Younger people of Lemmy. Would you buy a CD at a concert?

I've gotten a free CD at a concert recently. I don't have anything to play it on.

Sometimes I buy CDs and rip to flac so that really obscure shit doesn't get lost forever.

Man, I started answering you and realized I am also 40 and...yeah.

But, were I to go to a show, a CD? Nah. But a sticker or socks or something, certainly.

I just turned 40. For my birthday I went to go see a small disco funk band. They run their own merch table, tour around the country in a van, have day jobs, etc. I wanted to support them so I was gonna buy a T-shirt, but it was $25, I only had $20 on me, and they didn't take card. So I got a $15 CD. They also didn't have any change, so I had to wait 5 minutes for them to go to the bar and get them to break a 20.

Then I got home and realized I didn't even have a CD player. So I dug out an old DVD drive and installed in my desktop, ripped the CD to FLAC, pulled the drive out, and threw the CD into my old box of CDs I haven't opened in 10+ years...

Not a younger person, but last concert I attended, the artist was selling bandcamp codes for their albums (I got two for €5 each). On top of that CDs and vinyls, each would include a bandcamp code too, so I assume people without CD players or turntables can get the physical item and still enjoy the music digitally

Teenager here, I regularly buy CDs at bagpipe concerts* because there's no unique bagpipe music on streaming services.

*Bagpipe concerts here means renn faire performances

I have seen people purchase vinyls instead of CDs.

No? I don't have any way to play it. If I wanna listen to a song, I just do it on Spotify or I pirate the FLAC if I really like it...

E: I really don't know why you associate younger generations with a "lingo" or "skibidi toilet"... Sure there are chronically online people who use it unironically but like... Cmon.

Do the kids have ANY CDs? Do they buy mp3's? Do they just use pandora and spotify? Do they even own their own music?

Yeah, from what I tend to hear from teenagers, I don't think most of them own their music.
The thing with CDs or MP3s is that it takes time for you to build up a collection. If you got started on that before streaming services took off, it's probably worth listening to.

But if you're starting from scratch today, you're basically deciding between listening to one or two albums in your collection vs. all the music you can imagine for a monthly fee. The value proposition of the latter is then just hard to beat.

I believe, streaming services generally don't allow you to add your own MP3s into the mix either, so even if you get a cool CD/MP3s from a local band that's not on these streaming services, then there's still not much you can do with that.

I'm probably too old (29), but I do tend to buy CDs of artists I like. 2 weeks ago I was at a festival and bought 3 CDs (as well as some other stuff). Today I'm expecting another CD to arrive in my letterbox.

I still buy CDs. I have a player in my car and in my hifi. My desktop has a BR drive which I use to rip the disc and then I use it how I want when want. They also sound fantastic. Streaming is great, but you give up a lot compared to owning physical media.

I'm not much younger & I'm not going to read the comments. They're either ignorant, or they don't care, or they'll reflect my opinion. You need to stop & think -- how do I get money from my hand directly to the artist(s)?

The artists receive very little from streaming revenue or CD sales (unless onsite at concert, maybe). The recording label eats up a lot of profits. So honestly I'd buy tickets, I'd buy merch at concert, I'd put cash money directly into their hand.

Anything else might be stolen by the venue, the recording label, the third parties, the goddamn United States government, etc etc etc.

I'm 32, I bought a cassette at the last concert I went to. (I generally prefer vinyl, but I don't wanna buy a vinyl before a show starts cuz then I have to awkwardly hold it for the whole show)

My car still plays CD's, so if the price was right and the band actually got a solid cut of it, then yeah I would buy one.

I'm 29 and 13mo's

Pins, patches, vinyl, tapes and very rarely CDs.

My band is planning out our merch for the fall and we're planning on two shirts, four larger patches, 2 to 6 pin designs, logo patches and a 7-inch (TBR). It's a street punk band.

My death metal band has a slightly different table, but it's those things in general.

A band we play shows with often has hot sauce they produce for sale as merch.

CD? No, I can get mostly the same sound quality, if not better via streaming. Vinyl? Yeah because it's a set piece. It's a great conversation starter to have a cool collection.

I'm 38 and man, you sound like you're 75 🤣

I'm assuming you haven't been to a concert in a few decades? I went to see Pantera and Lamb of God about 6 months ago and the only merch being sold was overpriced t-shirts, like $45-50 USD.

No, because I wouldn't go to a concert. Too much people.

I am literally importing them from japan and other countries on discogs because I prefer that over downloading from soulseek.
Last resort if either physical costs 100% more than MSRP or not as much sentimental value I will just pirate the flac or sometimes I buy digitally.

After I aquired the media I rip it and put it on my Jellyfin server.

Age: 25 y/o

TBH I (23) have gone backwards. I love collecting signed vynals of my favorite bands

I like to buy vinyl for my favourite artists, but I wouldn't do it at a concert because I'd have to carry it around for the whole show. I do also like to buy t-shirts at concerts

I remember being in high school about 15 years ago and going to a show where a band was selling music on a flash drive. That felt so clever, since the world was just starting to ditch CDs at the time.

