Downloading Music Is Forgettable, Buying It Wasn’t
For most of my life, buying music included a pilgrimage. The closest place that sold CDs took an hour drive to get there. I still have a few memories of the trips I would undertake on Tuesdays just to get my hands on a new album. While I never got to experience the thrill of waiting outside of a record store, hours before it opened, with hundreds of other fans clamoring to hear an album for the first time. The release of new music still represented an event to me; something to be looked forward to.
In the early days of file-sharing, downloading songs still had a process. You had to search out the album information, plug it into the engine, and comb through until you found the correct files. Then, you waited. It could take hours. Playing the songs for the first time constituted as an event too. There was still built up anticipation and the sublime feeling of hearing a song for the very first time.
That's all gone now. Even file-sharing music isn't an event anymore.
BitTorrent downloads music so fast that there isn't any waiting. If a fan dreams something up, they can have in the matter of minutes. Then, they play the whole album. Likely, they'll just play a couple of songs. After that, they may not listen to the album ever again; it will just sit in a folder. If they don't like what they hear, they'll probably delete the album instantly, never giving it another chance. When is the last time that you and three of your friends stayed up late, eyes pursed on the computer screen, in the hopes of being the first ones download an album?
It doesn't happen. Those friends streamed the songs on YouTube or downloaded it off BitTorrent a month before it came out. In most cases, they know what the music sounds like. They'll get around to buying it. But you can't hug an MP3.
"No one will ever fondly recall the night they downloaded a new album. The ritual of standing in line at midnight to obtain a physical copy of a piece of music is now over. Thanks to MP3 format, ritual, nostalgia, traditional physical music spaces, physical forms and aesthetic value are
all aspects of music culture that are dead or dying." (Read on.)
For most of my life, buying music included a pilgrimage. The closest place that sold CDs took an hour drive to get there. I still have a few memories of the trips I would undertake on Tuesdays just to get my hands on a new album. While I never got to experience the thrill of waiting outside of a record store, hours before it opened, with hundreds of other fans clamoring to hear an album for the first time. The release of new music still represented an event to me—something to be looked forward to. In the early days of file-sharing, downloading songs still had a process. You had to search out the album information, plug it into the engine, and comb through until you found the correct files. Then, you had to wait. It could take hours. Playing the songs for the first time constituted as an event too. There was still built up anticipation and the sublime feeling of hearing a song for the first time. That's all gone now. Even file-sharing isn't an event anymore. BitTorrent downloads music so fast that there isn't any waiting. If a fan dreams something up, they can have in the matter of minutes. Then, they play the whole album. Likely, they'll just play a couple of songs. After that, they may not listen to the album ever again; it will just sit in a folder. If they don't like what they hear, they'll probably delete the album instantly, never giving it another chance.
When is the last time that you and three of your friends stayed up late, eyes pursed on the computer screen, in the hopes of being the first ones to be in line to download an album off iTunes? It doesn't happen. Those friends streamed the songs on YouTube or downloaded it off BitTorrent a month before it came out. In most cases, they already know what the music sounds like. They'll get around to buying it eventually. But you can't hug an MP3.
"Consumers have watched as the canvas for album art has shrunk from LP size to the possible option of no art at all. Record stores, even chains, were closed or forced back into the subculture, changing the experiences of buying and finding out about new music to cold, calculated processes that involve zero social interaction. Music has now been unofficially relegated as "background" to other activities. It is no longer the centerpiece of entertainment. It is merely a soundtrack to activities such as jogging and walking to one's car. Most likely, no one will ever fondly recall the night they downloaded a new album. The ritual of standing in line at midnight to obtain a physical copy of a piece of music is now over. Thanks to MP3 technology, ritual, nostalgia, traditional physical music spaces, physical forms and aesthetic value are all aspects of music culture that are dead or dying."
Great articles. I’m definitely enjoy the level of commentary and writing here. Good stuff.
Support your local record store, if you’re lucky enough to have one. Berlin has plenty, records haven’t died a complete death yet thank god!
Most people of a certain age know this already – nothing new here.
kanye’s “g.o.o.d. fridays,” leading up to his new record, is doing that now. I have checked three times already today to see if the new song is up. He also premiered a new song on V.M.A.s when everyone else played hits. surprise and anticipation are part of this campaign. He’s controlling the flow of information. Engaging fans directly.this is old school tricks in a new digital world, perfectly combining the tools of both. very impressive.
Having something you can hold on to physically definitely helps make a memory.
BUT it’s 2010, digital induced memories are just as real. There are a few albums I do remember downloading, how I stumbled upon them via itunes suggestions ect, some of these bands have gotten kind of big, but I can say “I knew them when,” when otherwise I may have never had known to see them if they even came to through our town to buy a hard copy.
Alas, around here, “record store” is synonymous with “used CD store.” There is one store selling mostly-new indie/alternative/college rock stuff, aiming at an audience way younger than me. The nearest old-fashioned, multi-genre CD stores with any breadth of CD stock are 45 and 75 miles from home — and even those two are half used stock these days.
So it’s mostly mail order for me now, and mostly mail order from Europe at that.
To set against Kyle’s argument, here is my anecdotal digital memory. I was introduced to my Band-of-the-Year by a link from Hypebot, of all things: an article about musicians like Jack White who were running boutique labels.
