not an album cut, u can’t find the songs

[@pekkatervala8476]

They sound great even with a DVD player, direct stereo mode in AVR.

[@simflightpro]

Hi Samuel, does a high quality CD player make a difference?

[@iloveblue7920]

May i ask what CD Player you have?

[@darrencurtis4442]

The CD is the best format for music by a long way,I've been collecting them for years, just bought some the other day,will always buy them no matter what

[@seppoinnanen5577]

@@JohnSmith-zl8rz No it doesn't. Noise, static snaps, poor channel separation because of the mechanical information reading, restricted dynamics because of the same reason, distortion near the center hole because of the phase displacement of the cartridge/needle combination... It's just your imagination doing tricks with you. The only "better" thing with vinytl is bigger size visual arts on the cover.

[@Groover71]

@@seppoinnanen5577 take better care of your records. I will take a near mint UK original pressing of Dark Side Of The Moon over the CD version ANY day. You can’t compare the two, it’s not even close.

[@seppoinnanen5577]

@@Groover71 You take your vinyl. I'll take my cd any day. It's not just the vinyl record as a single piece of equipment, it's all the gadgets involved with the analog sound reproduction... And - it depends what analog tape your cd is copied from. Dark Side is totally from an analog era. I have lived my analog lp life when I was young, so, at my age if 61 I have experienced both formats

[@liamphillips2339]

@@Groover71 By their nature, CDs are higher quality because they are just a digital storage/copy of music rendered from a DAW whereas the quality of a vinyl record is subject to how well it was pressed. Both can be hindered by listening environment/gear. Sonically speaking, it comes down to preference of the listener. Many prefer the low end and imperfections of a vinyl. P.S. if anyone is reading this, don't fall for CD's claiming to be 24-bit. They can only be up to 16-bit 44.1khz.

[@Spyker8921]

@@JohnSmith-zl8rz Vinyl is not better than CD, it's just that CD has been destroyed by the loudness war

[@taybul]

Another somewhat obscure reason is that CDs had bonus or hidden tracks that are curiously missing in digital and even vinyl formats.

[@jimgardner5129]

That's right!!! :)

[@MrGrosMamouth]

It’s the opposite in my experience, see some Muse albums or MGMT’s Congratulations

[@MosoKaiser]

True that, though there's also, in my opinion, one very welcome thing that streaming services have brought about: the death of "hidden" tracks obnoxiously tacked on the last track of an album, following sometimes ridiculously long periods of silence. If it's an actual song and it comes after a minute or two of silence, fine, but if it's like 10 minutes of silence and the hidden track's just a snippet of supposedly funny studio banter or a pointless sound effect collage, it's pretty infuriating. Now it's not _that_ big a chore to separate actual song hidden tracks into separate songs, or delete the extra fluff altogether if it's some useless comedic bit, but a chore nevertheless.

[@wavesnowaves]

May I add a very important point. CD's don't require a working internet connection. Home internet connections are of course generally stable, however music is just too important for me - to risk not being able to play music, when I really want to - because of some external issue.

[@arthurwatts1680]

I take your point BUT I can play the Spotify songs I've downloaded (I pay 6.99 a month for Premium) offline from a variety of devices regardless of whether or not I am online. It's not lossless but I have the option of buying a lossless download OR a CD if I really like the music. Horses for courses, but it shouldn't come down to whether or not you can comment on YT videos while listening to music - that has never been a binary choice for me.

[@GrackAlaciN]

Agreed. That's actually one of the reasons I went back to CDs and vinyl. My internet connection was very unstable for a long time, also messing with my SONOS setup. So I got rid of everything, considered my options for a while, dug out my CDs, bought a turntable, and started buying music again.

[@rushshukla4636]

You dont need the internet. Providing you've downloaded it you'll be fine. Just manage your files properly and you wont lose your music.

[@ElisandroDeLeon]

same. I keep some of my CDs in my car in case my phone dies, then I can just pop in a CD and still have music!

[@kenlee5015]

Saved my bacon recently when the net went out for 9 days. Old DVD's and BlueRays, too.

[@williamscheer1481]

Imagine listening to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon without having or even ever seeing that iconic album (or CD) cover !!? It’s INCONCEIVABLE to me. I mean, the cover doesn’t make the music sound any better so I guess it’s somewhat of a possession thing going all the way back to my owning baseball cards, books, and of course, albums (and now CD’s). A friend of mine years ago bought me a iPod with my name engraved on it to say thx for letting him borrow my extensive CD collection to download on to his iPod. My iPod has around 15,000 songs and I remember my friend saying, “Well I guess you won’t be needing those CDs anymore so you outta just take em to the pawnshop or have a yard sale” to which I replied, “and then if I loose or someone steals my iPod…?). Nope. My CD collection is here to stay.