I didn’t really answer your question at all though, sorry lol. I don’t think many people buy. Some people collect stuff but it’s probably analog/vinyl, not CDs. Everything is just streaming over buying now.

If I had a CD player, sure. Can a PS5 play CDs? 🤔

I like CDs, but I guess I can't really call myself a kid anynore though, being in my mid twenties. I typically use Spotify for discovery/casual listening but but an album on CD or digitally through Bandcamp when the option is presented to me. I went out of my way to buy a 25 disc CD changer.

Vinyl have definitely become way more popular for physical music purchases, but I like the smaller footprint of a CD.

I do think the vast majority of people use Youtube Music, Spotify or a similar service though. It's inexpensive, has family plans and optical media players just aren't common anymore.

I definitely do. Supports the band in question, and I get to rip the audio off the CD for my digital collection. Best part, if I lose my digital music collection and can't access a backup, I still have the disc to rip from again.

I dont know why but this post feels like a teenager trying to sound like a boomer on the internet. (boomers arent 40 anymore btw)

Oldest guy at the punk show here. The merch tables I see have vinyl records and occasionally cassette tapes. I'm waiting for 8 tracks and Edison cylinders LOL. I always try to support the bands so I'll buy a sticker and occasionally a t-shirt. I think they should give away a code for a free Bandcamp download with every t-shirt sale but nobody listens to me

I'm 22 and 240 months... And I wonder why not small USB sticks with m4a files on them... Maybe some behind the scenes footage and a digital poster or message/manifesto?

Nah, CDs don't make sense for me anymore. Nowadays I stream from Apple Music.

I’m not a younger person but I used to collect vinyl and had to quit because the younger crowd got really into it and the ensuing popularity led to prices going nuts. 10 years ago it was crate digging for $1 records and new releases for $10-15 and now it’s crate digging for $5-10 and new releases for $40-60. Fuck that.

That said before I bowed out I saw plenty of artists also release on cassette and cd as well as vinyl. Those formats weren’t as popular as vinyl but still were popular, likely for one of the reasons I originally got into collecting physical media for cheap. The vinyl releases would be $40 but the cd would be $15 and the cassette would be $9.

Of course, you lose the other main reason which is the vinyl often has superior mastering to cd/web sources but I honestly don’t think a lot of the new releases are being listened to anyway. But that starts the whole diatribe about the new generation buying up vinyl to either never listen to it or to spin it on a shitty $40 record player that will wreck the disc over time. And people always looooove hearing about that lmao

The whole thing got really scummy too. The price rises were initially because the popularity caught labels off guard and pressing plants couldn’t keep up, especially during covid. But more have opened since then and they can press crazy amounts. They have just recognized they can gouge fans for $50+ dollars plus shipping for a single disc LP because they got away with it for a brief period. Plus then they quickly learned the hype tricks and now that shit is everywhere. Every album is “limited edition, only 1/3000” except then you look on discogs and there are 4800 registered. And then there’s 20 variants of the album for you to collect, show your support to Taylor or king gizzard and buy them all. It’s like funko pops except music. Don’t forget that there’s a limited run of 1000 signed copies! They’re not actually signed, they come with a little art card that’s signed and it’s probably signed by an intern but whatever, $75 for the album that’s normally $40 because you believe Olivia Rodrigo touched it for 3 seconds.

Totally gross consumerism but that seems to be what zoomers get shoved down their throats at all times. I thought us millennials got it bad because we had like constant product placement and advertising everywhere and boy bands and shit but man, they really fucked the zoomers even worse

Last fall I went to a local event where a bunch of food stalls/stands/trucks gather in the downtown park to sell food. Near an area selling beer they had a local band playing. Someone who had CDs on sale, besides the usual shirt merch. If my debit card was working back then, I would have definitely bought one right away. Not gonna say the event or band because that would immediately tell you where I live with some basic searching.

Granted, I'm not that young considering I'm in my mid-twenties, but I've been recently into CDs. That CD would have made my small collection move up from 3-4 to 4-5 total CDs, even though I'm pretty sure one is just the shittiest reprint from some random company in Florida. Definitely looking into buying more in the future, too.

I’ve seen CDs, vinyls, and sometimes digital options for sale at concerts.

What's a CD?

I went to a small concert while on a road trip a couple months ago and the artists had CDs for sale. I figured cool, I'll have some music to listen to if I hit no cell service areas. But it turned out that my CD changer in my car hadn't been used in so long that the motor wasn't strong enough to ingest the CD. I was sad.

As someone about your age, you are more likely to buy vinyl at a concert instead of a CD nowadays. I've even been to two concerts where I got a CD mailed to me as part of buying a ticket to the event.

It is mostly T-shirts now, with some stickers, pins, and buttons.

I went to a small concert and you could buy their music on a flash drive. That was awesome. I like that option

At a anime convention there was a table with various CDs of the band playing that night. I couldn't go to concert, but bought a CD to support them even though it was going to be a slight inconvenience to rip it. I still have all my old CDs (I don't really have that much so haven't gotten rid of them. I keep them in a plastic container) so just put it with the rest.

