Thursday, May 6, 2010

We are Living in a Digital World



I just finished submitting my songs to CD Baby and therefore iTunes so my songs will be available for download in the next week or so! A woo and a hoo! But right after posting, I had an impassioned plea from a Twitter follower to release a physical c.d. - which I'm not 100% sure I'm doing.

So, what do you all think? I've copied a paragraph I had written around a year ago when I was first planning to do the album that mentions some of the pros and cons.

The pros to digital only are pretty easy to see- more ecofriendly, less expensive, no concern about storage (the CDs from my first album are taking up prime real estate in my closet), the vast majority of my sales have been digital anyway, easier to track sales and, well, those are pretty much the pros. The cons to digital only are that I couldn't sell them at shows, there are audience members who really aren't into the whole digital music thing and I wouldn't get to have a pretty CD cover and insert. Sigh.

So, my faithful readers/listeners, what is your take? Where you stand on this polarizing issue?

22 comments:

  1. I guess im sitting on the fence for this..i mean yes its less expense, and ecofriendly, but to have the actual cd is more symbolic in that you can physically have that and it brings back fondness like vinyls where you can hold on to it years from now, sitting on your desk or a shelf. Actually in the end, I'm a bit more of the whole cd aspect- just for those reasons :)

    Lot's of love Emma!
    x

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  2. I know there are tons of pros for going digital, but I thought about my music collection, and I still enjoy owning an actual CD very much. I guess that's because I started my collection with CDs, and I'm a bit slow with keeping up with the time :-)

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  3. as much as I do love CDs (mainly for the artwork on the sleeves), I would prefer to buy your album digitally. As you said, it is more eco-friendly. Even when I do buy CDs, I end up listening to them on my computer anyway. Also, I'd imagine the shipping cost of a CD all the way to Australia is not a cheap one. So yeah, I guess I'd choose digital for practical reasons.

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  4. I think there are good arguments to be made for either. I have a large collection of cds and I do enjoy the cd cover artwork. However, as I am getting more and more attached to my iPod and my MacBook, I'm growing less and less attached to my cds and use them mostly for backup. I like how digital music is easier on my storage space, more speedily acquired, and generally gentler on my wallet (iTunes albums usually cost $10 and cds usually seem to be more than that). So, although I do like cds, I'm all for this progression into the digital age!

    P.S. Love the title to your post!

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  5. I personally like CDs better just because it feels more like I own it, you know? I don't know, I can't describe the feeling of owning a CD as opposed to downloading off Itunes...but it's totally up to you :)

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  6. I like digital but I can see the pleasures of owning, too. I think this is something we have to get used to as we're all probably conditioned to appreciate physical more. I always end up burning the cd anyway so I can play it in my car... so you can always make yourself a cd to put in a paper sleeve thus saving the plastic. : }

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  7. I'm a CD person, I don't own an ipod or mp3 player or any of that jazz. I don't trust digital completely, too many scenarios where it can be lost. What if the computer dies and nothing can be retrived, what if the device blanks out or gets stolen or run over by a car, etc. Of course, the same thing could happen with a cd, but then you're just out one cd, not your entire music library.

    Perhaps you can come up with a compromise - can you just order less physical CDs to be made? That way you'd have some on hand for your reasons stated above, but not so much that you have to worry about how you're going to unload them.

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  8. How about you compromise and print off cardboard sleeves for CDs? This provides a platform for some artwork and credits, and if someone wants to burn a copy of the album to disc then they would have a place to put it. You could offer to mail them to customers and even give them away at concerts, which would provide an incentive (and a reminder) to follow up the concert with an actual digital purchase.

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  9. Hmmm, I do so love having a physical CD, especially for the car but I think that going digital would be so much cheaper for you and the consumer, right? Good luck deciding!

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  10. I guess an actual real copy of a cd will be good for shows as you say, maybe a few copies??
    Exciting times, so happy for you Emma!!

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  11. I kind of like Nathaniel's idea of cardboard sleeves for shows. I down loaded your other two off of iTunes and those can be copied to a cd for safety. But, if you decide to go the cd printing route, please sign me up for one :)
    and if you have copies of the 1st one that you'd like to move, I'd be interested in buying one and I suppose other blog friends of yours may also.

    good luck!

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  12. well if i am being honest i will always be a physical CD kinda girl. i love owning the actual record and album art is always a big draw in for me.

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  13. I actually really love CDs and I generally prefer buying real CDs to itunes :)

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  14. This is so exciting, Emma! I have to say, I would love it if you released an actual CD! There's something about being able to physically hold the music in your hands and attempt to open those plastic thingys and flip through the booklet or get disappointed when there's no booklet. Also, I'm a little bit stuck in the past.

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  15. Congrats Emma!

    I really like both, when it is a favorite band, I buy the CD but I have been downloading a lot more lately.

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  16. Have both! Think of a CD as a form of promotion and marketing. And then on your CD label, you can have information to find you on iTunes, MySpace, etc.

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  17. I like CDs but digital is pretty much how I buy everything. I think a limited edition release or a pre-order + x for you to sell at concerts might save you room in your house and also keep it fundable.
    Some artists do small releases like that - give a small window for pre-orders - maybe signed or numbered or with an extra free download...

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  18. I think (and the comments above seem to support this) that a lot of people don't use itunes and similar sites and would probably prefer a CD. Helen has a point: Do both. Wishing you a Happy weekend!

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  19. I would say do both....make enough CDs so you can sell them at concerts etc.

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  20. Digital is great but I know when I really love an artist I love to own their CDs. I may not buy CDs the way I used to but I make sure to buy the albums of all my favorite artists.

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  21. I still love owning a cd, and yours look amazing!! It must feel amazing to actually hold a physical copy of all your work!!

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