[@estebandamianchilavert]

I still buying cds because im obsessed whit cds. I love the perfect sound, booklets etc...

[@laika25]

I love CDs!

[@harrybutler98]

nothing beats hard copies !

[@aysinyilmaz387]

I started buying CDs again recently and my reasons are as follow: 1) Artwork especially photobooks 2) Looking at my past habits, I realized that I stick to 1-2 songs of each artist instead of listening to the whole album. I think this is due to the playlist culture of the streaming services. Now, I am more into listening to the whole album at least once to understand the artists better. 3) Last but not least, streaming doesn't pay the artists. I was very shocked when I learned about it. Now, I am trying to buy more.

[@DarkoAudio]

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[@lpspinners8736]

John: Another reason I buy CD's is there is a growing number of CD's with extra bonus material on a 2nd or even a third disc, giving the fan different takes during a recording session, different mixes and even demos of finished studio albums. For instance, Led Zeppelin has had their discography remastered and repackaged as a two disc reissue of ALL their studio albums, giving the purchaser more value. What's great is even these deluxe CD releases are far cheaper than vinyl in many cases, especially more obscure recordings.

[@OscarSanchez-tk3hx]

I have been buying CD since the 80's and still sounds amazing with my sound system I will never go back to vinyl

[@tonyz376]

Right?! I mean, the big improvement from vinyl was the CD and it's still superior in many ways. Not only can you take a CD with you, the equipment is often less expensive.

[@Villaboy78]

Bought my daughter "Now 108" on double CD last weekend and her face literally lit up when she went through that ritual of 'eject - load - play' and watching the drawer slide effortlessly shut ... Total emotional connection with the process as well as the content.

[@khancarle]

I agree John - the formats are not exclusive. Let’s appreciate/enjoy them all. Streaming for convenience/discovery/parties, CD’s & vinyl for deeper listening. Or however you want to do it. I just want to sample / enjoy all of them. Happy listening everyone.

[@Marht]

well said!

[@altair8598]

@@Marht I listen to streaming free, put up with the ads (or interject, turning the sound down) as Rob says 'for discovery' - then on many occasions I've loved the music so much I've bought the CD. Vinyl I tend to reserve for classic albums with great artwork, booklets etc. -at least the print is easier to read!

[@TruthAndMoreTruth]

To all the vinyl snobs: I was there when the CD came out, and people marveled at how much better they were over vinyl and cassette. Their frequency response and dynamic range were off the charts, and near zero noise, plus the ability to skip songs blew everyone away. This shift was so strong that every audio product available found a way to put the word "digital" on the package to market products. In the 2ks the _Loudness Wars_ attempted to capitalize on the capabilities of the CD, and this is still ruining music today.

[@backrowbrighton]

I have been happily buying CDs since 1985 and will continue to do so as I love the format. I have some wonderful box sets with brilliant art and books contained within, real treasures to me. Great to hear all the comments here too.

[@mydayis5]

I still like cds. I hate how some artists and/or streaming services are rewriting history with updated versions/remasters/remixes of albums and then remove the original!! 80s and early 90s CD pressings with lower volume, no brickwalling still sound the best to me.

[@willywonka3050]

Sometimes they never had the original digital masters, and only had the crappy 2000s remasters from the beginning. I’m just glad that there are original versions of New Order and Talking Heads records on streaming even if they’re sometimes hidden - Remain In Light’s 2005 remaster is one of the worst I’ve heard from that era.

[@Daaremikkel]

For sure. It is amazing how much worse some of the so-called remasters sound compared to the original.

[@billybeck]

I bought viny when cds were all the thing, now I'm buying cds because vinyl is all the thing. Bags and bags of them for pennies in the pound. They sound amazing, and most importantly I OWN IT.

[@arthurwatts1680]

Technically, you don't own anything beyond the silver disc, a fragile jewel case and whatever printed content / artwork the record company deigned to include in said case. The music usually belongs to the record company (songwriting royalties aside) and said music lives on a silver disc prone to bronzing and other forms of degradation over time. www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub121/sec4/ As John pointed out, you can copy your CDs to a hard drive, make backups and store those backups anywhere you deem fit. How would Steve Guttenberg even begin to replace that massive CD collection in the event of fire, regardless of how good his insurance might be ? As someone who lugged milk crates full of vinyl around for many years in the 70s and 80s, I was elated when CDs replaced records (sound quality aside on those early CDs) it didn't take long before I filled those milk crates with jewel cases. I can definitely see the appeal for albums I'm already streaming regularly but I'm under no illusions on the whole 'physical media is forever' argument. Props to those with the space for ALL of it - sadly, I have to be ruthless with every square foot under this roof.

