are cds becoming obsolete?

Question

..with mp3 players all the rage, are cds dooomed to the the great techo-dump? will we all just be downloading albums instead of going to shops and buying them?

so much for the good ole album art.

Answer 1

Well no I don't think so, I see MP3 players as an alternative to lugging around those CDs but the CDs will still be purchased for the music and some people just like to have the CDs.

Answer 2

Anyone who doesn't think CDs are becoming obsolete hasn't lived through the age of vinyl records.

Back in the 1970's and 1980's, when there was a release date for a new record you wanted, you would show up at the store that very first day to buy it. Sometimes it would already be sold out.

Compare that with today. How many people race out the door to buy some non-descript looking CD that typically has no inserts, no good cover art, and no lyrics to read?

I used to frame some records. Even today, The Container Store still sells special frames for doing this. The albums were art (some of you may remember the movie, XANADU, with Olivia Newton John. The co-star played a guy who painted the cover art for records). CD's are just bland. There is nothing to excite the imagination. Some records, like certain special editions of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" or "Captain Fantastic" came with huge lyric sheets with lots of great pictures. This was something you wanted to hold in your hand and read as you listened to the music.

When I listened to RUSH's "Hold Your Fire" CD, I was thrilled it came with lyrics, althought they were in such small print it was sometimes hard to read. The joy of music is fading. It's not just sound that makes up the music experience, it's all the accompanying things: art, lyrics, posters, special inserts, etc.

Now we have sterile little CD's. No one cares so much about the whole music experience, so we just download.

I think I'll go to ITunes and get some new music now. Thanks for reminding me.

Answer 3

Eventually they will, just as anything used for storage in the past has. It may take awhile, but overall, I'd say within the next 10-20 years we won't use them anymore. Most everything would be stored on the internet in cloud storage, and we'd probably use something similar to flash drives or SD cards. As computers are getting smaller and smaller, Smart phones for isntance, a CD would just be impractical, and we'd have something smaller and lighter than a CD to carry and use for storage. I'm sure cheaper too.

Answer 4

Same thing made vinyl obsolete, why have a huge library of CDs when they can all fit onto a pocket device? Maybe it spells the end of traditional record shops, or mayb record shops could become music download stations for those who have an MP3 device but not the means to download.

Answer 5

No I don't think so..... just because selling albums is the way that music artists make the majority of there money. I think that people probably buy a lot less Cd's now but I wouldn't say they are going to be obsolete.

Answer 6

I won't - I can't stand the squeaky, squawky sound of mp3 players.

Vinyl is still with us. many years after its predicted demise (vinyl sales have steadily increased over the last 5 years), and there are always people who prefer sound quality over quantity. The CD has plenty of life left in it...

Answer 7

no some people dont have internet so they cant download music
the only way that people can get music is by buying cd. I say this to you because that's was my case before i had a computer.

Answer 8

yea i think so. i got my ipod about 2 years ago and i havent bought a cd since then

Answer 9

unforunately yes,i work in the business and people are definately buying less, the main factor i think is music downloads.

Answer 10

they never will be for me