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Anybody missing the physical single?


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Old 22-11-2011, 08:08
gertrude
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The downloading of singles has destroyed my happiness at going to the record shop and getting my hands on a brand new single, with the added bonus of a "B" side

Now, that pleasure has completely gone, and there's hardly any record shops left (Not sure even if HMV will survive)

What's next, the albums?
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Old 22-11-2011, 08:13
Zone_Out
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i remember always getting physical`s i to also looked forward to the b-sides now i very rarely boother unless its an artist i really like shame really
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Old 22-11-2011, 08:26
rosemary
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Its not quite the same is it? I loved to buy a CD (or even a vinyl when I was younger) there just isn't the same thrill in downloading it is there?
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Old 22-11-2011, 09:42
MiresiaVerteta
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Yes and No....

Yes, as you were given an option of a B-side and No as instead of waiting until Monday to buy a single, you have the chance on a Sunday afternoon to download and most phones have mp3 players so the music can travel with you.

HMV in Birmingham yesterday only had a small singles shelf a stand of about three columns. The only singles were the X-Factor crap of Cher Lloyd (I get sick seeing that cover), JLS, OneDirection. The latest releases from The Wanted and The Saturdays + a vinyl of Ed Sheerean's "Lego House" and that charity single "Teardrops".

It is a dead format sadly.
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Old 22-11-2011, 11:36
Kargo
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I really miss it too, one of my childhood memories was saving up my pocket money and going into Woolworths after school and getting excited when I saw the new single from one of my favourite artists on the shelves. Especially when I had enough money to pick up the CD version as the cassette was always usually £1 cheaper
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Old 22-11-2011, 12:21
thedarrenxshow
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I miss it. I actually would love to buy physical CD's as a whole again. Mainly because my old CD's of which I have about 1000, are now gathering dust and never increasing.

I have made the swap completely to digital now but I couldn't bin or sell any of my old CD's, so what do I do with them?

Let's face it most of the B sides were crap except the odd one. I just think there should be a way for them to sell physical digital songs. My idea would be to have a code for iTunes on the shelve instead of the CD. The code gets you the song for free since you already bought the physical code in store. And with the code you could have the case and art etc.

That's the part I miss, the art book. Used to love looking through them listening to an album. Especially because it reminds me of being 12 and only have enough money off my paper round for 1 album every 2 weeks. CD's meant so much more then, now if you don't like an album after hearing it on spotify you can just not pay.
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Old 22-11-2011, 12:45
leosw4
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I dont miss CDs as such.

I do miss though the excitement at going to one of the big HMVs in Liverpool or Manchester when I was growing up as it was quite exciting.

On a Saturday afternoon in particular they used to be packed and there was a real buzz.

I can remember stuff like the RnB and Dance sections (it used to be called Dance and Soul) covering almost entire floors , particularly in the late 80s/90s as well and I would literally in there for an hour or more every week.

Then there was also the days of the 12 inch single and there would be huge walls of racks of them.

And then you would have the event releases-I can remember queues for MJ Bad album..

I think the social aspect of buying music is the biggest loss.
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Old 22-11-2011, 14:20
Kargo
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I just think there should be a way for them to sell physical digital songs. My idea would be to have a code for iTunes on the shelve instead of the CD. The code gets you the song for free since you already bought the physical code in store. And with the code you could have the case and art etc.
That's not a bad idea actually, a bit like how they sell iTunes gift cards but the code would give you the album instead and like you say, at least we'd have a physical case and artwork. Unfortunetly I dont think the labels would ever opt to that method as it would cost them money to print the covers and put the case together when they could just stick it on iTunes without those added costs.
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Old 22-11-2011, 14:36
iseloid
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yeah, im 19 and i miss it, last physical single i bought was poker face, and that was it. its now a tiny rack at the till for singles. shame, and theres not a social aspect, need that back. downloading is ok, but buying an album physically is what its all about.
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Old 22-11-2011, 14:42
CoffeeNightmare
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its pretty sad because i've just started to buy music and i cant have that experience
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Old 22-11-2011, 14:44
postmortemdate
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the good thing is more and more bands are releasing 7" vinyl again! this really pleases me, nothing like the thrill of new vinyl!!

or old vinyl........just discovered The Wall record i have is a first pressing and its worth about £260/£300......Vinyl=win
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Old 22-11-2011, 14:46
w00sh
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It's definitely not the same as having the actual CD in your hands, but then I stopped buying CD singles numerous years ago.

I can't remember what the last CD single was that I bought, but it was only a few years ago that I stopped buying them, some were extremely overpriced and I started waiting for the albums instead and buying singles only if I like the song and couldn't wait for the album. lol
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Old 22-11-2011, 14:55
cnbcwatcher
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Yes and no. Yes because I used to love going to the shop and seeing the single on the shelves and deciding what version to get and no because it's much quicker and easier to download (and there's no danger of online download stores running out of copies!) and it saves on clutter in my room. If I kept buying CDs I'd have nowhere to store them now!
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Old 22-11-2011, 15:27
marc822
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I miss CD singles from back in the day when you could buy one and it would have around 5 songs on it. The stupid UK banned them.
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Old 22-11-2011, 16:48
Squealer_Mahony
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I don't miss buying CDs at all, especially singles.

