A thousand plus tunes in my head are free for the listening, eminently portable, and no earbuds or batteries required. Fiddle for sharing them with others.
I would buy more by downloading if it was more available
in Australia. I order CDs from Aus, USA and Custy's but I can't
afford to get them very often.
When I do buy, which is rare, it's more likely to be a CD at a performance . Usually small, local. However, my kids and other family members do online CD's or digital downloads.
I also prefer the hard copy CDs, and that's because they usually come with informative sleeve notes. With the notes, you could learn about the history or source of obscure tunes, or obscure versions of common tunes.
I tend to buy CDs, and I find the sleeves an interesting read. I love it when the artists include a little info on where they learned the tune. I've bought CD's through Itunes and such, but there's something about having the original CD that makes me feel like I got something for my money.
I'm 53 and have asked this question to younger kids, and most of them have never bought a CD. They just buy the tunes and songs they like on the net.
There's nothing like learning tunes directly from musicians and listening to the stories behind them. But I believe sleeve notes are good substitutes.
Not all the sleeve notes are readable, of course: some are informative but not fun to read at all. But I love reading what some younger musicians write on tunes with a bit of humour. For example, fiddler Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh writes about the reel "I Have No Money" like this: "Séamus Ennis is where we found the last tune - on The Best of Irish Piping / The Pure Drop (TARA CD 1002) - and the title is regrettably indicative of my current financail situation..."
I have bought music on disks all my life. First black disks of various sizes, and then little silver disks. If they stop putting music on disks, I will have to get some helpful youngster to assist me with the transition--there is no way I will figure it out on my own!
Mostly online for me at this point. I just downloaded Paddy Keenan's "Long Grazing Acre", and was pleased to find he has complete notes for the album on his website. This, I hope, is the way of the future.
Pete Cooper has a good approach to the sleeve info problem with his English Fiddle Tunes and Eastern European Fiddle Tunes tunebooks+CDs. He has a skeletal outline discussion of the tunes in the books but a very detailed discussion of each tune is freely available on his website (in the CDs and Books for Sale section). That detailed discussion, if printed in the tune books, would have upped the cost of the books to an unacceptable level.
I think this is something that could be usefully done by more CD producers.
Pete Cooper's website is http://www.petecooper.com.
Itunes mostly. I wish more folks would follow the example of Chris Smith/Coyote Banjo. He's got really nice note on his website for the CD.
I think that many Irish trad players do themselves a disservice by not having there recordings on Itunes. It's not that expensive get put on there and I would buy a lot more stuff.
As a reviewer I'm extremely lucky since CDs regularly arrive free of charge. However, I still buy plenty of independent releases and there's various addictions which have to be supported.
I am more likely to download music. I have done so since someone sent me a link to iTunes when it first appeared. I like being able to listen to clips before I decide what I want. And the availability of single tracks that I want is convenient.
I buy a few CDs at concerts, but I hear that some more mainstream bands (pop-rock-etc) offer recordings on nerdsticks at concerts. I can never find CDs in the house when I want them; too many people pawing through them and hiding them in obscure corners. I'm flattered when the kids want to listen to something I like, but they are casual about reshelving.
The issues with downloads, particularly iTunes, is that if your computer dies, as mine did a few months ago, you are well and truly screwed if you were less than diligent about backing up to an external. And then there is the old Apple format nonsense; I'm not sure if that is still relevant. But it was dumb having to burn your iTunes purchases to a CD and then reimport so that you could put them on an mp3 player. Or at least that was my solution before I inherited an iPod.
If you right-click on a tune in iTunes and look for "Create mp3 version" you can convert it from the native iTunes download format (which is .m4a) to mp3. mp3 is more manageable if you want to burn to CD - Nero Burning ROM will do it - or use the mpw3 on an mp3 player. Also, mp3 is easily convertible to .wav using one of many free converters out there or an audio editor such Nero Wave Editor - just choose "Save as". You may have to use this option if an mp3 is digitally protected.
When converting from .m4a to .mp3 it's a good idea to select the highest quality mp3 (320kbps) to get the best results; any losses in the conversion should be imperceptible. To do this, the procedure I use is:
At the top of the iTunes screen click Edit / Preferences / Import Settings.
