Music Downloads Vs. CDs

Everybody likes listening to music, and it has become ever more easy and convenient to do this no matter where you're at. It's so great to be able to load music on your Ipod or mp3 player and instantly be able to take your music with you on the go and listen to it wherever you want: the beach, you're car, etc. However, you still have to buy the music that you put on it. You can either buy a hard copy of the CD or you can purchase the whole CD or individual songs online from Itunes or several other online music stores. What's better? Buy the original CD in stores or just buy the mp3 online? There are pros and cons to each.

If you buy the CD from a music store, you get the official CD of the band or artist. It comes with the fancy CD design, the customized CD case, and the booklet about the singers with various pictures, artwork, and sometimes lyrics. You can listen to the music instantly in any CD player. However, before you can listen to it on your ipod, you first must rip the CD onto your computer and then sync it to your music device. And you'll always have the hard copy CD as a backup in case something ever happens to your music player. You won't lose all of your music if your player gets lost, stolen, or broken.

If you buy the CD online, you don't even have to leave your house. You just pay electronically with your debit card or Pay Pal account and you instantly have your music downloaded. Your music is on your device a lot faster. However, you don't get the hard copy or any of the packaging that comes with it (the CD design, case, and booklet). Plus, if you want a hard copy, just to be on the safe side, you must buy a blank CD music disk and burn the songs onto it yourself. Yet, just buying music downloads is much more instant that buying the CD and going through the ripping and syncing processes.

Buying music on the Internet or in stores cost about the same amount, and you still get the same music. However, there are slight differences in the two that matter to some people. It mostly depends upon your personal preferences. Some people feel safer buying a hard copy first and then transferring it onto their player, while others would rather buy it online and have it faster and then burn their own copy later. Which method works best for you depends upon your opinion and what you want from your music. If you're a collector or a die-hard fan of a certain band, then you'd probably rather have the original hard copy CD.