Record Stores face extinction

[Guest Steven Dedalus]

Agreed...the whole social thing is fun. I can usually find someone to natter to in One-Up. Plus, the physical experience of 'raking' through the racks is good exercise.

That really was the best part of the job. There was a horde of customers (yourself included) that I really looked forward to seeing, becuase they'd be after stuff I wasn't familiar with, and I'd have stuff for them that they wouldn't be familiar with, and it was a great little set-up.

Also, without wanting to be really wishy-washy, I made some great friends through working in a record store, and those connections made me feel more at home in the city.

The physical act of 'borwsing' is one of the greatest pleasures one can experience if you're a record buyer. Yeah, it's handy to go on Amazon or something and just snap up exactly what you're after, but it's far more fun to rake through loads of cds and find that American Music Club album you always wanted at a bargain price!

Viva la independance!

[Guest Steven Dedalus]

I've had similar kinda chat in OneUp where I've bought something and been told that they're playing or that it's a good choice and general comments on the album that I've bought. I've always found the service to be pretty good... The feeling that they usually know what they're talking about and that they enjoy what they're doing always makes me want to buy the music I do from OneUp. Simple as that really. Going into larger chains or supermarkets I don't get that feeling and if I was to ask a question I think I'd be worried about the look I'd get! Lol.

I hope you shopped there whenever I was the manager, and that I said something nice about your purchases, becuase that was always the feeling I was trying to go for, and your post made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

*shoots himself with embarrasment at being so gushy.*

[Jeanette]

I hope you shopped there whenever I was the manager, and that I said something nice about your purchases, becuase that was always the feeling I was trying to go for, and your post made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

*shoots himself with embarrasment at being so gushy.*

I'm not entirely sure about that. I've only been here 4 years, so you'd have to clarify.

[Stripey]

I've always hated the atmosphere in record shops, the smaller they are the worse it seems to be. The cavern on belmont street was the worst, the owner is a smallminded dickhead.

I remember going into oneup a few times to buy some 12" singles and being asked if i wanted to listen to them first. I suppose the intention is friendly but please, fuck off, I know what I'm buying.

So yeah I'm all for the death of highstreet music retailers.

[Old Gold]

That's super.

[Stripey]

Only in a place like aberdeen could you find people so utterly stuck in the past, it is fucking comical.

"mp3s and online distribution is rubbish and is ruining music im going to burn some cd-r's of my wack demo recorded at captain toms of my updated 1970's rock style band because thats what *REAL MUSIC IS* and oneup will sell it for me!"

All this whining about the death of CD's and the death of record stores is bloody pathetic, times change, business models become outdated - fucking grow up and accept it.

[Stripey]

And I can definitely tell the difference when I plug my MP3 player into my stereo in comparison to playing a CD on it.

That's because your mp3 player is a shitty consumer device designed to be listened to on crappy in-ear headphones, it has fuck all to do with the medium.

[Stripey]

MP3's are so volatile and can easily corrupt or be deleted. How can you pay money for something so disposable?

Yeah because CD's are so permanent and never get scratched or lost.

[Neil]

That's because your mp3 player is a shitty consumer device designed to be listened to on crappy in-ear headphones, it has fuck all to do with the medium.

Or it could be because the sound quality of MP3s is inferior to that of a CD.

[Stripey]

Or it could be because the sound quality of MP3s is inferior to that of a CD.

If you have any evidence that a typical human being can tell the difference between a properly encoded 320kbps mp3 and a 16bit 44khz CD, please post a link.

[Guest Giles Walker]

I love you sometimes Stripey and i agree with just about everything you have said.

I have to admit i am all for online music purchasing, i have always had a love/hate relationship with record shops.

As much as i loved talking to Finnie, Titch, Murray, Andy and even Nigel i always found trying to buy records from the indie kids who worked in record shops to be a bit daunting. I'm sure you realise it, but you guys come off as arrogant cunts most of the time.

I can totally understand how it works as i used to be a right dick at times when i worked in the cavern.

Adam and Joe's guide to record stores

I have actually bought records from the shop (Blackmarket Records) in this clip and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience compared to say Stereo in Glasgow with the fucking indie nazis who act as if every request you make is a total chore that is way beneath them. The worst part is when someone who is a part of the 'scene' walks in and they suddenly change their entire persona and start kissing asses.

After a while that sort of treatment is gonna turn you into some sort of angry recluse who stays at home and starts arguments on the internet...

[Neil]

If you have any evidence that a typical human being can tell the difference between a properly encoded 320kbps mp3 and a 16bit 44khz CD, please post a link.

Define "typical". And how many online music stores do you know that allow you to purchase 320kbps MP3s?

[Guest Giles Walker]

I doubt anyone could tell the difference between a well mastered 320kbps mp3 and a cd.

I think they even did test on the Fabric soundsystem with cd, 192 and 320 mp3s to see if there was an audible difference and the test subjects couldn't disern any difference. This is from a friend though so it could be bullshit.

[Guest Giles Walker]

Define "typical". And how many online music stores do you know that allow you to purchase 320kbps MP3s?

Dude there are loads of online stores that let you buy 320, flac and even wav files.

Don't make me list them.

[Stripey]

Define "typical". And how many online music stores do you know that allow you to purchase 320kbps MP3s?

by typical i mean the generally accepted physiological fact of what frequencies healthy humans are capable of hearing.

320kbps is absolutely commonplace at any decent online music store. I've never used itunes but I wouldnt be surprised if that is where you are buying tunes at a bitrate like 128kbps.

[Neil]

I doubt anyone could tell the difference between a well mastered 320kbps mp3 and a cd.

I agree completely.