In "Import Using" select MP3 Encoder
Go to Setting: Custom
Scroll down until you see Custom again at the bottom of that window, and click on it
You'll see a window for the MP3 encoder settings
In this window, for best quality, select
Stereo Bit: 320kbps
Sample Rate: 44.100 kHz
Channel: Stereo
Stereo Mode: normal
Click boxes for "Smart Encoding Adjustments" and "Filter Frequencies Below 10Hz"
Click OK, and you're done.
Note that although conversion to .wav is listed in "Import Using" it probably won't work in the current version of iTunes on files downloaded from the iTunes Store (presumably because of a DRM restriction), so you'll have to convert to mp3 initially. What you do with mp3 files afterwards is up to you.
It's good policy to backup downloads from iTunes Store, Amazon or radio externally as so as you receive them.
If, like me, you're mad and download all your CDs, LPs and tapes onto iTunes for convenience in both listening and cataloging, then you only need to do external backups of files downloaded from other sources, because the original CDs etc should always be kept safely stored away elsewhere.
My system lately is, I listen to archived versions of A Celtic Sojourn, if there's a tune that catches my fancy, I either listen to Brian O'Donovan's announcement of it, or figure it out on the playlist (or both). If it's something I want to learn, I search for it on iTunes, purchase it for .99 and add it to my library. Then, I search for the sheetmusic here; finally, I load it into my Amazing Slow Downer (and it is amazing!), with which I practice to my heart's delight.
That being said, I do miss the liner notes that come with CDs, but I often do not want the entire album.
Thanks for the good idea to check out the artist's web site for the notes.
But, yes, I am totally addicted to iTunes, and am able to find 98% of what I'm looking for there - but it's dangerous, as .99 a pop adds up.
I tend more towards downloads these days; but wherever I get the music, I always put it on cd, just to be on the safe side. If a video is good enough quality I download it onto a usb stick. Great for learning new tunes.
I think Will Lonelyhearts is near the mark. I find myself buying very few albums these days. I don't need to learn many more tunes, as I already know one or two. Often, if I do buy, it will be something weird and outwith this genre, say Mikis Theodorakis or Tibetan singing or something. And then after having bought it I won't listen to it for yonks. No reflection on the artist concerned, that's just me.
I buy CDs the most, but I comparison shop: if the title is widely available, then I'll probably buy it used; if it is a small act, a limited run, a rare album, out of print, somehow special, or an import pressing that I have to have for whatever reason, then I'll take it however I can get it, used or new.
I buy a lot of vinyl, preferring to buy the LP especially if it is in any way superior to the CD mix -- between some titles one can hardly tell the difference, although other examples are like night and day.
If it's exclusively available on cassette, well, okay.... I buy tapes, too. Cassettes for a few dimes or dollars at thrift stores and truck stops are a special weakness.
I buy one tenth as many recordings per annum as I used to. When I do it's usually prepackaged CD's from Amazon, but I prefer to buy directly from the performer when I can. I've bought a few album downloads when I wanted to have the recording but not quite badly enough to pay the CD price. With downloads, I do miss having the sleeve notes.
I've always bought CDs, and vinyl before that. As someone else said, it's nice to read the booklet and to see the photos. I miss the vinyl LPs as they were often nicely designed.
I've taken to buying some (but not much) of my other music from iTunes. It's mostly pop and some American acoustic country. The problem with downloads is that they tend to stay on my computer and I have to turn it on to listen to the tracks. I'm no technophobe but mobile music (apart from in the car) doesn't really appeal to me.
Besides, it's nice to go into a real shop—such as Claddagh Records in Dublin or Mulligan in Galway—and to talk to real people.
emusic.com is my main source of music these days. They have a pretty good catalog of smaller labels that aren't, or initially weren't, on iTunes. Rather than paying by the tune you pay a monthly rate for a number of downloads. Those don't roll over, so if you forgot to download anything for a month, you lose. If you do remember, it generally works out cheaper than iTunes. There's lots of good stuff there. For example I've recently downloaded "Molloy, Brady, Peoples", Phil Cunningham's "Palomino Waltz", Tommy People's "The Iron Man", and recordings by Michael Gorman and John Vesey.
Sorry, Amrhán, but Mulligan Records in Galway closed down in 2007. It's a sad, but unavoidable fact, that the number of independent stores selling traditional music in Ireland has declined rapidly over the last five years.
