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So you support stealing and bootlegging over paying for a legitimate product like a download?
Please don't jump to conclusions...
Listening to YouTube or the free version of Spotify isn't stealing.
I also said obtaining music by 'other means' is quite easy... doesn't mean I do it.
Also, I have over 3000 soundtracks on CD, I'd like to think I've very much supported the record labels/artists throughout my life.
Listening to YouTube and Spotify is perfectly fine. Stealing downloads is of course easy, but that doesn't mean it is right and it certainly should not be encouraged. It is great that the major labels like Universal Music and minor labels like Intrada or Quartet have taken the step to offer their recordings as legitimate downloads. I would hate to see that go simply because people will take that as a "grab it for free instead" invitation.
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I'm probably oversimplifying it, but I think it boils down to this:
Expressing one's own preference=safe.
Judging someone else's preference=not quite so safe.
So, we'll see how the thread goes from here.
(FWIW, I personally prefer an actual CD, but I well-know that the times they are a-changin'. I am adjusting to compensate.)
CD sound is superior to any other format and nobody can disagree with that. That is the main reason for : No CD ..No Sale .
So if a great John Barry (or insert favourite composer here) score became available digitally, but was not available on CD you would happily go without?
Oh dear .....I messed up here !!!!!!
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Listening to YouTube and Spotify is perfectly fine. Stealing downloads is of course easy, but that doesn't mean it is right and it certainly should not be encouraged. It is great that the major labels like Universal Music and minor labels like Intrada or Quartet have taken the step to offer their recordings as legitimate downloads. I would hate to see that go simply because people will take that as a "grab it for free instead" invitation.
I agree, no one wants to see a reduction in releases.
I guess if I'm being honest with myself, times are changing and I'm allowing myself to be left behind. I'm just frustrated that something I've taken such joy from is slowly disappearing. I'm someone who really likes to listen to the music (not just have it on as background noise) and the physical product is part of that experience.
Like I said before, the music is king, so ultimately I'll have to be less stubborn in the future.
You know, I understand that, I really do.
I am someone who really enjoys listening to music too, not just have it on as a background noise. I enjoy sitting down with a glass of fine wine and some cheese and we listen to an album or two, of film scores, symphonies, a jazz recording. I absolutely enjoy sitting down and listen to a piece of music. Sometimes I put the CD or LP on display when I listen to something (and I have the CD or LP), sometimes I don't. But the act of enjoying the music and attentively listen to it has nothing to do with having a CD in my hands. But everyone is different. It may be more important to you or others. I know the feeling of having a physical recording though, and I still enjoy pulling out an old LP of mine hand have it in my hands. That's a part of nostalgia I allow myself.
I started attentively to listen to (and collect) (film) music in 1982, before that I listened to cassette tapes on a radio/cassette recorder. So I've been around for a while.
I went from LPs to CDs to files, and if anything, I found every single step to be a progress. When the step came from LP to CD, I was immediately convinced. It took me a while to warm up to files, so I understand some of the objections to downloads or why some want to hold on to CDs as a medium.
I used to refuse both streaming and downloads at a time when they were of lesser quality and when they were DRM (which meant they were tied to apps... I don't listen to music on a computer), but now, that they are offered as ALACs and FLACs, I find that a very good alternative. Instead of a CD booklet, I can read about the music (like Mahler or Brahms symphonies) in a book while listening. I never wanted to trade quality for convenience, so it was only when the step from CD to files provided both quality AND convenience that I was willing to make it.
Nowadays, some single CDs cost up to $35.- or more when I order them from the US (postage is expensive, for example $16.- from Intrada) and it takes weeks to reach me. When the High-res download via Qobuz costs only a third of that price and is available instantly, I find that is a more than appreciated alternative way to get the music.
Most of the music I listen to is actually from my own CDs, downloads only make up a fraction of my collection. But CDs or downloads, they all share the same disc space, and when I listen to the music, it makes no difference how the recording originally arrived there (via CD or Qobuz or whatever).