[@brianmoore581]

@@arthurwatts1680 not that I disagree entirely, but I think the potential problems with physical media, CDs in particular, are blown out of proportion. I have been buying CDs since 1988, probably around 4,000 now, and exactly one of them suffers from "disc rot". I blame the odd, recycled case it came in for outgassing some harmful chemicals, not the disc itself. And while it is true that my house could burn down and destroy my collection, it would destroy my computer, too. I'm not the kind of guy that is going to be uploading everything to the Cloud, so my music would be lost either way. I also have many fine books that would be lost. But the good news is that most people pass a lifetime without their house burning down.

[@gianpaologliori3604]

@@brianmoore581 yup me too...even Brothers in Arms from 1985...all working perfectly!

[@Lee.Higginbotham]

Sep 1988 I bought a cd player for my birthday. I also have thousands of cd's and hundreds of lp's. I don't worry about a house fire but living in the Florida panhandle I have to watch and track hurricanes. Gets pretty stressful. I would be devastated to lose it all.

[@legrandmaitre7112]

Don't tell everybody mate!

[@nic.frasca]

I love CDs because I can use my hifi system and play the album without having to worry about ruining the record like i would with vinyl!

[@TheDealer1228]

This is so great. I've never stopped buying CDs, but since the advent of DAPs, I've mainly bought them just to rip. However, over the past few weeks I've started considering a transport/player to sit alongside my turntable, for similar reasons you just mentioned. Vinyl is great, I love vinyl, but it's also more expensive, it takes up more space, and it often feels like everyone's in a race to grab a copy because so many indie releases are limited to 1,000 copies or less (which I understand given the profile of some artists). I got into vinyl a few years back to slow things down, so it's almost ironic that my love of CDs has circled back for the same reason. I went to the record store last week and grabbed 13 CDs (no vinyl), for just over $100. Half of them were new releases, the other half used for a few dollars. I'm never going to stop listening to/purchasing vinyl, but CDs just make sense.

[@delta6789]

I'm one who is definitely in the CD camp. It's cheap, reliable and generally sounds better, with one big proviso. Any analogue recorded material from the 60's -mid 80's does sound better on vinyl

[@kesamek8537]

CDs are not lossy compressed like MQA so that's a great reason to like CDs.

[@johnkearns9500]

I agree, but, have you listened to FLACC files. They are lossless. I have a Complete Joe Satriani Chrome Dome set on 2 USB. They are set up for FLACC, but, you have to download the special player, which I have not been successful in accomplishing. Thankfully, it plays without the special player, just not FLACC. Supposedly it is comparable to CD quality. In any case, I will always buy CD and vinyl as long as they keep making them. Thanks for letting me ramble.

[@criticalyeet1916]

@@haula251 Yeah it's lossy because instead of 16 bit or above it's 13bit

[@emreisiklar]

11. Event of zombie apocalypse or any other apocalypse still you can play CD player with a generator!

[@larrymagee8758]

+with the apocalypse, the internet goes DOWN.

[@matthewbennett2735]

CD’s are vastly underrated. The medium is where vinyl was about years ago! I love finding new music at thrift stores. Can find some really cool trinkets. Thrifting for LP’s on the other hand? Not so much...

[@johnkearns9500]

I still love searching vinyl also. Especially something that will probably never make it to CD. Plus, other than pops n cracks, I really prefer the overall tone of vinyl. That's just me...👍

[@joeybonin7691]

I gave up finding any decent vinyl in thrift stores many years ago. Last time was a private Sinatra collection, very nice condition, but that happens as often as lightning strikes.

[@getnorgetout9425]

That's the big problem with vinyls. You pretty much have to be into music made in the 1980s or earlier because that's all you'll find. The beauty of CDs is they have modern music as well as old classics, and the old classics are sometimes digitally remastered so they sound better!

[@JRock424]

Nowadays most thrift stores have the records under glass and at a higher cost. CDs on the other hand are on the open shelves and dirt cheap

[@SergeantRoosters]

@@getnorgetout9425 not huge on remasters but ultimately depends on the engineer mastering it

[@matthewweflen]

Selection going back decades, flexibility to rip to pc or DAP, ownership without subscription, audio quality. CD is still king.

[@bruffyb3796]

I just love walking into a charity shop and not knowing what CD I'll find for a couple of quid.

[@MrGrosMamouth]

miss that shop next to my university

[@spencerabaker]

Yep, or buying from one of the CD up-cycling vendors. Ok, so the original artist won’t get another “sale”, but more importantly, another few chunks of plastic won’t lazily end up in a landfill.

