47 replies to this topic

[Captain Crunch]

Just wondering if you think that downloads are already past their use by date? I'm thinking that in the near future if you wish to purchase an individual title for keeps, that you'll purchase the rights from a music streaming service that will entitle you to play it for ever and also stream it from the Cloud to any of your portable devices anytime anywhere. But what I'm really getting at is that the music will be hi-res 24/192 quality and not the low bit rates currently on offer which will remain for the 'all you can eat' streaming services. So people who want quality sound will get it this way. Discuss!

[Dr X]

I don't think music downloads are outdated yet, but will certinaly will be sometime in the future (10-20 years).

[emesbee]

I'm sure that the music distributors would prefer a model like that, except that they would want you to pay every time you access a title from the 'cloud'. There will also be problems with bandwidth, and availability of the source.

It doesn't appeal to me though. I prefer the idea of hi-res music on blu-ray, but I don't know if that will ever take off.

[proftournesol]

As emesbee says, bandwidth is the real issue here, 'subscription services' will be the cheap part of the service especially if you end up downloading hi-res!

[RockandorRoll]

I think massive hardware upgrades are needed to our current communications infrastructure before we can think of that kind of system. The current 3G/4G is already running over capacity, if the population relied on it even more to take music on the go from the cloud, then we would be in big trouble

Am i right to be worried with the future of music? We you old buggers worried when the CD started coming out and 'revolutionising' the way we bought and listened to music?

[fordgtlover]

Geeezz, I can't even get reliable wireless performance across 20 meters for my squeezebox. Technology has some way to go before the delivery model described by the OP is viable for anything other than MP3s, which is already available and in use.

I still use CDs in addition to computer based, but either way, I like the idea of the music that I have paid for being under my control.

[firefly0071]

Amazon sells a song for 99 US cents in MP3 format.

That's the future. I hope everyone loves it.

[Captain Crunch]

But I'm assuming that given the rate of technological advancement, it may be not that far in the future for bandwidth requirements to be a non issue. Remember dial up Internet? 40mb hard drives?

[firefly0071]

I don't disagree with you.

As long as people are using torrent sites to download music illegally (it is still illegal despite people claiming otherwise) and there are not enough people willing to pay, all you will get is the non 24 bit quality.

[brumby]

I think massive hardware upgrades are needed to our current communications infrastructure before we can think of that kind of system. The current 3G/4G is already running over capacity, if the population relied on it even more to take music on the go from the cloud, then we would be in big trouble

Am i right to be worried with the future of music? We you old buggers worried when the CD started coming out and 'revolutionising' the way we bought and listened to music?

Can't say that I was. But when LP vinyl started to take over from 45s, we were shaking in our boots!

[Captain Crunch]

I don't disagree with you.

As long as people are using torrent sites to download music illegally (it is still illegal despite people claiming otherwise) and there are not enough people willing to pay, all you will get is the non 24 bit quality.

The music industry may not be able to prevent mp3 illegal downloads but hi-res that takes much longer to download, well they just may be able to get people to willingly pay for that.

[bob.saccamanno]

The music industry may not be able to prevent mp3 illegal downloads but hi-res that takes much longer to download, well they just may be able to get people to willingly pay for that.

Hardly. Downloading full Blu Ray rips is now common place. Downloading Hi Res audio is trivial and has been for years.

[LogicprObe]

I can already access anything in my computer from almost anywhere in the world if I choose to.

[proftournesol]

Hardly. Downloading full Blu Ray rips is now common place. Downloading Hi Res audio is trivial and has been for years.

I think that the difference is that whilst there are people that download many movies, they are downloaded and often only watched once. Music is listened to many times, if many people are streaming a particular new release in hi-res many times a day for many weeks as is common then there will be huge strain on bandwidth and download limits

[Jeff65]

I might pay a very small fee for a streaming subscription as a substitute for hearing new music on the radio, but I will never buy individual pieces of music on a medium I don't fully control.

Are you listening record companies?

[CP_]

I think if the quality is right, and a good player is available, then sure this is definitely part of the future. Why store things locally when you can access them online. I know the downsides, but I've been using Rhapsody for 6 months now and am happy with the reliability. The only two issues with this setup for me at the moment is the lack of music quality, and the time lag with navigation.

I also agree with Jeff that if this is the future, I wouldn't be paying for ownership (ie 'buying' a track), I'd rather do as I do now and just pay the subscription.

I wonder myself about formats, and that as popularity of CDs wane in favour of online, if the popularity of LPs will increase because it's so vastly different and can offer a totally different experience....

[emesbee]

I like the idea of the music that I have paid for being under my control.

Me too. I want to be able to play the music I like whenever I want. I'll be sticking with CDs for quite a while yet (probably forever, given the size of my collection).

[firefly0071]

I will keep on buying SACD/vinyl/CD and 24 bit downloads. Whatever suits and hte best quality.

[emesbee]

I may well buy downloads in the future, but don't like the idea of having to stream from an external site every time I want to play music. If the site goes offline, then so does the music.

[LogicprObe]

I may never buy a download.
Whether I do or not probably depends on how long I live.
I'm not keen to do it but will we be forced to?

[gainphile]

Even now it's more pleasurable to listen to Grooveshark than browsing folders !!

I'd say yes. Download is so 2011.

[Dr X]

Even now it's more pleasurable to listen to Grooveshark than browsing folders !!

Can you use an IR Media Center remote using Groveshark?

[kdoot]

Streaming high res music on demand from the cloud is probably going to be an option once bandwidth increases and somebody seeks to meet the audiophile market. I'm not confident that we'll ever get the majority of music in high res formats though. More likely just to be niche labels as it is today.