Fortunately, there's still Claddagh, but the southeast, midlands and Cork have suffered particularly badly. There's still a scattering of stores along the west coast, but I wonder how long they'll survive if tourist numbers continue to decline.
Music Purchase survey
Music Purchase survey
How do you mostly buy your music?
Physical CD or Digital Download?
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Dennis Regan
Re: Music Purchase survey
"...buy your music."
I don't. I just play it.
A thousand plus tunes in my head are free for the listening, eminently portable, and no earbuds or batteries required. Fiddle for sharing them with others.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: Music Purchase survey
Ditto
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Fanning
Re: Music Purchase survey
That's wonderful. Thanks
This question would be for those who do purchase new music in some shape or form.
Ta.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Dennis Regan
Re: Music Purchase survey
CDs,LPs and cassettes. Amazing how much good Irish music is on records and tapes and never made it onto CD, far less digital downloads.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Kenny
Re: Music Purchase survey
I would buy more by downloading if it was more available
in Australia. I order CDs from Aus, USA and Custy's but I can't
afford to get them very often.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Hup
Re: Music Purchase survey
When I do buy, which is rare, it's more likely to be a CD at a performance . Usually small, local. However, my kids and other family members do online CD's or digital downloads.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by shanty
Re: Music Purchase survey
I still prefer the hard copy cd
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by crfiddler
Re: Music Purchase survey
I also prefer the hard copy CDs, and that's because they usually come with informative sleeve notes. With the notes, you could learn about the history or source of obscure tunes, or obscure versions of common tunes.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by slainte
Re: Music Purchase survey
I tend to buy CDs, and I find the sleeves an interesting read. I love it when the artists include a little info on where they learned the tune. I've bought CD's through Itunes and such, but there's something about having the original CD that makes me feel like I got something for my money.
I'm 53 and have asked this question to younger kids, and most of them have never bought a CD. They just buy the tunes and songs they like on the net.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by nofrets
Re: Music Purchase survey
There's nothing like learning tunes directly from musicians and listening to the stories behind them. But I believe sleeve notes are good substitutes.
Not all the sleeve notes are readable, of course: some are informative but not fun to read at all. But I love reading what some younger musicians write on tunes with a bit of humour. For example, fiddler Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh writes about the reel "I Have No Money" like this: "Séamus Ennis is where we found the last tune - on The Best of Irish Piping / The Pure Drop (TARA CD 1002) - and the title is regrettably indicative of my current financail situation..."
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by slainte
Re: Music Purchase survey
I have bought music on disks all my life. First black disks of various sizes, and then little silver disks. If they stop putting music on disks, I will have to get some helpful youngster to assist me with the transition--there is no way I will figure it out on my own!
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by AlBrown
Re: Music Purchase survey
Mostly online for me at this point. I just downloaded Paddy Keenan's "Long Grazing Acre", and was pleased to find he has complete notes for the album on his website. This, I hope, is the way of the future.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by dereksmootz
Re: Music Purchase survey
I learn most of my tunes from listening to records, mind you I'm finding it awful hard to buy gramophone needles nowadays.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Free Reed
Re: Music Purchase survey
Pete Cooper has a good approach to the sleeve info problem with his English Fiddle Tunes and Eastern European Fiddle Tunes tunebooks+CDs. He has a skeletal outline discussion of the tunes in the books but a very detailed discussion of each tune is freely available on his website (in the CDs and Books for Sale section). That detailed discussion, if printed in the tune books, would have upped the cost of the books to an unacceptable level.
I think this is something that could be usefully done by more CD producers.
Pete Cooper's website is http://www.petecooper.com.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Music Purchase survey
I buy mainly downloads, CD's of ITM being harder to find around my locale. I will nearly always buy a CD or three at a festival or show.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by tracywag
Re: Music Purchase survey
90% CD
10% download
Mary
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Antikhntr
Re: Music Purchase survey
Itunes mostly. I wish more folks would follow the example of Chris Smith/Coyote Banjo. He's got really nice note on his website for the CD.