[@leec3052]

Found a place near mine that's now doing 10 CD's for a quid....It's fantastic because even if you can't find something you definitely want you can take a chance on 50 wildly eclectic albums you have no idea about and you're pretty much guaranteed to find a new favourite or two in among 50. And the charity gets a fiver!

[@alanburns538]

Love that too, been missing Oxfam Music Stockbridge so much over the past year, it's pretty much become my favourite record store in Edinburgh

[@olympian3]

In my city there's an old music shop with shelves upon shelves of CDs for cheap. floor to ceiling

[@richardzedman1160]

Theres nothing better than looking at your rack and just pulling out cd that your in the mood for I hate looking at phones or tablets and scrolling though lists and alphabets

[@noelwhittle7922]

Yep. My whole CD library ripped to FLAC files, stored on my network drive and on my phones and it's all so simple. Works for me.

[@geraldmcmullon2465]

Is the space saving and time taken worth it to create FLAC files over just saving WAVE files? I add meta data to WAVE files. I suppose space is limited on a mobile device compared to an external hard drive that now can hold 20Tb.

[@willywonka3050]

@@geraldmcmullon2465 It’s worth it for portable devices and setups. I guess you could attach an external hard drive with all the wav files to an Android device, but that’ll take away the ability to use an external DAC unless you’re willing to carry around a USB hub.

[@timchromecast]

At home I use wav files (metadata works fine): 2 × 18TB nas drive raid 1 + offline backup. About 4TB used at the moment for wav-files. For portable use flac-files at maximum compression.

[@vorlon7442]

The most important reason for me to own physical records is because I want to own my copies of music. Spending hundreds of euros per year on streaming is just that, paying for access to assets owned by someone else. Once you choose to stop spending money on a service, your access to your entire collection is lost. If you stay unsubscribed long enough, there’s no guarantee you’ll even get your data back when you resubscribe. Artists and labels do sometimes leave specific streaming services but once you own your physical copy of a record, no one’s gonna take it away from you. I want my son to inherit my record collection once my time is up.

[@4879daniel]

I have several CDs that I bought 25-30 years ago. There are memories attached to where I bought them and why. I like picking up a CD I bought in Christmas 1994, I remember the shop (long since gone) and my life around that time. Then I am happy I still get value from it all these years later. Other stuff like my VHS collection had to be replaced, but CDs feel eternal.

[@FelisSilvestrisBE]

Exactly this! Not to mention accounts can be hacked: I dare not to think about the fact that I can lose all my games on Steam, GoG and various other platforms, same with Qobuz or HDTracks. Cloud isn't yours . Simple as that

[@miguelbarrio]

I understand, but streaming services allows you to discover music you don’t know. I buy everything that I discover and like a lot.

[@coguglielmi]

@@miguelbarrio exactly. Different media for different usages. I discover with streaming, and own cassettes - holding radio broadcasts of what was once called 'black sessions' in France with the cranberries, grant me buffalo, smashing pumpkins, Radiohead, the pixies, sonic youth, pj Harvey... - minidisks from my Japanese time back in '99, vinyls since I was a teen, and of course hundreds of CD on a wall... these are all complementary in fulfilling my desires depending on the mood I'm in. Nostalgia, deep listening, physical experience etc.

[@vorlon7442]

@@miguelbarrio couldn’t agree more. Using streaming for discovery is the way to go. For me, streaming has replaced radio and MTV in a way while I still have my own personal library of CDs, vinyl records and FLACs/WAVs of everything that moves me. I don’t feel so bad about gaming as there are very few games I’d be interested in returning after a decade or two whereas good music stays relevant for centuries.

[@Brett_is_Veng]

my favourite reasons for buying physical media on music and films is that streaming services sometimes remove content or provide an alternate version. I also dislike being dependant on a network connection in order to play my music or watch a film. All the things youve mentioned are also great reasons but my top reasons are the ones i mentioned above

[@HandyAndyTechTips]

Until recently, I bought CDs because I didn't have a network streamer. When I acquired one, I cut back on older albums, but decided that I should still support new bands by purchasing their albums on physical media.

[@ggkpopcurator6292]

I'm a K-Pop fan, albums are at another artistic level of packaging, you get gorgeous hard covers that feel like fancy books, some have very artistic shapes and materials for the outside package, you get gorgeous booklets, some extras like Photocards, stickers, bookmarks, postcards, it just makes it so fun. although more pricey than your regular jewel case CD, is still experiencing music at another level.