[LogicprObe]

I could upload all my music to the cloud but they check on the content of your private spaces and shut you down, even though you are the only one using it.

[surfpurple]

Even now it's more pleasurable to listen to Grooveshark than browsing folders !!

I'd say yes. Download is so 2011.

Why do you think this?

[emesbee]

Amazon sells a song for 99 US cents in MP3 format.

That's the future. I hope everyone loves it.

Loves, or loathes? (The latter, I think.)

[emesbee]

I could upload all my music to the cloud but they check on the content of your private spaces and shut you down, even though you are the only one using it.

Screw that!

[Jeff65]

I also agree with Jeff that if this is the future, I wouldn't be paying for ownership (ie 'buying' a track), I'd rather do as I do now and just pay the subscription.

That's not really what I meant. I'd buy the subscription for lo-fi listening.

I would not buy a subscription for hi-fi listening. Nor would I buy any recording I could not easily back up to another medium without loss of quality.

If this means I can't buy any music in the future I guess I'll find a different way to occupy my time.

[datafone]

Fark me!

99c for a MP3

Most CD's can be bought for less than that, when added up, and the CD has all the music, not just some of it... with added distortion

I like a piece of media I can hold in my hands and play at will, so looks like vinyl will be my only option in the future.

Not that there is anything wrong with that! vinyl that is

Edit:Just to clarify my position, I don't listen to portable thingies, I don't even listen to the radio, unless the car next to me at the traffic lights has his turned up

Edited by datafone, 17 February 2012 - 11:26 PM.

[LogicprObe]

Yeah........one track in a crap format for a dollar.
What a rort!

I just bought 10 brand new CD's from the UK for $55...............delivered!
Some were double CDs as well!

[audiohobbs]

I agree with most opinions here - price and practicality of streaming everything anyone wants, any time they want it just is not going to happen any time soon. Downloading high res music at a price could happen as a niche market, but not 99c for a lossy copy.

I prefer holding a piece of vinyl with its artwork or a CD at the very least. If I want smaller format copies for portability I will make them myself (they probably won't be lossy these days if I can avoid it).

Sort of on this subject, I heard recently that CD production has been terminated, or will be very soon. I have not been able to verify this as yet (although one or two other things have taken priority). Has anyone else heard the same? Can anyone shed light onto it? Should I start buying up all the cheap CDs while I can, since the price of vinyl has gone stupidly high once more?

[Bunyip]

I think the point here is that while many of us like owning a song or album in some physical or digital form, we are not the target audience driving where the industry is heading. It will be our kids. And I suspect they will be far more open to the idea of streaming from the cloud without ever owning a disc or even a digital file. Technology will advance, bandwidth will increase, and having higher quality music will be a selling point for the different streaming services to attract customers, potentially with a tiered payment option based on the quality you want.

[LogicprObe]

Sort of on this subject, I heard recently that CD production has been terminated, or will be very soon. I have not been able to verify this as yet (although one or two other things have taken priority). Has anyone else heard the same? Can anyone shed light onto it? Should I start buying up all the cheap CDs while I can, since the price of vinyl has gone stupidly high once more?

I think there's a thread about that here somewhere.
2012 was the date mentioned but I can't see them stopping completely for a long time myself.

[surfpurple]

Amazon sells a song for 99 US cents in MP3 format.

That's the future. I hope everyone loves it.

Just like to know why you hope everyone loves this ?

[audiohobbs]

I haven't looked for a thread, but the brief article search revealed that the story is old - circa 2009 from the Daily Mail about Linn stopping CD production... Hardly noteworthy. The latest incarnation appears to be a rumour mill (social media) panic story derived from a poorly researched article on "Side line", an on-line music magazine, that claimed major labels will cease production in 2012.

For a bit of debunking, have a look at this:
http://trustmeimasci...ly-exaggerated/

The figures would suggest that the patient not only is not dying but is still in rude health in terms of sheer dollars generated...

[surfpurple]

EVERYTHING gets 'outdated' at some point !!

[rantan]

Hi Sp.
It can be difficult when relying on only the written words, but I am absolutely sure that Firefly meant it as an ironic statement.

Cheers mate.

Just like to know why you hope everyone loves this ?

[LogicprObe]

Just like to know why you hope everyone loves this ?

I think he means we won't be given a choice.........hence we'll have to learn to love it.

[firefly0071]

Just like to know why you hope everyone loves this ?

Being cynical.

[surfpurple]

IGNORANT me!

...should have been up to speed!

nuff said by me.

That's what happens when you jump on a forum 'cold' !

[audiohobbs]

Probably just a matter of time, but books have lasted a while. If they and vinyl are anything to go by CDs may never disappear completely. Unlike Betamax (despite being superior technology at the time), Minidisc (even I spotted that flash in the pan - fortunately!) and the Pong game. Although you can still get the latter for today's electronic equipment, perhaps that is not such a good example... :-)

Cars will last a while, too. The internal combustion engine may not, but cars will. We have not got The Jetsons' mode of transport just yet...

[Dismord]

Not to worry, the entire business will come crashing down when we next have a period of high sunspot activity. You'll all be back to snail mail and hard copy. Tee Hee.

[LogicprObe]

Not to worry, the entire business will come crashing down when we next have a period of high sunspot activity. You'll all be back to snail mail and hard copy. Tee Hee.

You evil bastard!

[gainphile]

Just got me an android phone. Unlike the iphone it has grooveshark app!

Music streaming is awesome. iCloud is obsolete already

[surfpurple]

Just got me an android phone. Unlike the iphone it has grooveshark app!

Music streaming is awesome. iCloud is obsolete already

Good to hear, now you can experience real 'freedom'!