I think that many Irish trad players do themselves a disservice by not having there recordings on Itunes. It's not that expensive get put on there and I would buy a lot more stuff.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by iampeterfonda
Re: Music Purchase survey
As a reviewer I'm extremely lucky since CDs regularly arrive free of charge. However, I still buy plenty of independent releases and there's various addictions which have to be supported.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Music Purchase survey
Whoops, I should have added that I only by CDs or old vinyl. I haven't purchased a download in my life.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Music Purchase survey
I am more likely to download music. I have done so since someone sent me a link to iTunes when it first appeared. I like being able to listen to clips before I decide what I want. And the availability of single tracks that I want is convenient.
I buy a few CDs at concerts, but I hear that some more mainstream bands (pop-rock-etc) offer recordings on nerdsticks at concerts. I can never find CDs in the house when I want them; too many people pawing through them and hiding them in obscure corners. I'm flattered when the kids want to listen to something I like, but they are casual about reshelving.
The issues with downloads, particularly iTunes, is that if your computer dies, as mine did a few months ago, you are well and truly screwed if you were less than diligent about backing up to an external. And then there is the old Apple format nonsense; I'm not sure if that is still relevant. But it was dumb having to burn your iTunes purchases to a CD and then reimport so that you could put them on an mp3 player. Or at least that was my solution before I inherited an iPod.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Michele Sims
Re: Music Purchase survey
CDs, preferably directly from the artists at performances (they're cheaper that way too).
Almost never buy online---don't like the audio quality. But I listen to free-streaming stuff a lot.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by kennedy
Re: Music Purchase survey
If you right-click on a tune in iTunes and look for "Create mp3 version" you can convert it from the native iTunes download format (which is .m4a) to mp3. mp3 is more manageable if you want to burn to CD - Nero Burning ROM will do it - or use the mpw3 on an mp3 player. Also, mp3 is easily convertible to .wav using one of many free converters out there or an audio editor such Nero Wave Editor - just choose "Save as". You may have to use this option if an mp3 is digitally protected.
When converting from .m4a to .mp3 it's a good idea to select the highest quality mp3 (320kbps) to get the best results; any losses in the conversion should be imperceptible. To do this, the procedure I use is:
At the top of the iTunes screen click Edit / Preferences / Import Settings.
In "Import Using" select MP3 Encoder
Go to Setting: Custom
Scroll down until you see Custom again at the bottom of that window, and click on it
You'll see a window for the MP3 encoder settings
In this window, for best quality, select
Stereo Bit: 320kbps
Sample Rate: 44.100 kHz
Channel: Stereo
Stereo Mode: normal
Click boxes for "Smart Encoding Adjustments" and "Filter Frequencies Below 10Hz"
Click OK, and you're done.
Note that although conversion to .wav is listed in "Import Using" it probably won't work in the current version of iTunes on files downloaded from the iTunes Store (presumably because of a DRM restriction), so you'll have to convert to mp3 initially. What you do with mp3 files afterwards is up to you.
It's good policy to backup downloads from iTunes Store, Amazon or radio externally as so as you receive them.
If, like me, you're mad and download all your CDs, LPs and tapes onto iTunes for convenience in both listening and cataloging, then you only need to do external backups of files downloaded from other sources, because the original CDs etc should always be kept safely stored away elsewhere.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Music Purchase survey
Thanks very much folks.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by Dennis Regan
Re: Music Purchase survey
My system lately is, I listen to archived versions of A Celtic Sojourn, if there's a tune that catches my fancy, I either listen to Brian O'Donovan's announcement of it, or figure it out on the playlist (or both). If it's something I want to learn, I search for it on iTunes, purchase it for .99 and add it to my library. Then, I search for the sheetmusic here; finally, I load it into my Amazing Slow Downer (and it is amazing!), with which I practice to my heart's delight.
That being said, I do miss the liner notes that come with CDs, but I often do not want the entire album.
Thanks for the good idea to check out the artist's web site for the notes.
But, yes, I am totally addicted to iTunes, and am able to find 98% of what I'm looking for there - but it's dangerous, as .99 a pop adds up.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by sara505sings
Re: Music Purchase survey
I buy CDs at festivals or direct from the performer after concerts. Very occasionally mail order CD. I've only ever made one d/l purchase.
# Posted on January 30th 2010 by All Moldy
Re: Music Purchase survey
I tend more towards downloads these days; but wherever I get the music, I always put it on cd, just to be on the safe side. If a video is good enough quality I download it onto a usb stick. Great for learning new tunes.