[@josexavierjr.5633]

Agreed! All great reasons, John. LP prices have gotten silly, and CD sound has improved greatly over the years. I still love the vinyl I own, but I don’t see myself adding to the collection. CDs are just more practical. 👍

[@Majestic1987]

Best argument for CDs: You own them. It is no question then if you can or want to afford the monthly fee for the streaming service. There is no service that can go bankrupt or be bought by some bigger player which lowers quality, raises prices or changes their terms of service for the worse. I still have CDs which I basically inherited from my parents. Those still work, I can listen to them whenever I want and there are memories connected to those CDs. And this, by the way, also includes the process of taking them out of the jewel case, putting them into the player, sitting down and focusing on listening to the music. And of course I did backup those CDs as FLAC files so I can still stream them in the house, use them in my car, etc.

[@jondon9963]

#1 reason, purchase CD’s to support artists, preferably not from Amazon. Use streaming to discover then purchase to support, artists make close to nothing on streaming.

[@glennaa11]

I like a lot of artists in Thailand and Korea. And most of them just release things by digital download or streaming. I'd love to be able to buy their CDs, but they don't sell them

[@oscillatingdailyaudio]

They make close to nothing on cds. You’d be better off supporting them going to shows and buying merch.

[@petermartin9494]

You are supporting the "music industry" when you buy CDs. If you really want to support an artist, just send him or her some money. That way they will actually get it instead of it disappearing into the pockets of fat music industry execs.

[@FelixtheMetalcat]

Jimmy and Peter, that depends on the artist and the arrangement with their label (assuming they have one). There are many artists today selling directly so they are getting paid better as long as they are selling. I DO agree with your feelings of buying directly and figuring out a way to support them directly.

[@GodmanchesterGoblin]

Buying CDs is also a way to support independent music stores. I always look out for them when travelling.

[@williamhopper6602]

I agree with you on cds. I have thousands of vinyl records but I have been collecting cds since the middle 80s. Never going back to vinyl records. Good show

[@sokrebis]

Beautifully said: Just me and the music The best experience... Both vinyl and CD

[@Alan.livingston]

I love cd’s because they are immutable. Nothing worse than having to listen to busted arse remaster versions of albums when the version you like gets pulled from Spotify and the like.

[@gergelymarko]

Exactly. It's the mastering that counts, not the bitrate! We have the exact same shit on tidal as on spotify. I collect high quality vinyl rips of original masterings.

[@Sam-xn1db]

Couldn't agree more with you. I once considered switching to spotify, but screw this! I'll probably end up paying more (even for second-hand cds ^^) and waiting for my music to be delivered, but at least I'll get good sound quality.

[@willywonka3050]

I’d love a service that rips the best digital/vinyl masters and makes them available for sale digitally or via lossless streaming.

[@PokeRapper5000]

Not only remasters, but also censored versions. You can imagine how annoyed I was when Spotify decided one day to only stream the censored version of Mike Shinoda's Post Traumatic. Spotify has an option for 'explicit' content. That option was checked on my side. But for several months, the explicit version simply wasn't available on Spotify anymore. It's now available again, but I've had enough. I'm buying CDs of all my favorite albums so that no one can screw with my music anymore.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Good point! Sometimes the unadulterated original mix is best. As an analogy - those of us who originally saw Star Wars at the cinema in 1977, would love to be able to buy a print of that original film on DVD without the later CGI add ons......but can you?

[@mikekrause3671]

i still buy cds, Lps, even tapes sometimes. still nothing like getting a physical music item and spend time opening ,it savoring the new fresh smell (especially in Lps) reading the notes and going through the package.

[@80steen44]

Best thing about cds is you never know when these streaming services are going to lose certain artists or songs through contract and licensing issues, and some artists are only exclusive to certain services. As well, certain mixes or mastering isn't always available to stream, and the cd is usually better quality. Even if you rip your cds then stream them through a cloud its your specific versions. Plus there's the collection aspect of being a fan of an artist and having all their albums in physical format.

[@EclecticApotheosis]

Amen and hallelujah. Reason #11: I've been picking up used CDs for 25 cents at the local library. Some of these are marginal wants, but for 25 cents they are "must haves". And some of them are popular albums from artists I never bothered to buy back in the day when they were pressing massive numbers -- Coldplay, U2, soundtrack albums, classical works. At thrift stores the CDs are a bit more than a quarter, but still you find tremendous values.

[@peterd1364]

Great explanations ....I still buy CD's, will continue to do so as long as the medium is there to play them

[@GrimCellar]

Nice list of reasons, I love CD as well, can sound absolutely stunning on a good system when the disc has been mastered/authored well. It's been an unfairly maligned format as people have gotten hard ons for vinyl's cool factor, but CD retains many advantages.

[@MrOnesession]

so true and you listen different a Full Album over CD. You take time, like Vinyl but without change the Sides. You can sit down and hear the Full Album, with no trigger to skip an another Album from this Artist and can put away the Smartphone.

