Keep a hold of your CD's: Is it worth it?

You always get retro. People always look backwards, especially with technology. There will always be a nostalgia for old formats of whatever it is.

CD's SHOULD be no exception.

They have dominated the music market for far longer than the 10-year life cycle of previous formats and still offer great quality music, compact storage utility with artwork, liner notes etc and in some instances, supplemental content like music videos or even original multi-track files to remix your own versions of songs.

I like CD's.

But, it's hard to compete with digital music on many fronts, where the reduced cost of manufacturing and distribution is perhaps its best advantage. It also trumps on storage utility and general convenience, which is what the consumer is always after.

I don't think there's any question that the future of the music industry is digital.

In the last few years, the volume of CD re-issues, re-masters, deluxe boxed-sets etc feels like the last act of a dying man in a way, capitalising on the current generation of CD lovers' preference to hold their music.This is most likely the case, and you can't blame the move. Don't want it? Don't buy it.

I do feel though that tangible special edition versions of albums will find a place in the future, with increased personalisation through technology ultimately adding value to such relics.

In the future, there will be options.

For now, keep a hold of your CD's. You never know. They might be worth something in the near future.

At the moment, a casual glance on a leading trade-in service in the UK shows sums of approximately 20-30p for CD's and DVD's. Hardly worth the hassle.

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Recommended books #4

Some more titles I have stumbled upon recently.

Elkin-Koren, N. and Salzberger, E.M. (2013). The Law and Economics of Intellectual Property in the Digital Age. Routledge: New York.

This title benefits from being recent, and goes into some depth over SOPA and the likes. It also critiques research from law and economics.

Bently, L., Davis, J. and Ginsburg, J.C. (2010). Copyright and Piracy: An Interdisciplinary Critique. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.

I got alot out of this book. With distinct sub-chapters from different authors, it's easy to dip into what is most interesting to you where the book ends on a high with chapters going into depth on piracy in Jamaica. It also raises interesting questions throughout, with criticism over how well equipped criminologists are at studying piracy.

Both well worth a read.

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