Why Music Ownership Matters

Liquidate it now. You'll sleep better, and all your fellow [x] fanatics won't be dead, thus hollowing out the market for what your heirs are offering on the street corner.

 

It's real, but it's limited. Two manufacturers, PDO UK (and ONLY UK) & OPTI.ME.S in Italy, had a faulty manufacturing process for a few years which IIRC, substituted silver for aluminum. Bronzing ensued, along with deterioration of the encoded data. Both plants, however, eventually corrected this manufacturing method. And many (probably most) of the affected titles were repressed and/or available in pressings from other manufacturers.

There have been some other types of rot reported, but they seem to be random, isolated and even more rare than the infamous bronzing.

So, not widespread and not inherent to the CD format.

 

That it should be done by one for-profit company?

Tim

 

“No amount of effort can save you from oblivion.” - Kurt Cobain

 

Well, careful handling and storage, such as keeping them out of the sun, can definitely help. And don't use adhesive paper labels. The adhesive in most cases - not all, but definitely MOST - will cause trouble.

 

That is a great idea if that non profit scheme was applied to music too, and would probably save otherwise lost recordings.
Quite frankly, I don't trust Spotify or Apple to be the custodions of all music, especially the music that does not generate a profit for them.
But the legal issues would kick in for this non profit scheme and would be DOA.

 

For what it’s worth, the ARChive of Contemporary Music in upstate NY is seeking to create an actual archival collection of all music releases. Not sure how much they really have compared to everything that’s ever been pressed (which is literally what they’re trying to do!) but nevertheless it’s an interesting venture. They used to have music sales every year of extras and duplicates at their former Manhattan location where proceeds would support the ARChive but I don’t know if they’re still doing so now that they’ve moved. After COVID though, I’d like to pay a visit. (Never mind, they’re not open to the general public.)

About the ARChive | The ARChive of Contemporary Music

 

Here is what I know for myself. I own a completely digital library. Up until about 12-15 months ago everything was sourced from albums I purchased and ripped into my digital library. Only in more recent times have I purchased downloads of albums. The vast majority of those are from new releases where I have not been concerned about what mastering I might get and the few that were not I was able to identify them to the degree I was satisfied. I own them. I control how they are used and played.

Whatever anyone else might think of that matters not to me and I will simply continue to love, listen, appreciate and acquire MY music.

 

I don’t want the CD lovers to worry... I repurposed my CD’s and put them to good use as drink coasters.

 

It doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing. You don't have to have a huge collection or no collection. I've always maintained a modest collection that doesn't end up owning me. Problem solved.

 

of course.

There is an authentic PDF from .manufacturer data in conjunction with museum archivists handling guidelines IF YOU CAN FIND IT WITHOUT RUNNING INTO A DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN deliberately designed to mislead, such as the one provided at :
NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service) › museumPDF
Web results
Care Of Archival Compact Discs - National Park Service
^
the above-linked information contains a dangerous mix of fact and lies deliberately designed to destroy consumer confidence in CDs.

guess which parties are behind its publication!

somebody has also managed to make the authentic PDF of museum care guidelines (minus the propaganda) difficult to locate, I am even having difficulty finding the source.

more info as it becomes available.


the true facts are that CDs ARE NOT DIFFICULT TO PRESERVE, as the above-listed PDF would have us believe.

They simply need to be stored vertically, out of contact with harmful conditions such as :

• prolonged direct UV sunlight
• prolonged high humidity
• liquid water, moisture
• chemicals, cleaners, and solvents
• extreme temperatures (below 48 degrees Fahrenheit or above 89 degrees F)
• bending the disc or pressure-stress


to remove fingerprints, use only a dry, clean, soft cotton cloth to wipe gently in a straight line only, one direction, from centre of disc to edge (not back and forth)

do not allow anything else to come into direct contact with the media surface and put back into the jewel case after use.

following these simple guidelines will insure that a properly manufactured CD will last generations.

 

This is consistent with what I have always understood about care of CDs.

Is any reason give why they should be stored vertically? Given how light they are, and how tightly they fit into the case, surely gravity-induced warping is not an issue?

 

if they are kept in a standard-design, original style jewel case (where only the inner edge of the CD's center hole comes in contact with the tray hub) then it shouldn't matter.

where it gets dicey is when discs are kept not in a standard jewel case but instead in mini cardboard sleeves (like a miniature vinyl album jacket) and stacked one on top another. this causes pressure stress against the surface of the disc, which is not a good way to keep them.

a standard jewel case is designed to hold the disc by the hole' s inner edge and suspend the CD without pressure of any kind against the CD's surface.

 

nice rig !

alas, if only the whole vinyl-collecting hobby/ format-playback & maintenance/ preservation-scheme was as affordable and carefree as CDs.

It seems,to me that if one wants to invest in vinyl and own high quality artifacts while at the same time enjoying them without worrying about excessive groove-wear, one has to spend a small fortune.

please tell me where I can get a flawless, new vinyl lp for fifteen dollars and a turntable for $1OO that wont ruin the grooves (?)

with CDs that can be accomplished.