[@senior_ranger]

Fortunately for me, I'm interested in the experience of listening to music. The quality of videos this man produces is so outstanding, I'd watch them if he were talking about brick laying or sidewalk sweeping. From first minute to last, just perfection. Thank you!

[@andrewwaters9928]

Yes, yes and yes to all this! Watching this video and reading these comments is like I've found my people!

[@BSabbath]

I 100% agree with you. I have another point. 11. LP needs more engagement which is not convenient most of the times for me. Streaming needs the least amount of engagement. Most of the times I don't feel like I am engaged in this hobby when I stream. This is very good for exploring new music or to listen to those music which I do not have in CD or LP. CD is quite balanced. You need to select the album from the rack and put it inside CD tray. It will give you the pleasure to listen to the whole album (because you cannot jump to other album or singer) and you do not need to panik when Side A is needed to be flipped in case of an LP.

[@peterhambrook3757]

A sense of commitment. Pressing play walking away and listening. Not scrolling or tapping a screen and being diverted from the music.

[@JackMcSomeone]

I have an 11th reason: Some albums may not be available on streaming platforms, so get the CD

[@graemekornicki6810]

I love cds for the direct track access no ueed to count the bands and lowre the stylus hopefully on the right track.

[@andrefelixstudio2833]

Excellent video with a ton of facts I am 100% on board with CDs that’s why I have my own personal collection i’ve collected over the years!

[@SimoneGirlanda]

CDs are mine, forever.

[@MS-pd2yo]

Ah.. I might start buying CDs again

[@olympian3]

2000s - vinyl comeback 2010s - cassette comeback 2020s - cd comeback

[@sixtopragaalba9781]

I hope so Betamax come back on 2,030s,obvious with upgrades based in its high gama.

[@Dazlidorne]

I can't wait until we go back to listening to music on cylinders!

[@simple_networks]

I love CDs. My main reasons are they are the cheapest way to get music (5 bucks a pop at my record shop used), they sound good, and I can rip them to my computer and stream them as well. The benefits of both physical media and streaming all in one!

[@Lee.Higginbotham]

Not giving up my cd's either!! A friend of mine he's cruising Good Will for cd's and reselling stuff out of print or rare hard to find for good money. People who are dumping cd's aren't into music for the long haul!! I need my physical media. In the early 70's I was always happy if the lyrics were included especially a singer songwriter like Jim Croce. Reading along and listening with headphones 🎧 on was always awesome to me!! It still is!!

[@josephbagwell]

I have gravitated heavily to Physical medai this past year after i canceled spotify to save money. So CDs, Cassettes and Vinyl (much rarer on the last one as the price of them is getting a bit silly now). If i buy digital it's normally because i can't get hold of a phsyical copy. Also as you say services like bandcamp are much better for artists (especially indie ones) due to the high revenue cut they get.

[@arthurwatts1680]

You sold me with reason #4 and #5 - holy crap, the 'second wave' of vinyl is expensive ! Particularly in a relatively tiny market like ours here in Oz - and I expect that smaller countries like NZ are even worse. I get it - small pressing plants, limited output and shipping large slabs of plastic halfway around the world - but that doesn't lessen the sticker shock. We can debate whether a spinning disc sounds better than a hard drive (or a network connection) but the key question for me is simple : 'what percentage of this album is good enough for me to want to hear it repeatedly ?' and that's where Spotify is invaluable to me and 320K is adequate to tip my toes into the water of countless albums. Thanks for the video.

[@TheLightAhead]

From the time I once started to buy CDs in 1987 until today (I've got them all ripped to hard discs) every few years time added another reason to stick with CDs - and you named them all. The last reason that popped up is the fact (you also mentioned) that artists get more money for selling CDs than for tracks being streamed. And then there is another reason to me: Through all the years (now almost 35 years) I've got a collection still growing and it's part of my life. It's kind of being a musical journal or biography similar to the collection of the books I've read and I'm owning. Getting rid of those CDs (or books) would be as cutting off my former life. One could say I might sell my CDs and keep the ripped versions of them. But to me that wouldn't be the same. Physical items (also vinyls) are kind of brothers and sisters to me that they wouldn't be any longer once they would exist as a digital copy only. P.S. Discovered your channel a few minutes ago and yes: I like your attitude towards HiFi/High End and I'm looking forward to watching more of your old videos and those to come. Keep going!

[@audiophonik6835]

And right now, with the vinyl situation, it's cheaper than ever really? Special editions, boxsets, etc. Totally agree with you John!!!

