Has technology like the mp3 and iTunes killed the album format?

by mrosen814 Posted March 21, 2010 21:35:37
in Los Angeles Concert Calendar

82 votes
Read all 51 opinions
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	Yes	40 votes	49%
	No	31 votes	38%
	Undecided	11 votes	13%

+12

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jitko March 22, 2010 15:26:26

Undecided

+3
It's been greatly wounded, for sure, but much of the wounding is self-inflicted. A great ALBUM experience has been the exception, not the rule. Many albums were purchased because there was one or two great songs sandwiched in mediocrity. If there had been a way to buy the one song, like there was with the A- and B-side records, millions of albums wouldn't have been purchased. Once again, consumers have the choice.

As for the tangibility of the record album, as a person dealing with all the stuff involved in moving the belongings of twelve people in a real estate swap, I've become a big fan of almost weightless music. Try moving a large trunk of records (most scratched and none listened to in decades) and you may share my enthusiasm.
>> See Replies

Nonicknameunlessyouknowme April 12, 2010 03:31:38

Undecided

For the time being, I don't think so because there are still a lot of music customers who wouldn't know how to purchase music online or work an iPod and still others who have the technological know-how but like to have the hard copy of an album in its entirety.
Personally, I am in a music club which sends me a CD every month that I have lined up in my wish list, but I also like to purchase particular songs and probably have songs that some in the younger generation wouldn't even have heard. I have learned to make hard copies of any music I purchase though, in case of a hard drive crash and my hard copies are backed up on an external hard drive because it is very time consuming to have to put all my music back on my computer. I know because I once lost a lot of music that I had purchased when my computer crashed. It's a lot easier to take my external hard drive with me when I travel too, so that I have all my pictures and music with me where ever I go. I just wish I had the same options for my movies. I really hate having to change DVD's all the time and would much prefer to have access to them thru my computer.

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jacktown kid April 01, 2010 20:07:16

No

Get use to it

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cutie111 March 28, 2010 02:37:27

Undecided

dont forget limewire!

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*SmileS* =) March 26, 2010 18:49:57

Yes

yup

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David Villa March 25, 2010 11:42:10

Yes

Big time,but for awesome reasons!
we can no longer buy an effing album,we an get it free!
I love the 21st Century

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shannon fox March 25, 2010 06:56:16

Yes

yea basically.... but when im in the car i use cds

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divajinx March 24, 2010 01:49:09

Yes

I think the convenience of the MP3 player & iTunes has killed the album format but the sound (as scratchy & gravely as it may be) can't be beat. I still play my albums - many which are from the late 60s/early 70s (so they're originals)! The digitally remastered stuff misses out on that authenticity.

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L.A. woman March 23, 2010 14:10:32

Yes

but alas I own neither of those technologies. I still play the albums. Takes me back to a more sane time.

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Russ March 22, 2010 23:41:48

Yes

Its been years since i have bought a CD. I think it was Twisted Transistor from Korn.

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mae March 22, 2010 22:15:34

No

+1
Don't think so.

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BoyOfTh... to mae March 22, 2010 22:25:14

IT's like a RAVE party in here!? AmIright?

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BoyOfTheEnders March 22, 2010 22:15:12 (edited)

No

Honestly, the future of it all, depends on weather the 5 major company that control most of the world's media, decide to stop making and selling them or not.

Best Buy still sells albums (cd's) even vinyl, so It's not over yet.
Bands are now selling Flash Drives, with their band printed on them.
I have a massive CD collection, most are from the last 5 years.
Some are brand new!

It's never over, for physical copies of an object. People are so obsessed with their "Gotta have it" lifestyles, you think people are actually going to accept 100% digital music purchases?
I hate iTunes for a handfull of good, tech-head OCD nerdy reasons.

That's like saying:
"Are they going to stop selling blank CDs?!?!?"
Probably not.

"Is there still music on radio stations?"
Yes.

"Would it be eco-efficient to stop production of CDs?"
I think so.

Dont get me wrong, I have 50 gigs of music on this PC, but most of it, is what I've ripped from my personal collection of... CDS!!!!.

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Persephone March 22, 2010 21:25:09

No

+1
Not for me. I do have an mp3 player but I usually only use it outside.
Whenever I'm home, I prefer listening to my CD's than to my mp3 and whenever I can, I still buy CD's. And I still listen to vinyl.

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Juliettecr March 22, 2010 20:08:04

No

+1
I have plently of 33s and 45s, and CDs that I am still able to play (along with my cassette tapes) and as long as I am able to play them, then nope, the "wonderful" world of technology hasn't destroyed the ways of those who...as I do... simply loves the those classic (gulp) "antiques" formats.

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what the March 22, 2010 18:25:09

Undecided

+1
Video killed the radio star.

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Princess Eeyore March 22, 2010 17:09:56

No

+2
Putting one or 2 good songs on a CD and the rest as filler is what's killing the format.