Currently, all my CDs are in boxes, and I don't seem to be able to get fitting shelves for them. But I can access all of my music since they are on my (stone age) NAS system (which I will update some time this year). But it feels good that I can access them even though they are boxed up.
Though unfortunately, my home stereo system is also boxed up... so currently (since December) I can only listen to music on a single, Logitech Boom (unless I use headhones). I sure miss good speakers, and hopefully, I will have my system back up back up running at the end of this month. All this talk makes me realize how much I actually miss sitting on the couch and listen to a good album.
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For example, did you know that there is a great deal of published and peer reviewed scientific research that shows that you can predict which speaker will win a double blind listening test simply by looking at a set of specific measurements (in the CEA2034 format)?
Yes, not least because you have pointed it out already in several other threads. :-)
Which, as I said, is probably why we should center all this stuff in one thread, instead of constantly rehashing it whenever it pops up.
But most speakers try to sound neutral, most speakers try to get an even frequency response, etc., etc. Most people, especially those who buy expensive speakers, would prefer accuracy and neutrality over sounding speakers, that is not really something that surprises me.
However, it is irrelevant to the issues no CD = no sale and it is also irrelevant to a debate about the benefits of high-res (which, also as has been pointed out in other threads, goes way beyond just "better" sound, but also to access of plenty of better smatterings, different listening perceptions based on that, etc., so a mere double-blind test can only address a smaller part of the issue).
However, I personally already know people who don't seem to be particularly interested in a neutral sound. I friend of mine (actually a former colleague) has a subwoofer in her car and all her music is basically just a mass of bass (she is really into electronic stuff)... now I don't know if she would prefer a "natural" speaker over one who can deliver her more bass, no matter what. So most people =! all people.
Finally, the comparison with colors is interesting. I actually have a color palette here which contains a few thousand colors. I bet there are some most people cannot differentiate when shown sequentially or with other colors sin between. The differences can only easily be distinguished when both colors are shown simultaneously next to each other (something you cannot do with listening). Nevertheless, the the differences are likely to be perceived once you paint larger areas, say a fence or roof with the color, as the differences are revealed there much better. Same with listening: there have been studies (not sure how scientific they were... just some magazine article) that show people get stressed out from the loudness war, they don't like to listen to music for as long when everything is turned to the max, while recordings with a more natural dynamic range are much easier on the ear (and will probably be preferred by most listeners) in the long run. That doesn't change the fact that in random 1:1 comparisons, the "louder" music often wins, as at first, the "louder" music often appears more detailed, clearer, is more present. Which is why the loudness war started in and is mostly an issue in pop music, where the music instantly has to grip you, lest you switch channels or skip the song.
The most comprehensive meta study to the subject in any case clearly shows that a difference between high-res resolution and lesser sound quality files can be perceived:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160627214255.htm
Now you may take issue with certain parts of the results, but by and large, this is still the most comprehensive analysis of the subject I am aware of, and the results are not inconclusive, they are pretty evident.
Agreed there should be a different thread for audiophilia. I write about this stuff all the time; not surprised that I can be redundant lol. FWIW, a neutral speaker does not need to be expensive. and it's interesting that often some of the most expensive speakers tend to do worst in double blinds. One of the speakers used as an anchor in many blind tests is a JBL LSR308Mkii - it usually wins and lists out at about $300. Once you know the target - neutral sound - you just engineer around it.
Floyd has the full text of the study overview you linked to and that's what he was referring to in his comments (the article just quotes the summation of the AES overview; Floyd has president of the AES for many years).
I would argue that the bass thing is a "season to taste" element, and also has to do with the music genre. But I think we generally agree.
As always, Nick, enjoy our friendly back and forths. 
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To me, music is music. No matter where it comes from.
Which means it is the data that counts, not the carrier. It matters not if the bits and zeros are on a plastic disc, on a magnetic tape, on a hard drive, or on a server (where they are of course also on a drive), it's the same bits and zeros.