I used to enjoy remixes but the majority of B-sides were *yawn*.
Then you'd listen to your song a couple of times and have to change the CD to something else unless you ripped them all to your PC anyway in which case isn't it better to download the song in the first place?

I don't get this whole "having something to hold in your hands" thing either but that's just me.

I'm the same with printing off reams of photos. I don't see the point.

Albums or Compilations are fine for playing in the car but singles? Naaaaah waste of space ... in my opinion
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Old 22-11-2011, 16:55
rors401
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Especially at Christmas when I go into HMV I will! Memories..
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Old 22-11-2011, 17:02
cloudy
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I miss the single both 7" and cd. It's not the same downloading. I remember going into Wollworths and seeing Like A Prayer (the single) for the first time. It was an event for me the first time i had bought a Madonna single first-hand, i went straight home to play it

I am sure, like me, many people have every single by there favourite act (in my case Madonna that's 7", 12", cassette and cd). What am i to do next year when her new material comes out. Download it. No thanks.
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Old 22-11-2011, 17:08
iseloid
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I miss the single both 7" and cd. It's not the same downloading. I remember going into Wollworths and seeing Like A Prayer (the single) for the first time. It was an event for me the first time i had bought a Madonna single first-hand, i went straight home to play it

I am sure, like me, many people have every single by there favourite act (in my case Madonna that's 7", 12", cassette and cd). What am i to do next year when her new material comes out. Download it. No thanks.
buy the album. it'll be a CD.
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Old 22-11-2011, 17:41
CLL Dodge
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People who download have no soul.

Sad times.
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Old 24-11-2011, 22:58
Nelsonator15
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The downloading of singles has destroyed my happiness at going to the record shop and getting my hands on a brand new single, with the added bonus of a "B" side

Now, that pleasure has completely gone, and there's hardly any record shops left (Not sure even if HMV will survive)

What's next, the albums?
Er...the digital EPs for certain singles do have B-sides, Cee Lo Green's Forget You EP still had Georgia and Grand Canyon on it as B-sides, for example.

From what I can gather the digital versions also offer better value for money. The physical single may have just the track and one B-side/remix on it and cost £2, whereas the iTunes EP can have the song and about 4 remixes and cost £1.49. Makes sense to get the digital version imo.

I do buy physical albums for artists I'm most passionate about, 'cause I do like having the album booklet and the sentimental stuff like that. However I've never actually bought a physical single, do they have booklets in them like albums do? I have to wonder what they'd have that the album booklet doesn't have.
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Old 24-11-2011, 23:17
Gneiss
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The last single I bought was this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGWJpotUSVM in 1988 so I would say not!...
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Old 24-11-2011, 23:55
JSB1980
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I'm a Rammstein fan, and they continue to release all their singles still on CD (and some of them on vinyl, though I don't purchase that format), and they're easily available from Amazon. It's not quite the same feeling as when I was a youngster and I'd spend a tenner on the weeks new release singles in Virgin Megastore or HMV, but then back then I used to buy VHS tapes from the same places and now 99% of my DVDs are bought online.

Downloading has its place, obviously, but to me there isn't any satisfaction in not having that single physically in your hand, taking the CD out of the case, and putting it in a CD player. Plus Rammstein's new single, Mein Land, has a pop-up of the band on a surfboard! How you gonna beat that, iTunes??...
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Old 25-11-2011, 00:33
BB-mega-addict
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The downloading of singles has destroyed my happiness at going to the record shop and getting my hands on a brand new single, with the added bonus of a "B" side

Now, that pleasure has completely gone, and there's hardly any record shops left (Not sure even if HMV will survive)
Not completely gone, I do know of a few artists who still release CD singles with a B side (sometimes with remixes, videos and other exclusive content too). Well actually, I only know of one, The Saturdays, but I'm sure they can't be the only ones.

I do love the irony of a 'manufactured' pop band, the kind of band people say is 'killing music', being one of the few acts stopping this from completely dying out. The Saturdays even released a 7" vinyl for their single 'All Fired Up'.


From what I can gather the digital versions also offer better value for money. The physical single may have just the track and one B-side/remix on it and cost £2, whereas the iTunes EP can have the song and about 4 remixes and cost £1.49. Makes sense to get the digital version imo.
Not really, EPs on iTunes are more typically £1.99 nowadays. The price of a physical single also includes the actual CD along with any booklets and the case it's in, not just the content on the CD. There's not much money to be made from physical CD singles as they end up selling at pretty much cost price which is why most labels have discontinued them. Downloads are much more profitable as there are no production costs so physical CDs are almost definitely more value for money. Anyone still doing physical CD singles are doing it out of tradition and fans more than anything else.
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Old 25-11-2011, 00:45
cnbcwatcher
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The last single I bought was this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGWJpotUSVM in 1988 so I would say not!...
That should be Christmas No 1! Who wants to start a campaign?
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Old 25-11-2011, 10:52
D.W.M.U.S.I.C
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As a collector of several artists it's upsetting to see no physical single. However, what bugs me is most is artists like Olly Murs, who has released three out of six singles physically and the other three are only available via download.

It leaves gaps in your collection which can sadly only be filled by promos etc. with the one track on.

So what i tend to do in this case is download the EP from Amazon and burn it to a disc. It's no different to buying a physical single, you get the same tracks / mixes etc and you're still paying the same / cheaper price than you would in a shop.

Then i make a nice little cover using Photoshop and then add it to my collection.
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