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by gam
Re: Music Purchase survey
lol, I tend towards cds, but I always put them on my computer to be onn the safe side-i tend to lose stuff
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by steve...r
Re: Music Purchase survey
CDs are easier to find than downloads (on my computer)
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by mcknowall
Re: Music Purchase survey
I think Will Lonelyhearts is near the mark. I find myself buying very few albums these days. I don't need to learn many more tunes, as I already know one or two. Often, if I do buy, it will be something weird and outwith this genre, say Mikis Theodorakis or Tibetan singing or something. And then after having bought it I won't listen to it for yonks. No reflection on the artist concerned, that's just me.
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by Rudall the time
Re: Music Purchase survey
I buy CDs the most, but I comparison shop: if the title is widely available, then I'll probably buy it used; if it is a small act, a limited run, a rare album, out of print, somehow special, or an import pressing that I have to have for whatever reason, then I'll take it however I can get it, used or new.
I buy a lot of vinyl, preferring to buy the LP especially if it is in any way superior to the CD mix -- between some titles one can hardly tell the difference, although other examples are like night and day.
If it's exclusively available on cassette, well, okay.... I buy tapes, too. Cassettes for a few dimes or dollars at thrift stores and truck stops are a special weakness.
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by gravelwalks
Re: Music Purchase survey
LPs & CDs...
Realizing the convenience of MP3s, I still don't like them, though I use them...
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by ceolachan
Re: Music Purchase survey
Does anyone know how to get round the problem of missing sleeve notes if you download tunes?
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by Rob
Re: Music Purchase survey
I buy one tenth as many recordings per annum as I used to. When I do it's usually prepackaged CD's from Amazon, but I prefer to buy directly from the performer when I can. I've bought a few album downloads when I wanted to have the recording but not quite badly enough to pay the CD price. With downloads, I do miss having the sleeve notes.
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by Bob himself
Re: Music Purchase survey
Missing sleeve notes? You mean they're supposed to be there, but aren't?
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by Bob himself
Re: Music Purchase survey
Some downloads do include the sleeve notes, but even there it's a bother to print them out and cram them into a jewel case.
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by Bob himself
Re: Music Purchase survey
CDs signed by the artist, otherwise strictly downloads.
µ
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by Markplucker
Re: Music Purchase survey
PS Amazon or Play (usually higher quality). Never iTunes - not into bondage.
µ
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by Markplucker
Re: Music Purchase survey
I've always bought CDs, and vinyl before that. As someone else said, it's nice to read the booklet and to see the photos. I miss the vinyl LPs as they were often nicely designed.
I've taken to buying some (but not much) of my other music from iTunes. It's mostly pop and some American acoustic country. The problem with downloads is that they tend to stay on my computer and I have to turn it on to listen to the tracks. I'm no technophobe but mobile music (apart from in the car) doesn't really appeal to me.
Besides, it's nice to go into a real shop—such as Claddagh Records in Dublin or Mulligan in Galway—and to talk to real people.
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by amhrán
Re: Music Purchase survey
emusic.com is my main source of music these days. They have a pretty good catalog of smaller labels that aren't, or initially weren't, on iTunes. Rather than paying by the tune you pay a monthly rate for a number of downloads. Those don't roll over, so if you forgot to download anything for a month, you lose. If you do remember, it generally works out cheaper than iTunes. There's lots of good stuff there. For example I've recently downloaded "Molloy, Brady, Peoples", Phil Cunningham's "Palomino Waltz", Tommy People's "The Iron Man", and recordings by Michael Gorman and John Vesey.
# Posted on January 31st 2010 by rdi
Re: Music Purchase survey
digital download where possible, but rare that the more obscure (and interesting to me) CDs I have get on to the download sites.
# Posted on February 1st 2010 by farmerboy
Re: Music Purchase survey
Sorry, Amrhán, but Mulligan Records in Galway closed down in 2007. It's a sad, but unavoidable fact, that the number of independent stores selling traditional music in Ireland has declined rapidly over the last five years.
Fortunately, there's still Claddagh, but the southeast, midlands and Cork have suffered particularly badly. There's still a scattering of stores along the west coast, but I wonder how long they'll survive if tourist numbers continue to decline.
# Posted on February 1st 2010 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Music Purchase survey
FM music store in Patrick St, Cork is a nice little shop.
# Posted on February 1st 2010 by Dennis Regan