[@roadrash2005]

I’ve actually seen cd prices going up recently for rarer CDs

[@davidwilliammusic]

Appreciate the point about best supporting the artist. I would love to release stuff on CD, tape and vinyl but so far have only managed to release one album on CD. That run has now gone and I can no longer afford to have more pressed. So the next best thing for me is to offer high quality downloads from places like Bandcamp. Streaming is just not viable in terms of the royalty rate. You need many many plays to generate the same income as somebody buying and downloading just one song on somewhere like Bandcamp. For me personally, although I grew up listening to CDs and enjoying the experience with the booklet, etc I like vinyl best, which was what I started out with.

[@attilafarago8174]

When someone asks me why do I still listen to Cd-s I always say... I listen to the same digital audio as you I just own it rather then renting it!

[@ProjectOverseer]

Another excellent episode, and thank you for keeping comments open 👍 Though I stream and download (especially DSD) I still buy and collect CD's ... I tend to look for good recordings and mastering. Steaming is a great way to discover new music (artists and decent recordings)

[@ElisandroDeLeon]

CDs do have better dynamics than streaming. Ive definitely noticed that.

[@ricard3135]

Thank you for the video. I'm a cd buyer and a great defender of cd too since the early 90s. Nothing can beat the cd format. My house is full of cds.

[@spda242]

I have returned to CDs due to the increased vinyl price, bought more CDs last and so far this year than I have in over 20 years. Best of both worlds are buying vinyl on bandcamp since those often include a (in my case) Flac download 👍

[@coguglielmi]

John, I love your style. No need to go through tedious relaxation sessions or any sort of therapy to chill out. Just listening to you is so smoothing and... Interesting too! Thanks.

[@thomosburn8740]

John, I recently picked up a Philips 963SA cd/dvd/SACD player from the thrift store and the (upsampled, default) playback of bog-standard cds is simply incredible. I was able to considerably upgrade my entire cd collection for the price of a lunch. I don't know of a solution for streaming that's both inexpensive and preposterously upgrades the sound of those files.

[@danielbeggan8024]

Well done! I love my cd's. I too did it cheaper, buy 2nd hand.... Quad amp and controller with a rotel cd player with inbuilt 24 bit dac. Streaming just cannot compete with pure quality.

[@jp93309]

Vinyl, CD, streaming and my favorite format: cassettes (yes cassettes!). The click and whir of each button, that rewind sound, VU meters dancing. Probably the worst fidelity, and wow and flutter can be a joke, but the tactile experience is so satisfying. Not to mention pre-recorded tapes are a fraction of their vinyl counterparts.

[@johnkearns9500]

I love cassettes. Haven't bought any, obviously, for quite some time. I probably have a few hundred tapes. Pre-recorded, and self recorded. I play them on a Harman Kardon TD4400 player/recorder. I also have about 60 8 track tapes stashed away (only God knows where), but, nothing to play them on...

[@jessielees]

i still buy cd's because i want to be able to still have options to listen to music if my network goes down or modem fails.

[@JulienBourjault]

Nice video. I am streaming mostly too, but having sold most my cds and kept about a 100, i recently bought a cheap used cd transport (audiolab 6000cdt) at 300€, and very happy to grab cds again. I found myself in a cd store last weekend, one of the few shops opened in France now :) felt great

[@teadm7258]

One reason I still buy CDs: they sound better than vinyl.

[@Morbidous]

Some vinyl editions indeed sound crap, in that sense Cd's are more reliable, but a good sounding vinyl is superior than a Cd.

[@tonyz376]

I feel they always did. I mean, I was born in 1968 and I went through the whole vinyl phase of my youth, to CD's in the 80s when I was a late teen, young twentysomething year old. CD's were far superior to vinyl and in today's world, less expensive.

[@sixtopragaalba9781]

@@Morbidous FALSE,urban legend,vinyl is pure scratch,drum cymbals get lost,absolute outdated junk.

[@sixtopragaalba9781]

Very good said,only urban legend´s believers can affirm otherwise,greetings.

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

@@Morbidous nonsense. A well recorded cd will sound better than the best sounding vinyl, period. Keep the vinyl for nostalgia, not sq.

[@erinwiebe7026]

I ripped my CD's to FLAC many years ago and have my own local streaming setup too. That's all fun & convenient, but I enjoy buying CD's and even the occasional cassette too. I enjoy the 'deluxe experience' once in a while too. Totally agree.

[@NOELSON341]

CD's are fantastic for me. It's much more affordable than vinyl, easier to find good bands second hands (2nd hand vinyl is all religious music or Dean Martin - not that I don't love Dean), and when I listen to a CD in my car it kinda forces me to listen to the whole album. It's been a really great way to get into music and listen to albums in their entirety. CDs are very underrated!!

