The Trunk 24/6/2018: Talking Points - Discs and Digits

Welcome to a new experiment for The Trunk. We've noted, both on our own Facebook page and elsewhere in the progressive music community, that good music often sparks good discussions. And, for a fair while now, we've been considering some kind of "talking point" feature where we look at some of the more common topics of debate in the music scene. This is very much a "pilot episode", so we're especially keen to hear what you think of it and whether it's worth continuing, but we thought we'd ease ourselves in with something fairly straightforward: CDs versus digital downloads.

The Case for CDs

A young CD undergoing its first coming-of-age ritual.

CDs are, in general, hassle-free. Between managing downloads and file structures, navigating the perils of DRM (fortunately not an issue with our choice of sales outlet), and importing the right files into the right player on the right devices, it can be surprisingly hard to keep a substantial collection of digital music in order. If you can find a CD, you can listen to it. End of.

For some, CDs are more user-friendly. No messing around with aux cords or Bluetooth from your phone - you put the disc in a player and it plays, and you'll be hard-pushed to find a suitably-sized gadget these days that doesn't come with a CD drive. Granted, playing digital music is also now easier than ever, but CDs remain ideal for those who want to control their music in as simple and tactile a way as possible.

Finally, there's the simple but undeniable pleasure of owning a physical artifact. Many digital albums, including many of ours, come with downloadable versions of the cover and sleeve notes, but having a plastic case and a little paper booklet is a very real factor in a lot of people's decisions to buy physical music. Sometimes it's nice to be able to hold your music physically in your hands!

The Draws of Digital

Oh God, who coiled those headphones and where can I contact them? I've got a bone to pick.

The most obvious upside of owning music digitally is simple: it's cheaper! It's not uncommon for a digital release of to sell for half the price of a physical copy, sometimes even less. In a music scene as vibrant as the one we're lucky enough to be part of, many listeners find that digital downloads get them twice as much new music for the same price, which is handy if your tastes are broad - or if, like me, you're terminally indecisive.

Digital downloads are also somewhat more flexible than CDs, since you can download and rearrange them across multiple devices to suit your needs. Obviously you can do some of this with a CD rip, but, if you ever find yourself in the mood for some music you don't have to hand, all it takes to get hold of it is an Internet connection and a couple of minutes.

And, of course, there's the matter of space. Even lovers of physical media will concede that finding somewhere to put all those CDs can be a pain! When you're working with digital, though, the only space you need is whatever your hard drive takes up - and they seem to be getting smaller every year. So, if storage is at a premium and you don't want to compromise on quantity, a digital library may be your friend.

Your Take

So what do you lot think? We're not going to give a verdict here - instead we're turning it over to you, our loyal readers. Do you prefer CDs or digital when it comes to music, and why? Stick it in the comments here or over on our Facebook page (please keep it respectful). We look forward to seeing what you all have to say!

Status Update

We've had a pretty busy week, what with one thing and another! Between breaking the news that we've signed Oxfordshire's finest in acclaimed prog outfit Sanguine Hum (more detail on that over at Progarchy here) and making Exo-Oceans, the first album from Tangent virtuoso Andy Tillison's solo project Kalman Filter, available through the webstore, Elephant Towers has been positively humming with activity.

The countdown to July 20th, and thus the release of Argos' Unidentified Dying Objects, surges on, and you can preorder a copy right now.

No review roundup this time around - catch you all next week!