Jack White’s label had this act called “S.F.” (don’t want to spam, you can find them if you are curious). The word-description of S.F. sounded promising, so I went to their MySpace page and was instantly hooked; I bought their songs on iTunes, and then I found I had discovered them just three weeks before they had a live appearance 90 miles away. I didn’t get to meet them, but I did leave a mushy note at the merch table and got an e-mail back from the band.
So, a whole bunch of wonderful digital-era memories, a band to cherish, and not a record store in sight.
Yeah, I miss the hell of the record stores too. I used to have favorite shops in 20 cities; I used to have dreams about them. But the moving finger has written and moved on.
er, “I miss the hell out of the record stores…”
Obviously none of you had to ever get product into those stores or your fondness might be more limited.
Distribution to stores kept most artists out of the game. I am not sad about the ability to distribute globally without paying off sleazy middle men all along the way.
Maybe what’s missing is memorable music promotions, or maybe even memorable music.
I blogged about this a while back…true fans will always buy the hardware. http://www.levychronicles.com/music-news/buying-cds-is-still-cool/
In some cases, “buying the hardware” is becoming increasingly difficult as the distribution chain crumbles. Example:
I have a current interest in two new releases from Finland. Both bands have had multiple US-licensed releases in the past which were stocked at my local stores. But there is no longer any hope of US retail for their music (world music & folk genres, Borders & Tower used to sell bunches of it) so the new CDs are self-released and only available from one, very very pricey, retailer in Scandinavia. Looks like USD $30 per disc including shipping, possibly more.
I for one do fondly remember the night I downloaded a few things, especially certain hard to find things that for some reason are not available in the shops anywhere anyway.
I used to buy music when it was the only way to listen to it whenever I wanted. Now that I can pretty much hear what I want online somewhere, I don’t buy much, and I don’t even download it because it takes up space and I probably won’t listen to it enough to justify saving it.
I love YouTube because it lets me revisit stuff I thought I would never see again. Great music clips from old movies and TV shows. So now when I want to savor something, it is via YouTube.
I disagree. When I first got into “downloading” music, it was all pirated and of course, this set a horrible precedent. Music became almost worthless to me so much so, it was on the level of toilet paper. However, I’ve recently stemied from this habit and have gotten into buying high quality WAVs of all the songs I’m interested in. Most stores charge a premium for this ~ $1.99 – $2.99 a song, however; this has really given me a much deeper appreciation for what I now call “My Music”. It is mine, since I contributed back to the artist a momentary contribution. This act in and of itself creates much more value in the music that you carry around with you and I highly recommend it to others.
Record stores can’t compete in the Long Tail, they can’t offer the range of niche artists that people discover online – only by making it all about events in store and customer experience can they survive.
If you (general) think downloading an album equates in any way to going into a record store (not a target or wal-mart…a bonafide record store) to buy your music, you (general) have no clue at all what you are talking about.
I am not a fossil. I am in my 30’s and have had had some of my best music listening, buying, enjoying experiences in record shops. I buy a lot of music. I download a lot of music. Never once have I looked at an album that I have purchased and said, “what a great memory, downloading this at 2:00 am, alone at my computer…what a great experience that was”.
I could tell you a story about every album I bought in a record shop. I was fortunate to have a shop near me where “regulars” would show up on Thursday and Friday nights to hang at the shop, have a few beers and talk about, listen to and share stories about experiences as a music fans. There were in-stores and events, which did help, but they were secondary to the sharing and general hang-outery.
Yes, there are not a lot of shops put there like that any more. But they are put there and you should go (pilgrimage) to them. The ones that are out there are on their last leg and need your…music fan…help. That is where the experience happens, not on your MacBook pro.
Yes, it is antiquated and no I am not stuck in analog. The status of music buying, acquiring and sharing is what it is…and it certainly has it’s benefits…ubiquity, convenience and breadth of choice being the primary ones. Record shops can’t offer those those today…but that is what makes them special. There is value in visiting them. They are living blogs and tweets and comment sections (if you need your digital umbilical cord, there you go).
Plus, these people that own and work in the shops…they care a lot about music…more than you or I, ultimately…otherwise they’d be waiters and grocery store managers. They care about this “experience” and how you experience the act of coming into their shops, feeling the vibe of the shop, talking with them and amongst customers and giving you what you want and turning you on to something new.
“User Interface” has nothing to do with this.
There is no true experience in downloading music. You hit enter…that is all. To experience music as a music buying fan…you must enter the record shop. Yes, you’ll have to leave your wi-fi connection, but it will be worth it.
Do it now before it is too late.
hey man, if its really about the music, then it shouldn’t matter whether you get it from a physical or online store.
Have worked in record shops in college, its really nothing to get nostalgic about. Occassionally you find a store that is a haven for music connoisseurs, but there were also a ton of corporate monster music stores staffed by music snobs and nonfans alike.
It sounds like you enjoy hanging out listening to and talking about music, which is cool, but again, try caring about the music itself, not overly-romanticize the relic that is the record store. Definitely support the locally owned record stores when you can, but they too need to find away to evolve.
All due respect…my post was only about the music. Seriously.