And I wouldn't call vinyl insignificant compared to CD either, even based on unit sales. Insignificant implies that it's almost nothing. I believe the latest figures have vinyl selling about 32% of the total units between both formats. Hardly insignificant. It also occurs to me that vinyl's success may help CD. The case for CD over streaming is not very compelling unless you want certain masterings perhaps. The case for vinyl is much more compelling, and if you are into vinyl you might just decide to stick with CD as well. But if CD was the only physical media left, I think it would be easier to just jump on the streaming bandwagon. That's all the more reason for someone to find a way to get the Apollo plant back up and running. I expect it will happen somehow, and I don't think vinyl prices will surge the way some think. The prices are already high. In the meantime, companies will just press more of those discontinued releases they already have lacquers for. I mean, seemingly just about everything has been re-released in the last 15 years.
Same thoughts, first off, on your health and hope things do improve for you. As for music consumption...I understand the feeling. Apple also does file uploads as well, so for things that aren't in their cloud offering you can supplement that way (although getting the music there is of course the initial challenge). I've personally been trying to "future proof" things as best as I can as well, where if I can get my CD and LP's onto digital rips then a large collection doesn't really matter anymore. Storage footprint is still very small and can literally be carried in my pocket. For some that is never going to be an option, and I understand that as well. Everyone has their preferences and priorities.
I didn't doubt that you had a radio or two about the place Sadly, your quip does seem to perfectly describe the younger generation It's really bad, and sad, when they go to concerts and spend the whole time viewing through a tiny screen. They need to learn to live in the moment.
For most people, yes. But not for all. On my 4K Smart TV, I can "own" Streams of 4K "Ultra HD" films with DolbyVision or HDR10. Those files are rather analogous to FLAC files (although 35mm Film actually scales to 6K). The same platforms I use to access those 4K files - iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Prime, Fandango, Netflix - also offer the 1080p (regular HD) and 480p (Standard D) versions (with some exceptions). This is because there is a market for each of these fidelities with Film/Video consumers. Spotify and iTunes and Amazon Prime Music, however, DO NOT offer what would be analogous to 4K for Audio Files!! With the failure of Pono, only TIDAL offers FLAC. Some people like HDTracks as well. But overwhelmingly, the "Ultra HD Audio" is not competitively priced or widely available. (Tidal is $20/mo for FLAC, whereas Netflix is $16/mo for 4K). Will there ever be a competitive market for FLAC the way there is for 4K? I'm not sure. But most people don't care. Most music aficionados are content with 320kpbs on Spotify Premium at $10/mo. Personally, I use Spotify for all the music I don't feel was mixed well in the first place. (A lot of stuff I like falls into this category.) Sometimes, the only option is a really crappy remaster. In those cases, and whenever an album is generally well-regarded for its fidelity (mix, mastering, engineering, etc.), I buy the CD if it's not smashed, and the Vinyl if the CD suffers from loudness-wars related issues. Hope this helps you think about it!
Maybe I just listen to the right music, but I have yet to encounter something I was interested in buying that wasn’t released on either LP or CD. I don’t feel this impending doom (even in light of the Apollo fire).
What's funny, I just opened your profile. We're the same age my friend. You are a true renaissance man!
This actually bothers me for both video and audio streaming. There is no good reason all video is not 4K and all audio is not high-rez in 2020.
Worst case with the Apollo fire is that vinyl releases will be delayed or cancelled. But the music itself will be available elsewhere. I have had a few cases (so far) where streaming or, I think more commonly, digital download releases were the only format available. No vinyl or CD release at all (or so limited as to be not worth exploring) and I expect that will grow over time.
There is way too much music that is not available via streaming. I can buy anything I want. I can only stream what they decide to make available to me. If you're just into the mainstream of whatever genre you mostly listen to, and prefer not to enjoy it in the best sound quality available, then stream away.
I certainly read about the existence of such non-physical releases, and I am willing to believe it is just coincidental I have not been affected by any yet.
yes and no...20 years from now I'd say a heavy hearted YES...but there will always be small labels that charge a fortune for physical product...sorta what Shout Factory does today but modified...
I don't know which direction your tastes swing, but I have already discovered quite a few new-to-me artist since I picked-up a Marantz ND8006 streamer. And some of these artists unfortunately have either very-little, or no physical media presence at all. Prior to owning such a high-quality streamer, I had never even heard-of any of these artists. Nor would I have ever learned about these artist had I not decided to dip my toe into the wide world of streaming. But these streaming services have gotten very good at making suggestions of other music which I may enjoy. And often they are right.
Two which immediately come to mind as only having their oldest releases available in physical format are Linsey Webster, and Whale City. The rest I can't remember off the top of my head because I don't know of any means for saving links to favorites which I discover while exploring new music on my streamers. This is one aspect of streaming which I really detest. My streaming history only goes back about 6 albums. And once they fall out of this queue, I might never find them again. So if I can't find a physical copy of artist's album on Amazon to purchase, these artists have a tendency of being forgotten inside that grey-matter civ which sits atop of my shoulders.
Also for good sound streaming it doesn't have to be hi rez. My Dac won't decode anything but 16/44 and lossless streamed redbook sounds fantastic. Many many tubes help!
Qobuz offers CD resolution and up to 192/24 for $14.99/month or $12.49 for the year if you pay up front for it. If Spotify or Apple were to make the switch to CD quality or higher then it would mainstream as one would definitely follow the other and they hold the most market share to do so. Pono and Amazon have helped bring attention to it at least.
Nothing at this point will ever replace vinyl, period. Streaming of course has its place in society and I'm not denigrating it at all. But vinyl is vinyl and its resurgence is proof positive of its appeal. And I'm certainly not going to get into an argument about which sounds better, that's personal preference obviously. For me, streaming is for when I just want background music playing while I'm doing something else.
Having more than one format to choose from is the new now, same as the old now. Why any format has to be considered archaic, because someone else embraces the newer, is beyond me. Pick your favorite format(s) and go with it(them).
The whole physical media thing all in is something more than a drop in the bucket -- something like 8 or 10 percent of the US market for new recorded music -- but still it's not growing. I mean vinyl is growing, but not at a rate to offset declining CD sales, so it's really not like we see people over all flocking to physical media, there's just a vinyl niche for people willing to pay a premium price. It's really a different market I think than the market for CD, which continues to shrink at like 15-18% a year. I don't know that vinyl is a gateway drug to a CD revival.
I've been streaming in-home -- I ripped all of my cd's to a nas (flac lossless) quite a few years ago, and use UPnP streaming in the home to serve them to my 2 systems via ethernet cable in the walls. I still have no interest in subscribing to Qobuz, Tidal, etc. -- for the albums we love, I want the versions I know. The only reason I'd have to subscribe would be for music I don't already own. Honestly, we don't have enough time to listen enough.
Yes, it would go a long, long way. I haven't heard of Qobuz, and no idea the scale of their offering (all the bands folks like us like?) But one issue with Spotify is Remastered-Supremacy. So even if they had CD quality files, I'd still be looking for non-remastered editions, whereas Spotify often only includes one version, the newest (usually remastered) one. Though that would of course mostly/only drive the Used Marketplace.
