1. Flipping through racks of discs is more fun than the telephone book precision of an online music store. You never know what mis-filed gems you’ll stumble across.
2. CDs are rarely copy protected so you can load them onto whatever devices you have without risking arrest or enormous civil penalties.
3. You get cover art and a shiny new paper insert. That enjoyable moment when you sit on your couch and flip through the fresh booklet is worth paying for.
4. CDs are a great way to back up your music collection without resorting to external hard drives or, um, DVD-Rs.
5. CDs are encoded in uncompressed PCM audio, an ideal source for mp3 / ogg vorbis / AAC copies.
6. You can sell the damn things whenever you feel like it.
7. Removing the shrink wrap will help satiate your irrational consumer urges without going broke.
8. You’ll have something to brag about when people visit your house. If you have a huge collection of CDs or vinyl, you should display it where all your guests would see it. Perfect ice-breaker.
9. You can play a CD in a friend’s car without needing an FM transmitter, flash key or three miles of tangled input cable.
10. Nostalgia. Ahhh, yes! I buy CDs simply because it reminds me of an era- when buying an album gives you a high because you can finally play your favorite music all day long. Reminds me of the time when I was so obsessed with music but music was not so readily available.
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James Hill is a veteran of the music industry. He first worked at Warner Reprise Records then later joined Interscope/ Geffen Records where he managed producers and songwriters and got his first platinum record for Keyshia Cole’s The Way It Is. He is now helping indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD/vinyl and merch company in LA.
