[Golden Legacy]

It never really struck me just how much the rise of MP3 files have changed the way people think about - and appreciate - music. This article, however, really opened me eyes to just how impersonal music has become, and how its ultimately "lost" something in its value.

What do you guys make of this? Do you feel the same way?

[Drizzy Drake]

I can't view the article, but I will give my opinion on MP3's in general.

MP3's have definetly made it hard for bands to get big and rich, since people can just download their songs, but in some ways, it has made music better. Alot of artists are trying harder to make better music, to give a reason for fans to buy their cd's.

[Toasty]

All I can say, is that I only have a small collection of songs. I've never bought any from a store on CD, because most of the time, the artist has only made a handful of songs tha I like, none of which are all on one CD. I either get my music from my sister, or get it from limewire. But I only have a few hundred megabytes worth. It's nothing compared to the libraries of most people I know.

Basically, I didn't grow up in the world described in the article, because I only got interested in music sometime in middle school. About 4 or so years ago.

[Drizzy Drake]

I have 5000+ songs in my library, but many of them are from rap mixtapes that are usually hard to find.

[Golden Legacy]

You guys both bring up good points. However, I think this article/topic is geared towards a slightly different angle on the current state of music. It's the personal feelings we have towards music.

The article makes the point that people don't "appreciate" music as much. Gone are the days were CDs were traded, where the artwork and printed lyrics meant a whole lot to the entire package. Now people are simply content with adding to their playcounts and their collections, electronically, without ever coming into contact with the "real" meaning and value of the artists' music.

So it's a personal issue, is what the article is going for:

Today, most of us take for granted that our MP3s won't wear out or skip. In fact, there's tons of antiquated annoyances we no longer worry about in the age of the MP3. For instance, when was the last time you had to special-order your music at a record store and wait a week or more for it to arrive? When was the last time you wanted to hear an album you know you own but couldn't locate in the mess of your apartment? As the music in our lives has evaporated into noncorporeal ones and zeros, the troubled memories of acquiring and maintaining a physical music collection are quickly fading into the past.

And what I think is his best point:

I know this may sound weird considering all the P2P music "sharing" going on these days, not to mention music-focused social networks such as Last.fm, but I miss borrowing CDs from friends. Like lending out a good book, lending music used to mean the lender actually gave up something, and that sacrifice imbued the music with personal meaning. Borrowing physical media also involves face-to-face interaction, oftentimes leading to great conversations. The modern age of copying, uploading, and linking to music has allowed me to discover new music at a much faster rate, but those discoveries seem much less personal.

[Drizzy Drake]

Hmm. Well I still buy music alot, but downloading is just much easier.

Like, I just bought Back Like Cooked Crack Pt.1+2, but downloaded Blow:The Prequel. To me, it's all a matter of availability. If the songs aren't available to download, I will buy the cd, and vice versa.

I know that makes almsot no sense whatsoever, but make of it what you will.

[Toasty]

Well, I appreciate all but a small handful of songs I have, because most of them were hard as hell for me to find. I only have about 170 songs, but not one sounds like another.

[Caael]

About half my library is made up of songs my friends have sent me :B And my library is 700...

There's no use feeling all sentimental about it. You dont hear people going on about how spears are much better than guns. You've just got to accept that these changes have been made, and being sentimental gets you nowhere. Harsh, but true.

I think that's what we're talking about here :P

[Drizzy Drake]

Caael, on Apr 8 2008, 09:51 PM, said:

About half my library is made up of songs my friends have sent me :B And my library is 700...

There's no use feeling all sentimental about it. You dont hear people going on about how spears are much better than guns. You've just got to accept that these changes have been made, and being sentimental gets you nowhere. Harsh, but true.

I think that's what we're talking about here :P

I know it's comepletly out of context, but it's funny that you of all peopel would say that.

XD

[Gio]

I buy songs off of itunes. I no longer use limewire because it jacks up my computer for some reason now. But I will normally buy the cd to. I just like to have the cd also. I usually listen to music in the car so that is the reason I have the cd. I also still enjoy my music very much. I am a musician so I understand the hard work and effort that goes into and true musicians music. I always listen to each individual instrument and I always listen to what the artist is trying to say in the song.

[Drizzy Drake]

Burnt cd's work jsut aswell. Plus then you can have songs from many different bands, as apossed to changing cd's everytime you want to listen to a different band.

But I know what you mean. I too sometimes listen to songs, honeing in to a particular instrument, being a musician and all.

[Gio]

Well if I like a band enough I will go out and buy their cd or cds. In a way I guess I feel like I am supporting them.

[Toasty]

Gio, on Apr 8 2008, 06:54 PM, said:

I buy songs off of itunes. I no longer use limewire because it jacks up my computer for some reason now. But I will normally buy the cd to. I just like to have the cd also. I usually listen to music in the car so that is the reason I have the cd. I also still enjoy my music very much. I am a musician so I understand the hard work and effort that goes into and true musicians music. I always listen to each individual instrument and I always listen to what the artist is trying to say in the song.

You need a better virus/spyware protection program. If the file you're downloading suddenly becomes corrupted, or if you try to listen to it while it's downloading and it won't play, chances are it's a malicious program.

[Gio]

Well I know my internet security sucks. It ran out and I have to renew it or something.

[kate]

I've never bought a cd, but then again I've never thought of the actual music item as personal, just the music itself, which is the same value to me whether bought, downloaded or listened to live. Live performances are still a really personal experience.

Really I think the author of that article is making a big deal out of nothing in order to sound deep. Songs haven't become a series of "zeroes and ones" to us. Music is music, I don't care what form. He honestly sounds pretentious.

[Toasty]

Gio, on Apr 8 2008, 08:44 PM, said:

Well I know my internet security sucks. It ran out and I have to renew it or something.

Well what's it called? Usually if the service runs out, it just stops getting updates. It should still work regardless.

[Gio]

It is called pc-cillin. My dad put it on the computer the day I got it.

[Caael]

Dipset, on Apr 9 2008, 02:53 AM, said:

I know it's comepletly out of context, but it's funny that you of all peopel would say that.

XD

I know, I know, i'm the worlds worst hypocrite :P

[Sea of Time]

Since having access to the internet for music about four years ago, I've done the majority of my music collecting through peer-to-peer downloads. I don't agree that music has become impersonal however, since it doesn't matter how you get music, as long as you listen to it and enjoy it.

I don't deny that buying a physical CD or even spending money on MP3 downloads on iTunes isn't gratifying in its own way, since I buy CDs of the artists I support most. But I don't think that music has become impersonal in the last ten years. Maybe to those who don't understand it well, or those who aren't passionate about it. But for those of us who love our music, music will always be personal, no matter how you obtain it.

[Toasty]

I don't think I've ever spent a dime on any music. XD ....<.<;

I agree with SoT though.