Nkt exactly young anymore, but I would and I do. Music you don't own can disappear any day on the whims of a company. I don't like that.

I've bought one CD, but that's because it was signed

They sell tee shirts stickers vinyl and sometimes drum heads or tour eps.

Said the 43 year old guy

i doubt I count as "younger" anymore. I'm 37 and I've gone back to buying CDs. streaming was good, then it wasn't.

22 here, the only device in my apparent rn featuring a CD or DVD drive is an old ass iMac my gf intends to gut and put a mac mini inside just for fun, aka, likely disabling the DVD drive :(

We also probably have an external DVD reader in some drawer...

Considering we have like 5+ laptops and 2 desktops here, I'd say that says it all.

I predominantly download my music from bandcamp and my gf mainly uses Spotify.

I am currently still buying CDs for my Plex collection off of eBay, so for sure I would.

Im 25 so slowly leaving the young person sphere, but I do have CDs and I did buy some at concerts.

Im a metalhead, so it was mostly for metal bands, and maybe this is specific for this genre, but every show i went to, I saw CDs being sold. I think out of 20-25 concerts, i bought 5-6 CDs, that i mostly listen to in my car. Two of them were signed by the band, so this was one more reason to buy it.

When I don't listen to metal, im into folk, rap or electro. I do have some folk CDs, that i listen to with my parents. But for rap and electro, everything happens online. My brother released a first rap EP, and printing on a CD was a very distant option for him and his crew, like 'this would be cool but that' s too much for now'. On the opposite, my friend who have a metal band immediatly started a crowdfunding to get their first EP printed on a small scale

I never really liked physical media. But I also don't have a Spotify subscription. So I guess my music is downloaded from YouTube and other sources.

Not me but I know KPop stans will pay exorbitant amounts of money on albums not really for the CDs they come with but for the added art books, photo cards, etc. I know one young person who bought multiple copies of physical albums with CDs so that they can get access to earlier ticket sales and stuff. Also apparently some songs are CD exclusive and people get really upset when you suggest they just look for pirated rips online.

So yeah, art books, photo cards, light sticks, key chains, lots of stuff that young fans are buying from artists they follow, and some of those things still come with CDs

if I respect the artist and their work and they give me the option to, I almost always do. (even if I still use the pirated version for convenience). they almost always have a CD available on their website and they look pretty cool together displayed on a shelf

I almost never purchase a piece of media if they only allow me to buy a license for it, so I have a lot of respect for the people who give me the option to actually pay for it and own it and will support them for that

Younger person in my 20s. Most of my friends use Spotify. I grew up buying music on iTunes and will continue to do that. I also have little interest in discovering new music and a preference for straight-up owning instead of streaming something I do not own. (Yes, I am aware I should probably go reread the TOS to see if I actually own or if Apple can remotely take my "ownership" away and back up the files like mad.) But I know my approach is uncommon amongst my social group.

I do not have CDs and will not buy one. I know of their use for backing things up. I keep external hard drives but otherwise do not really like physical media and want to keep the count of physical things I have down. Another thing to collect dust, to have to try to keep nice because I like things to look nice, and to be heartbroken about when I inevitably spill something on it/scratch it/otherwise break or damage it, whether in a "it will lose functionality" way or just a superficial way. I'll avoid the pain and just go digital.

I am also just not much of a merch person. I might donate money to support musicians but please don't give me a T-shirt I'll never want to wear (they are not my style, I might buy clothing if it actually fits my style but merch clothing almost always doesn't) or a poster I'll never hang up. If I like your music I might buy sheet music to play it myself. Better be accurate though, not a simplification, or I'll turn up my nose and transcribe it myself. Can't guarantee I'll have perfect results, but I will be closer to the original than the simplified piano/vocal/maybe guitar scores that are often put out.

I also don't know what skibidi toilet is, besides a meme that really belongs to people a decade younger than me. I don't care to find out but I am happy to let them have their fun.

I've bought usb drives with music and pictures and tabs. I don't trust usbs anymore, but I would be open to buy a code for downloads.

No, definitely not. I buy music off of bandcamp occasionally, to support the artist and get the cool swag that comes with the album, but I don't physically have a way to play cds.

Usually t-shirts and hoodies, vinyls, armbands and autographed drum skins are the essentials, I feel like. And then every band has some assorted rotation of merch on top of this, but that's not universal for every band: beanies, mugs, CDs, keyrings, baseball caps, posters, ashtrays, weed pipes and bongs... These fall into the two categories of merch that caters to the target audience, and merch that is bought in bulk from www.weprintyourcrap.com.

For what it is worth, CDs are definitely pretty rare, because it's just an obsolete media. The CD was convenient before phones became even more convenient. Vinyls, on the other hand, are very popular and often occur because they're decorative and playing them is considered an experience.

For reference, I mainly go to pop punk/rock/indie/metal shows

My zoomer sis and her bf are big time concert goers and collecting vinyl is huge. No cds.