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jitko March 22, 2010 15:26:26

Undecided

+3
It's been greatly wounded, for sure, but much of the wounding is self-inflicted. A great ALBUM experience has been the exception, not the rule. Many albums were purchased because there was one or two great songs sandwiched in mediocrity. If there had been a way to buy the one song, like there was with the A- and B-side records, millions of albums wouldn't have been purchased. Once again, consumers have the choice.

As for the tangibility of the record album, as a person dealing with all the stuff involved in moving the belongings of twelve people in a real estate swap, I've become a big fan of almost weightless music. Try moving a large trunk of records (most scratched and none listened to in decades) and you may share my enthusiasm.

reply
Sasssy March 22, 2010 14:52:06

Yes

+1

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Piwan March 22, 2010 14:04:38

Yes

+1
I think so, and that makes me sad, because i prefer the older formats!

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james March 22, 2010 07:23:56

Yes

+2
tower records is gone.....i miss looking through CDs and Records.....im more of a record person myself...but i enjoy looking and finding new treasures at the record store.....something which cannot be donw with itunes and online stuff

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crotchrot March 22, 2010 05:53:21

No

+3
i don't think so.

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Just for thought March 22, 2010 05:40:14

Undecided

+2
I like cds. The harddrive crashes you are definitely fuct.

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SpyderX March 22, 2010 04:40:12

No

+3
No. CD's killed the album format. ;-)

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The Bantam Seditioner March 22, 2010 04:33:37 (edited)

No

+3
Not at all! In fact, I never really listened to full albums before the advent of file-sharing, because I was always restricted to the hit singles format of radio. Now one of my favorite things to do is to download an artist's entire discography and chart his or her artistic growth and development over the course of several albums. You can learn a lot, both about music and about your own reactions to it.

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freakoutnow March 22, 2010 03:32:43

No

+3
Depopularized it perhaps. If you like the artist then you usually buy the whole album. Otherwise you buy just the songs you like. I love looking at the liner notes and artwork on albums of various formats. There has been a resurgence in the popularity in vinyl in recent years largely propelled by DJ's who like records cause they can work with them and those that prefer the vinyl sounds.

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alw_ays March 22, 2010 03:10:08

Undecided

+2
I have over a thousand disks and several hundred vinyl albums, many of which I cannot just listen to one song from. Even when I create playlists on Grooveshark I sync up the whole album in order, except songs that I've latched on to over the years off the radio.

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XxXxX March 22, 2010 01:08:36

Yes

+2
Yeah, and soon there will be something better, It's a good thing that you can buy song for song instead of a whole CD.

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gregaj7 March 22, 2010 01:03:27

No

+3
There are some who don't have a computer, mp3 player, or cd player. Many still have vinyl.

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Gun665 March 22, 2010 00:55:42
Little Queen March 22, 2010 00:30:05

No

+1
I think the buying a single song only option has changed the way people buy music and the way artists sell music but I still buy albums. I enjoy whole albums as a work of art. I buy singles too, if I'm not a strong fan of an artist and only enjoy one or two of their recordings. It's great to have both options.

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diaverde08-AmericanKilljoy March 21, 2010 23:50:29

No

+2
There are still people who like to buy full albums. Stores still sell albums regardless of itunes. mp3 purchasing merely allows people to pick out the few decent songs out of crappy albums, when they might otherwise not buy the album at all. If an album is truly excellent, I think most people will decide to buy the whole thing.

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runningintriangles ~the the... March 21, 2010 23:29:26

No

+2
No, I still buy hard copies of albums... I like the artwork, plus I'm the geek who reads liner notes >_>

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kstone March 21, 2010 23:13:47

No

+2
nope I still buy and ask for CD's for my birthday and Christmas

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RICK March 21, 2010 22:44:47

Yes

+1
It appears so.Although I still do like to get the whole album to get songs that you may not have known about otherwise.

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tammerz/zɹǝɯɯɐʇ March 21, 2010 22:32:03

No

+2
I don't think so. Unpopularized it, maybe, but when it matters, especially in a themed album where all the songs are interrelated, then the album format is still alive. And there will always be people that will buy a whole album just because they like the artist.

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Manwë March 21, 2010 22:28:41

Yes

+1
LP records, then reel to reel, then 8 tracks, then cassette, then CDs. The progression of formats has continued to make the former almost obsolete. This will continue. Even without iTunes, music has moved to solid state devices such as usb cards and drives. This will only continue. mp3 is not a loss-less format, but for most ears it is good enough.

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claptonluvr March 21, 2010 22:24:44

Undecided

+3
It's definitely put a dent on album sales/usage, but I will always listen to music on vinyl!!!

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Rocker4life634 March 21, 2010 22:06:56

Yes

+1
I don't download one song, I have to download the entire album.

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15 March 21, 2010 21:55:36

No

+1
I buy CD's all the time and besides it would be cheeper because you don't have to buy the music from iTunes.

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moomoof "Chi chi le le los... March 21, 2010 21:53:26

No

+1
nah i still buy cds

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