I'm playing Devil's Advocate a bit here as I do buy and download music online quite frequently and listen to my MP3s much more than I do to any of my CDs. I can quite happily say I've not been in a music store now for some years. If I need to buy a CD I'll buy it online as that is where I'll find it cheapest - even for rarer releases.

However, I still agree with some of the arguments for why music on a traditional, physical medium such as CD or Vinyl is preferred to a digital copy be it an MP3 or some other file format. The fact is that yes, CDs can get scratched or lost but it is considerably easier to destroy an MP3 or even your entire collection of downloaded music. How many people back-up their music collections? The average life of a computer hard-disc is about 5 years so you have to back-up your music. I've got CDs sitting in my collection that are coming up to being 20 years old and still play fine. MP3s will be long obsolete within 20 years - then what? Buy copies of your digital music again?

[Neil]

320kbps is absolutely commonplace at any decent online music store.

I'm still waiting for an example. I honestly can't think of one.

[Inkster]

I've had similar kinda chat in OneUp where I've bought something and been told that they're playing or that it's a good choice and general comments on the album that I've bought. I've always found the service to be pretty good... The feeling that they usually know what they're talking about and that they enjoy what they're doing always makes me want to buy the music I do from OneUp. Simple as that really. Going into larger chains or supermarkets I don't get that feeling and if I was to ask a question I think I'd be worried about the look I'd get! Lol.

I've never had such chat in One-Up. I've always heard about it but don't think it ever exists as I never see it. Maybe I just come in at the wrong time or buy cd's that are way uncool to be spoken about?

Having said that, the 4 for 20 section is a gem and needs extending!

[Stripey]

The fact is that yes, CDs can get scratched or lost but it is considerably easier to destroy an MP3 or even your entire collection of downloaded music. How many people back-up their music collections? The average life of a computer hard-disc is about 5 years so you have to back-up your music. I've got CDs sitting in my collection that are coming up to being 20 years old and still play fine. MP3s will be long obsolete within 20 years - then what? Buy copies of your digital music again?

I back my up music collection all the time, it's only prudent to do so and I think everyone knows that. It costs nothing to burn a few dvd-rs of mp3s.

The argument that mp3s will be "obselete in 20 years" is disingenous - mp3s, like CDs are just digital data - codecs will probably improve, storage will get cheaper, bandwidth will get faster, but the basic concept of delivering music as a digital file is here to stay for the forseeable future. 20 years from now the CD as an audio format is going to seem as ludicrous and archaic as edisons wax cylinders. 20 years from now the chances are you will find it hard to buy a cd player to play those precious cds on.

[Inkster]

May I also ask a question of anyone who works in a record store. Why do cd's go up in price after they've fallen out of the charts before dropping say maybe a year later?

I've often seen cd's be 10 or 12 when newly released but suddenly jump to 13-16 3 months later.

[Stripey]

I'm still waiting for an example. I honestly can't think of one.

where do you buy mp3s from?

[Neil]

I back my up music collection all the time, it's only prudent to do so and I think everyone knows that. It costs nothing to burn a few dvd-rs of mp3s.

Agreed, I still think most people don't back-up their data though even though they know they should be doing so.

The argument that mp3s will be "obselete in 20 years" is disingenous - mp3s, like CDs are just digital data - codecs will probably improve, storage will get cheaper, bandwidth will get faster, but the basic concept of delivering music as a digital file is here to stay for the forseeable future. 20 years from now the CD as an audio format is going to seem as ludicrous and archaic as edisons wax cylinders. 20 years from now the chances are you will find it hard to buy a cd player to play those precious cds on.

But that's the problem. With a physical medium like a CD I can just rip it again to whatever the latest and greatest audio codec of the day is. Time consuming yes, but not a big deal. However, what do I do with the MP3s I downloaded years ago that now won't play on the latest audio players? I could transcode it to the latest and greatest audio codec, but as you are probably well aware, audio quality suffers greatly if you do this. So what are my options? Do I buy and download the tracks again? Because that would be rather costly.

[Neil]

where do you buy mp3s from?

None that sell 320kbps music that's for sure! The only exceptions to this I can think of are when I've purchased releases directly from the artist. Nine Inch Nails and Saul Williams being recent examples. However, I can't think of any online "music store" that offers 320kbps. Do you know different?

[Stripey]

what do I do with the MP3s I downloaded years ago that now won't play on the latest audio players and music players? I could transcode it to the latest and greatest audio codec but as you are probably well aware, audio quality suffers greatly if you do this. So what are my options? Do I buy and download the tracks again? Because that would be rather costly.

I find it hard to believe that backwards compatibility for what is arguably the most popular digital music format of our time will not be built into hardware devices of the future. It's not like betamax vs vhs vs videocd vs dvd. Compatibility is not about physical restraints anymore it's just a matter of software. If apple for example decided to make their next generation of ipod primarily use FLAC, it costs nothing for them to include mp3 support because it's already there.

You can still open text files created in the 80's on an outdated computer, despite all the innovations present in the latest edition of microsoft word.

Why are you suggesting it's harder to look after your mp3 collection than it is to look after your CD collection? Don't scratch your CDs, backup your mp3s, everything will be fine!

[Stripey]

None that sell 320kbps music that's for sure! The only exceptions to this I can think of are when I've purchased releases directly from the artist. Nine Inch Nails and Saul Williams being recent examples. However, I can't think of any online "music store" that offers 320kbps. Do you know different?

boomkat.com?

I have a feeling places like itunes probably distribute 128kbps, and probably they are harsh mixes created by the artists distributors because its not in their interest to release "proper" quality mixes at high bitrates to the wider public.