iTunes is going away, the 71 year old LP format is still going strong #audiophile

[chrisvinicombe]

iTunes isn't a format. MP3, flac, wav and dsd are formats. Isn't this just a rebranding exercise?

[dalefriesen]

I like your idea, Steve, that physical ownership imbues a sense of memory and identity. Long live the LP!

[alejandropalladino]

Hey Steve, with all due respect but I think you are getting it wrong. Itunes is not a medium like vinyl. Itunes is a plattaform that sold compressed files. A more appropiate comparison for Itunes would be a record store. A place where you can buy a certain medium. It was a distribution channel. Compressed files are the medium and thay are not going away. Hope it helps and love your vids. watch them everyday

[progressiveguy]

This is one of the reasons I like physical media.

[NoEggu]

@3:07
"When you buy a download, it's not yours. You don't own it."
I have purchased thousands of .flac files, mostly from 7digital, ponomusic (before they went belly-up), and a few from hdtracks.

I own those songs.
Not in the sense that I can sell them. But the files belong to me, forever.

As to owning CDs.
There is no way to know how the songs will sound (and most have sub-par sound quality).

At least with 7digital, for example, you can sample the songs (the demos are .mp3 files -- but they are a very good indication of whether or not the .flac files, for that same album, will have good sound quality). It is easy to avoid the sonic duds.

Also, with CDs, you can lose them or break them or scratch them.

With .flac files, they are on a hard drive (SSD or flash drive). Easy to back-up (to keep a copy elsewhere, in the event of your drive failing -- and even if your house burns down, your backup could be safely in a different location).

With .flac files, you do not have to have stacks of CDs all over the place, and have to search for songs. You have every one of your songs in one place, indexed by your favorite music player, and zero clutter.

Best of all, if you are careful with your .flac file purchases, they will sound better, often much better, than the exact same songs on store bought CDs. I cannot say enough about how important it is to play the best sounding copy of your music (whether vinyl or digital). When you land the better digital files, it is like a huge equipment upgrade, for the price of the songs. And the better your system, the more noticeable it is how almost every CD does not measure up to quality .flac files.

If you have a sentimental need to hold on to your CDs, or you are a collector, that is great -- we all do what makes us happy. But other than that, I see no up side to purchasing CDs.

[jonathansturm]

Back in the early 2000s one of my son's friends was a huge fan of iTunes and had amassed quite a collection. I expressed my scepticism of the _value_ of his collection and he held my old-fashioned view with some slight contempt. Not excessive; he's actually a very nice young man. However, my POV became relevant when his computer hard disk died and he lost his entire collection of music and had to start again. I have lost a few LPs over the decades since I began purchasing them in the 1960s, but have never lost _all_ of my music. Long live CDs, LPs and the ability to rip them to computer for convenience!

[gaza]

iTunes is not going away, its being streamlined into more simplified system. BUT i get your point

[bujoun]

I only buy CD's. Always have. Always will.
I will never stream anything unless I'm forced to.

[mikecees]

I began the process of ripping CDs in 2005 when I bough my first Squeezebox. I no longer own any physical media with the exception of a well backed up hard drive. Call me old fashioned but I've given Tidal a try and still prefer my well curated music collection and FM radio contrary to the younger generations who are happy being fed music robotically and will have nothing to do with physical or downloaded material just as they prefer Netflix over traditional TV. I'm just not ''there'' yet.

[stephencosta]

I hope you never get discontinued LOL you cannot kill a legend like you
mr. Guttenberg

[atoz]

Let's get physical, physical 
I wanna get physical 
Let's get into physical 
Let me hear your vinyl talk, your CD talk…

[pigwillnot]

i was made in 1962, my speakers in 74, preamp 79, amp in the 90s (all refurbished ) long live the old technology !! and, oh yeah whats an i tune !?!?

[CTBN]

Just can't kick the habit of buying LPs', CDs' DVD & Blu Ray and game disc, unless it's only available as download content.
Reason why I cancelled streaming, just did not work for me.

[marttiinnanen]

iTunes is being replaced by 3 new apps and they're based on iTunes so nothing goes away, just the iTunes brand.

[salmonline]

50% of the vinyl I still own, I bought in 1977.

[mondoenterprises]

Another little aspect of vinyl and cd buying from the old days nobody considers: Taking a chance on a record based on the cover and credits and song titles and instruments used to be a big part of the record buying experience. Sometimes I struck out and sometimes I struck gold.

[ProgRockKeys]

This is really more analogous to a turntable going out of production, not a format dying. The files will still play, just a using different player.

[kmg]

For me, the best part of looking at my LPs is that I remember exactly where and when I bought them, which brings me many pleasant memories. I don't entirely reject digital media, but I largely refuse to spend my own money on it.

[flouisbailey]

My solution is I bought Apple stock not Apple Music, wish I had bought more stock 10 years ago. But physical possession is a reason we need to remember these events, Amazon music for free downloads is the only thing going for me now.

[zrx]

Never gave a nickel to iTunes.
I have albums I bought as a kid
50 years ago as well. It’s always a treat to play these old LP’s as my sound system gets better over the years. Hope my kids will appreciate them one day. 😎