LP vs. MP3

5 and 1/2 years ago, the iPod was introduced to the marketplace, and listening to music hasn't been the same since. I had just become an Apple OS convert after a summer internship at Sony Music, and I was psyched on all things out of Cupertino. At first I was skeptical of the little white wonder because it was expensive and mp3 players were usually so poorly designed. But iTunes changed my perception of iPod's possibilities. By ripping all my CDs I would have instant access to anything I wanted to hear at the click of a mouse. Waiting for my beloved 400 CD changer to switch between disc to hear a random playlist on shuffle would be a thing of the past. Now, my new PowerMac wasn't just a fancy word processor with Internet access, now it was the jukebox of my dreams. Couple that with the portability of iPod meant no more lugging around my CD collection on trips, no more skipping Discman while riding the T to class, and no more buying AA batteries. God bless you, Steve Jobs.

Fast forward to present day... The iPod is a massive success having sold over 100 million players world wide satisfying both music lovers and Apple stockholders alike. I've called the iPod the greatest invention since slice bread and have owned 3 different models. Even my mom has an iPod (Hi, mom!). It certainly has changed the way I listen to music for better and for worse. On the positive side it has forced me to acquire music at an accelerated rate, which has allowed me to discover tons of new bands. The downside is that I do not give the usual focus to an album in its entirety as I once did after a trip to Sam Goody in days of yore. The Internet takes blame for both sides of the scale. Now that you can hear an album before it is released, which will leak sometimes several month before it is in stores, getting your hands on the actual, physical CD just is not the magical event it used to be. I know you're saying, if you want it to be magical don't listen to the leaked music. Well that's a valid suggestion, but that's like trying to not eat some of the cookie dough before putting it in the oven. And don't even try to tell me you never tasted that sweet, sweet cookie dough.

Every CD I buy, and yes I still do actually buy CDs, gets opened, ripped, and put on a shelf nary to be used again. So why don't I just save myself some time and effort by purchasing from iTunes or Emusic? It simply comes down to sound quality. While watching movies has evolved for the better; have you tried watching a VHS lately? Yikes indeed. CDs eliminated many of Vinyl and Cassettes cumbersome traits. Instant track selection, no flipping, and no hissing or pops to interrupt you listening experience. But while mp3s are an evolution in convenience, they are a step backwards in aural quality. I'm no audiophile, but the quality of the music you purchase online is not equal to what you pay for. The kids buy it like hot cakes because they don't know any better. Here's an easy way to hear for yourself. Take a CD of an album you have on your iPod. Listen to the opening track on your iPod, then listen to that same track on the CD. If you can't notice the difference, then you can stop reading now because clearly this argument is wasted on you. So why should I pay $9.99 for an album on iTunes that is not only inferior in terms of sound quality but is also crippled in terms of what I can do with it by Digital Rights Management (DRM). I can get that same album on CD for a very close if not exact same price elsewhere. Then I can rip it at higher quality (still via iTunes) and listen to it on as many computers and iPods as I'd like as well as have the real physical CD as backup with linear notes and all.

It all comes back to the magic of buying an album and listening to it as it was meant to be heard. The album is an endangered species. Apple invented the iPod shuffle not just because it was a much cheaper alternative to the original iPod, it's because they surveyed iPod owners and the majority of them filled their players with singles and listened in shuffle mode. But being an old soul I like listening to bands who actually care about creating quality albums, not just one song destined to be the newest sensation on the Billboard hot 100 singles chart and 9+ throw aways. Which brings me to the original point for writing this now way too long entry. How can I have my cookies and cookie dough too?

On a recent trip to the record store, I picked up a copy of the new Of Montreal on vinyl from the shelf and on the front was a sticker. This sticker mentioned there was a coupon inside that allowed you to download high quality mp3s of the full album from the record label's website. This was an interesting revelation indeed. Vinyl has always held some mystical properties. Sure it is inferior to CDs in terms of shelf-life and purity in both sonic fidelity and seamless playback. But because of those things, there is more of a connection between the listener and the music. You're not just letting a machine automate the experience and zoning out instead of paying attention. For my 27th birthday, Elizabeth got me a record player and it has allowed me to develop a deeper appreciation for my passion of music. I can listen to my iTunes library at work and discover new artists via the internet. When it is released, I can go buy their album on vinyl and legitimately receive the mp3s for my iPod all inclusively. I win, the record store wins, the artist wins. What a magnificent time it is for all music lovers. I will close with some wisdom from the recently passed Kurt Vonnegut who I think would agree music is the most powerful medium in our lives:

"My epitaph, should I ever need one, God forbid: ''The only proof he ever needed of the existence of God was music."


-- M