CDs used to be a way of life. Actually, much of life’s greatest events for our 90′s youth centered around Music CDs; The release date of a new album, the pre-launch release party, and the fan camraderie at school all added to the excitement and social bonding experience around acquiring new music.
Today, a digital download, even at its 1/20th of the cost of a normal CD, still doesn’t impart the same look, feel and experience a CD or vinyl used to. In particular, a band’s self expression was made evidenced by their unique CD insert which often included coveted artwork, lyrics, credits to producers and band mates/family/friends, and more. Is that a lost medium of today? Do fans really read the iTunes Bio pages?
Unwrapping a new CD, the feel of the plastic and untouched content was a magical experience. A personal CD collection was a treasured asset, not spmething that could be backed up with a 20GB HD.
I admit, the convenience and cost effectiveness of an mp3 will always beat a CD, but its fun to think about how much the CD impacted our worlds, both personally and within the Music Business. It was inevitable that digital technologies would transform our industries…but how does it alter our life’s experiences?