I would still be a vinyl enthusiast today if it were possible to have the best of both worlds

 

You sure can. Exactly where I started.. I bought a Pioneer PL-530 turntable at at garage sale for $25.00. I did put a $68 cart on it though. I tried it with some over 20 year old records I had from high school right about the time CD was taking over... fast forward 20 years, I bought this table as a toy/joke because my buddy kept praising vinyl. I had bought and hardly used a $2300 CD player and I never felt like listening to music. So I hook up this garage sale table and started listening to cheap beat up vinyl. All I can say is I actually felt sad for a bit.. sorta like the overwhelming feeling of being reunited with a lost love. It was simply amazing. With in weeks I sold my CD player. I resent it now. I had thousands of CD’s in like brand new condition. The ear fatigue and lifeless presentation of brick walled CDs has me now angry. I believed all the lies when vinyl was taken from me. 90% of my records are used from about $5 to $7 dollars each. I traded my piles of CD’s for store credits to buy vinyl.

Vinyl DOES not have to be expensive. Money sure helps you get lucky finding something, but its not a requirement. There’s plenty of used under $300 turntables and plenty of nice carts capable of making beautiful music for under $50. I’m about 10 years back into vinyl.. you do the math, I spent all of my late 20’s through my late 30’s not listening to music because I didn't understand it was the fake cold lifeless ear fatiguing sound of CD. For over 10 years now I listen to vinyl about Two hours 4-5 days a week and often times I’ll spend 5-6 hours on top of that on a single afternoon listening. I love music again and thank vinyl for that.

There are of course some nice sounding CD’s but much of it is just so compressed, thats more on the engineers of the time than the format. It is what it is though.

I for one will NEVER understand the ridiculous point about grooves wearing out.... That is like next to impossible. Are these people using a utility knife and a brick for a head shell? I have cheap used records that i know for sure I have played hundred of times. It’s just a silly calculator argument point that people use to talk bad about records.

I still own and enjoy my garage sale table. Its in my office and gets used about 2-3 hours a week when I work in there.

Here’s that budget system: table $25, speakers $100, Amp $300

 

I store mostly horizontally, but make sure non-jewel case CDs are kept on top of the stacks to avoid excessive weight.

 

thanks for the thoughtful reply !

I may just get back into vinyl, I don't know. My experience was that records I played (back in the`7Os) that I did not copy to cassette tape and preserve the vinyl did not fare as well as the preserved lps and the difference was noticeable to my ears. That is what made me switch to CD. equipment has come a long way since then though, but I cannot stand surface noise, inner groove distortion, warpage, skipping, non-fill ,or any other commonly cited frustration unique to vinyl. add to that cleaning, storage, finding the best copy, stampers, lacquer cutting, pressing plants (yes I was particular) and it all got to be a chore.

but I am not as fussy or uptight as I was back then , and I am in a better financial position now too, so maybe I will give it another go !

Cheers

 

Interesting article and while passing down our musical heritage is a noble intention I am thinking that owning physical music may have another advantage that may be useful before we pass on. This is not a political statement but rather an observation. The large internet monopolies have recently started banning content that is considered inappropriate, Dr. Seuss books as an example. The books have been pulled from the shelves and libraries and E-bay even has a ban on selling used copies of these books. A lot of music has lyrics that could also be considered inappropriate. It is not a big leap to see large numbers songs being removed from the streaming services due to inappropriate lyrics. There may be other reasons for removing content in the future as well. I think relying on a handful of corporations to continue to provide streaming services as they currently exist (which is amazing) is not a great bet.

I am glad I have physical copies of music that I love, which no one can cancel, that I can enjoy now and hopefully someone else will enjoy when I am gone.

 

mind you, these are archival recommendations with long-term, multi generational safe keeping in mind. long periods of time add factors to consider that arent short-term concerns.

Many people bend their CDs when removing them from the jewel case tray, especially with poorly designed tray hubs that don't release the disc easily without pressure when pressed, as the original tooth-spoked hubs are designed to do.
This stress-bending may not noticeably affect the disc during the course of an individual owner's proprietorship , depending on that person's listening habits and conscientiousness, but it will ultimately diminish the longevity of the CD to where at any point along the way it may suffer data loss or become unreadable. different adverse conditions have varying degrees of harmfulness. take humidity for example - depending on how well a disc is manufactured, the degree of humidity, and the duration of unwanted exposure , the point at which damage becomes apparent may vary greatly. ultimately however, going against recommendations will decrease a disc's life-expectancy. whether or not that will end up having a direct impact to the owner of the CD becomes a matter of degree in any set of circumstances.

 

great points. control of the internet is becoming less and less libertarian in practice, thus, entrusting custodianship of the vestiges of free expression including art, music, literature, historical records - the very articles of human culture itself - to a small group of autocratic individuals is nothing short of unmitigated colossal folly.

 

Interesting article, but I don't really agree with it.

And music isn't going to be lost as he's suggesting, because tons of people still have back-ups (MP3s, FLACs, etc.) of everything.

 

While I was reading this, I was recalling a post from another member in the "do you have any friends" thread. The member is a teacher and he posted about the boys who were surprised, and perhaps dismayed, that he did not own a cell phone, and, therefore, could not text his friends. The kids concluded that, in that case, he had "no friends". Maybe our youngest generation is far less interested in physical objects than we or the author are. They inhabit the digital world far more than we ever will. They might have quite a different concept of "ownership" (no texting, hence 'owning' no friends) to ours.

 

It could also mean they have a different concept of "friend". "Social media" sites have fostered the belief that a person becomes a friend of another person by putting a tick in the appropriate menu box.

 

What's with all the weird lies about Dr Seuss, dude?

His estate, the people who control his copyrights, decided that six minor books will not be printed henceforth.

That's it.

So what's your agenda for lying about that?

 

That's true. Maybe they quantify ownership by number of friends, number of likes, etc.