[@AnonymousCaveman]

I still use Tape, CDs and vinyl because they all got their own individual quirks and think they sound perfect. Plus having and physically owning a copy of a album is always a joy ✌🏻

[@therobesse]

Playing CDs as a ‘deluxe’ experience, interesting observation - a sign of the times for sure. Great points John, many of them got me thinking and ultimately reminding me to pop another silver disc in the tray!

[@iloveblue7920]

I Still have my digi pack of R by R. Kelly good double.

[@WarinPartita6]

I​ wholehearted​ly​ agree​ with​ every​thing​ you​ say​ here, John.​ BIG​ THANKS​ for​ confirming my​ long​-time​ thought.​

[@theshadowman1398]

Happy I am by far not the only one. I just purchased a brand new Denon DCD 50 player at for me an eyewatering 359 EUR.

[@little.zayzay]

CDs are amazing.I miss being little I was born in 2002 and as a 2000s baby I miss the fade outs at the ends of songs.

[@robm321]

Love the ending. I also think CDs sound better than streaming CD quality. Can't say why.

[@ReasonablySane]

I started buying CDs again because I can get them for $0.50 to a dollar each. And though I'm a huge fan of vinyl, there's no reason why CDs can't sound a lot better. They certainly have a better noise floor. I have several thousands of LPs, most of which I bought at estate sales in the 2000's for pennies on the dollar - when nobody wanted vinyl. I also bought direct drive Tt's and never paid more than $30 for any of them. I'm using the same mindset now with CD's. We have Peddler's mall stores in my area. You can actually get CD's for $.50 to $1, but you have to cherry pick, which can be time consuming. Fortunately, I'm retired and it is my equivalent of scouring the beach with a metal detector. It's oddly satisfying and kind of fun.

[@jorge_1978]

CD: the best format. Period.

[@feralkitten1475]

I don't like that some labels or artists are phasing out CDs. They release their albums on streaming and vinyl, but not on CD. Too bad, that way I'm unlikely to listen to their releases. I started collecting and listening to CDs a few years ago and my listening experience has been improved so much. The sound quality is better and so is my attention span. No phone needed, just me & the music.

[@soundsoflore]

The world needs to bloody hear this. (#11) for the techno people is: some of the best electronic music ever made came out in the 90s (too many to name) and early 2000s (Early Ultimae), so in more than half of cases, the original and main format was CD. Get the experience the artist crafted and the music started its life in this world on.

[@MR_CAMARADERIE]

This!

[@stevefolberg4530]

I like this very much, John. Lately I've been discovering music on Spotify and then seeing if I can buy the CD somewhere. I just found that I could buy Stephen Bishop's "Live" CD on his web site for $20, so he gets the royalties directly. Felt good!

[@noodlehat3250]

I remember when CD's first appeared they were considered technological marvels. You could now get rid of all your obsolete horrible sounding vinyl and tapes.

[@50thbash85]

Sacrilege! Audiophile rules clearly state you must pretend vinyl sounds better than "new fangled" CDs. Even if they don't.

[@johnkearns9500]

I love CD's, but, not pretending, I love the sound of vinyl better (other than the pops and clicks). Maybe because that's what I grew up with. In any case, I love both formats.

[@michaelschafer6379]

I bought a LP just because it came with a CD that was not available as a standalone ... yesterday I got a old Dual turntable and played the only LP I have ... sounds as great as the CD, just in a different way of great. Can't say how, just great!

[@MysticOceanDollies]

I am aware that CDs have the superior sound quality. The main reason I like vinyl is because of the way I can interact with it and experience how others used to listen to music. The other sounds that come with the vinyl are quite charming to me. If I wanted great sound quality, I would just use CDs, but that is not what I am going for with vinyl. It’s more of the experience.

[@zakur0hako]

it did felt very futuristic. which wasn't the case when mp3 came out

[@noelclarke8080]

CD is my favourite, especially with my upscaling DAC. I love that I can also play CDs from my childhood, without any hassles. I still use a portable player as well 💿😀

[@jamesong4512]

Long live CD! 💿 🎶

[@therealsunnyk]

Great to see comments enabled, and I love this list. Same reason as me buying CDs. I really have to get a BandCamp account.

[@laivincent561]

I collect cd over the years Have about 5k now The actual ownership of my favorite singers and musicians via a cd is a physical connection between me and the artist I regard it as a privilege

[@lazarosnikolaidis256]

Hello John. I totally agree with all reasons, esp. with #10. I bought a year ago Pro-Ject's CD Box RS2T with the external supply which definitely won my streamer's playback. Thought at first I was crazy, but slightly is better. Be safe and thank you always for having such interesting material to look at.