Ah...

Herbert Ruggles Tarlek, Jr. Look. I know he wasn't a Used Car Salesman however, he was an awful Sales Manager at the one and only WKRP in Cincinnati. 

That post title says it all. 

Some have asked me why I've spent money on having CDs manufactured? Well, because once you buy it, it's yours. You own it and the contents within as soon as you pay for it. It's that simple. The bonus for me is that I actually get paid for what I've put so much time into creating. All of us do. I also believe strongly that the compact disc is the best medium for music. I always have. It's a personal preference, I know, but physical media in any format is a good thing. For me, it's the compact disc.

If you're paying a fee for streaming, well, you own nothing and are susceptible to a provider going under and in turn, you lose your "collected" playlists. Think it won't happen? Think again. They don't give a shit about you or your cloud-based playlists. And let's be clear - most artists are not benefitting from your monthly subscriptions. Period. It applies to films too. You think VUDU is going to give a rat's ass about your 400 film collection in your My Stuff folder on their site when they go belly-up? I don't think so. 

Compact disc sales are rising again. They are not what they once were, but the format is gaining ground once more (and CDs are not going away, folks). Adele, Taylor Swift and BTS are solely to thank for this, but us little people are doing our part too. The fact is people are beginning to see the importance of ownership. Vinyl, CDs even cassettes, are still being produced and people are buying them. It's important to support the arts in the only way we have - by buying it. That's showing support. 

Streaming subscriptions are nothing more than another lease opportunity with no accountability. 

I realize everyone has their own reasons for streaming or not. I realize many people don't own a turntable or a CD player. I hope this changes over the next few years. I really do. I hope that young people come to realize how important it is to own an album on vinyl or CD or cassette or 8-Track.

There's something in being able to hold it in your hand. I still buy CDs. Lots of 'em every year. It's crazy how many I've purchased during the pandemic. It's also something I love. But that's me. 

So, enough of this from me. Go out there and buy some music.