FWIW, on this point we COMPLETELY agree. It's the music that counts. The only reason I would want a CD is to get liner notes, assuming they are not available online.
I backup all my music to Dropbox and Backblaze, so the chance of me losing digital files is almost zero.
Back in the 1990s I had my entire CD collection stolen out of my house, along with all my gear. Because back then soundtrack CDs were so rare, I scoured every pawn shop in town and eventually found them. This in turn led to the arrest of the people who broke into my house, since the pawn shop had the records of who brought them in for sale.
So, soundtrack collecting can have some side benefits
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inconclusive
I will forever wonder why this word is treated as an absolute when it means the very opposite. 
Is it just me, or does our annual CD vs. download thread get more philosophical and more data-backed with each passing year?
All new topics lead to the same old topics, but I give this thread points for specifying a shriveled meme.
Dang...if labels like Intrada were able to offer their back catalogue as digital downloads I'd be cartwheeling down the street with joy.
... which should in be the advertisement. 
You’ll find that score on YT or Spotify for free!
Still awaiting a clean version of "Khetanna Kan Kan" that's not a fanedit...
Don’t pay labels for digital content. Don't feed vultures.
Pay them for physical product only - CD and/or LP.
And most importantly of all, for Xenu's sakes, don't listen to others telling you what to do! Phew, glad that's settled. Up top!
... I SAID "UP TOP".
It is about the packaging and presentation also. These were both important during the LP era, but we lost a little of both in the CD era.
In the LP era writ large, vinyl was all the public ever had, and they would mainly handle their vinyl with grubby fingers on record grooves, leaving them out in the open for dust mites to feast, and reaking havoc on said grooves by going AWA-AWA with two turntables and a mic-a-phone. Sure, others gingerly handled their vinyl at the edges like first borns in zero-g space bubbles, then proceeded to sip cheese and eat wine, but they are of their own era.
I would definitely need digital downloads, streaming cannot replace that for me. I don't want to rely on a streaming service to provide me with my music, I want to own my own music collection and be independent from those services. Also, not every streaming service has all the music.
I enjoy streaming now and then, but there is no way that it is a replacement for my own music collection. First of all, of the thousands of music files I own, only a part is available for streaming on any platform. Secondly, streaming is only of use when you have a good internet connection. I listen to music on the plane, in the car, on different devices with different apps, often when there is no internet. If I own the music, I can convert it from high-res ALAC files to 320kbps AAC (for my car) or listen it on the go. Streaming is limited in that the music is usually tied to a certain app and to certain devices and Internet. I realize most people don't need to own music anymore, but if there is music I really want, there is no way I would want to rely on a streaming service to keep it available, I want it on my NAS. The tagging and finding of music on streaming services is also abysmal, much easier to navigate through my NAS, where artists, composers, etc. are consistently tagged.
I just thought this beared repeating. Also, I abhor subscriptions (especially net-based ones) and try to keep my sub-fingerprint as minimal as possible. That especially goes for home video streamers.
Part of what is at the crux of this matter of preference, regarding the end cost of high-res vs CD-res, conjures to mind the age old adage: What dat profit margin do tho?
I know, but I figured I'd mention it before people start talking about which cheeses go well with which soundtracks.
French scores, like Delerue and Sarde, go well with Roquefort, olives, crackers, and a cool glass of Chardonney, though Maurice Jarre is better with a glass of Merlot.
So getting back to the intrinsic backbone of the topic, I prefer scores that go with smoked cheddar and a strong IPA. Your Copland, your Courage, your Alex North.
For the comedic Ron Goodwin and John Morris scores, I might pick Laughing Cow.
Every score goes with the best cheese of all: Gubment, the choice fermentation of the proletariat.
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I do believe that it is about more than just the music.
It is about the packaging and presentation also. These were both important during the LP era, but we lost a little of both in the CD era.
That said, I am happy to take a download if it is CD quality, and if the price is right.
And no artwork is better than bad artwork. I have unloaded CDs because the artwork was so bad.
Artwork of a CD or LP is only of relevance to me if it enhances the experience.
Good artwork might elevate a recording, bad artwork could never ruin one.
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Artwork will never stop me from buying a score I really want.
I also want to echo what some others said about sitting down and just really listening to music. I usually walk around as I listen because I am usually in full author mode playing out scenes in my head or just brain storming ideas. However I get fully immersed into the music and give albums multiple listens to fully digest everything. Having the physical CD is a bonus to that experience for display purposes but like I said earlier I almost never use the CDs again once I transfer them to my laptop and back up hard drives.
Hypothetically if all the specialty labels one day just switched from physical releases to all digital releases but the same amount of sound quality. I'd be a bit bummed out to no longer have the physical cases, but I'd live with it and still enjoy the music all the same.
Every single song I want to listen to that I own is on my iphone for me to plug into whatever sound system I want. Whether it be my Bose speakers, headphones or my vehicle. I have thousands of songs all in one convenient place neatly divided up into separate playlists. If I want to listen to Lethal Weapon 4, I simply go to that playlist and hit play. If I want to listen to Speed, I go to that playlist and hit play. I also can make compilation playlists. So I have all four La-La Land Records Lethal Weapon scores on my phone in separate playlists. I also have a custom made "best of" playlists compromising of my favorite tracks from all four scores. With that best of playlist, I am not limited by a CD's maximum time length. I don't have to switch CDs to keep listening to the score. I just hit play and let the iphone run through each track.
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...bad artwork could never ruin one.
"Decision for Chemistry" was absolutely ruined by the artwork.
North on the cover could've flipped me off personally by name and I still would've bought it.
Although seeing Keanu murdering innocents on the cover of the Matrix albums would've given me pause. Thank sweet baby Cthulhu for dumb green fonts.
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I see the no cd=no sale and I almost laugh and ask myself that's all fine and dandy to demand that, but it's not their cashflow being gambled to produce and release a CD for everything.
Which leads to another unresolved matter: unreleased soundtracks. If Batman & Robin and Spider-Man 3 couldn't get score albums, there might be a plethora of lesser-known works that will never see the physical/digital light of day, even beyond their previous Stone Age vinyl counterparts, due to the modern constraints of licensing and CD production. And, pandemic regarding, the labels are already feeling the crunch of demand with popular albums they can barely keep in stock, and bless them all for trying.
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I cancelled 3 deals solely on the idea I wouldn't sell enough CDs. The sad thing is, if the support was clearly there, I'd be all over as many interesting releases as I can find but the problem is I can't rely on CD sales or forecast like I was easily able to do in the pre-streaming era.
I have seen it at Varese, the label I co-own and others I do consulting work with. People are mad that vinyl is back yet vinyl is the very thing that saved most record stores from closure or worse. I see the no cd=no sale and I almost laugh and ask myself that's all fine and dandy to demand that, but it's not their cashflow being gambled to produce and release a CD for everything.
Just my 2 cents. So many are right...I can find 24 bit releases of scores I really want AND get them in minutes. I can stream 24 bit and CD quality music at Qobuz through my sound system. I still support and believe in the CD but it's harder and harder to justify most releases on that format anymore.
Honest question, Byron. As a record label owner with investment and profit to consider, have you explored the differences between download costs and CD costs? Nevermind that film music labels don't get download rights for a second. The costs of electricity and bandwidth (to keep servers running) outweigh the costs of unsold CD storage, at last estimate.
What if it's just as hard, or harder, to justify a digital release for more obscure content?
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Artwork will never stop me from buying a score I really want.
But once that hideous cover art is in my mind, I can't unsee it.
So that is an example of where I would prefer a download with no cover art.
Downloads come with cover art, usually the same cover art as the physical release if there is one. It's easily changed though. In fact, there are some fine FSM threads here that provide plenty of alternative cover arts.
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...bad artwork could never ruin one.
"Decision for Chemistry" was absolutely ruined by the artwork.
It's just a standard nondescript "here is the composer/artists face" cover? Boring, okay, but that really ruined the album for you?
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