I want my obscure 80's
March 17, 2008 10:42 AM Subscribe
Sometimes I can’t find what I want at the local House o’ Used CD’s or on iTunes. What are your favorite sources for (legally) obtaining music?
I’m a big fan of 70’s and 80’s music* Most of the music on my iPod is either ripped from my own CD collection or downloaded from iTunes but I want more. More disco, more new wave, more obscure soundtracks… Alas, I am far from expert about the ways of music downloading.
- I don’t mind paying – although cheaper is better, of course.
- IANAL but I’m presuming that even if a CD is out-of-print that doesn’t mean one can just download it willy-nilly.
I’m sure they’re other things to consider as well as finding sources so I bow to the superior knowledge of my fellow meFites.
* yes I like cheesy music- trying to be brave by not posting anon!
I’m a big fan of 70’s and 80’s music* Most of the music on my iPod is either ripped from my own CD collection or downloaded from iTunes but I want more. More disco, more new wave, more obscure soundtracks… Alas, I am far from expert about the ways of music downloading.
- I don’t mind paying – although cheaper is better, of course.
- IANAL but I’m presuming that even if a CD is out-of-print that doesn’t mean one can just download it willy-nilly.
I’m sure they’re other things to consider as well as finding sources so I bow to the superior knowledge of my fellow meFites.
* yes I like cheesy music- trying to be brave by not posting anon!
Have you been on half.com? It's pretty good for used CDs and the like, though I'm not sure how much obscure stuff they have.
posted by pete0r at 11:08 AM on March 17, 2008
posted by pete0r at 11:08 AM on March 17, 2008
Oh, just now saw the 70s and 80s clause. Disregard the Bleep.
posted by everichon at 11:13 AM on March 17, 2008
posted by everichon at 11:13 AM on March 17, 2008
Addall/ A Music Area searches several webstores for used cds.
Discogs, Gemm and Musicstack are decent also, but gemm and musicstack tend to have inflated prices at times, especially on 12" singles.
Half.com and ebay as well. Happy hunting.
posted by stachemaster at 11:24 AM on March 17, 2008
Discogs, Gemm and Musicstack are decent also, but gemm and musicstack tend to have inflated prices at times, especially on 12" singles.
Half.com and ebay as well. Happy hunting.
posted by stachemaster at 11:24 AM on March 17, 2008
Best answer: I find Amazon's MP3 Download store much better than iTunes, with the added advantage of being able to skip the conversion step - the files are already unprotected MP3s.
posted by rfs at 11:55 AM on March 17, 2008
posted by rfs at 11:55 AM on March 17, 2008
Lala has proven very productive for '50s and '60s music, so I'd imagine they'd be just as worthwhile for other decades.
posted by grabbingsand at 12:13 PM on March 17, 2008
posted by grabbingsand at 12:13 PM on March 17, 2008
I also recommend eMusic. Try browsing their collection and see if they have what you are looking for.
posted by upplepop at 12:27 PM on March 17, 2008
posted by upplepop at 12:27 PM on March 17, 2008
emusic is pretty awesome. But I freaking love Amazon's MP3 downloads! I even found an album there by my friend's long-defunct, never-signed band! So, definitely give it a shot.
- IANAL but I’m presuming that even if a CD is out-of-print that doesn’t mean one can just download it willy-nilly.
Sadly, that's true.
posted by General Malaise at 12:32 PM on March 17, 2008
- IANAL but I’m presuming that even if a CD is out-of-print that doesn’t mean one can just download it willy-nilly.
Sadly, that's true.
posted by General Malaise at 12:32 PM on March 17, 2008
Yeah, Amazon's MP3 store is the first place I look nowadays: the files don't have any DRM, they're high quality encodes, and you get a discount if you buy the entire album at once. One caveat: once you pay for it, you have a limited window of time to download the music. If you put it off, the window closes. So get it all at once and back it up somewhere locally. I waited several days once (home emergency, then forgetfulness) and lost most of my new album.
posted by svolix at 1:15 PM on March 17, 2008
posted by svolix at 1:15 PM on March 17, 2008
Amazon.com is awesome. Emusic was awesome, is getting less awesome. Itunes is totally worthless.
posted by sully75 at 1:23 PM on March 17, 2008
posted by sully75 at 1:23 PM on March 17, 2008
Response by poster: Thanks to everyone so far - I'm learning a lot. I did not know about the Amazon limited window thing so that's good to know, too.
I knew there had to be life beyond iTunes.
posted by pointystick at 1:34 PM on March 17, 2008
I knew there had to be life beyond iTunes.
posted by pointystick at 1:34 PM on March 17, 2008
Second the library. You'd be amazed ('specially as you're seeking 70s and 80s, i.e. oldies).
posted by Rash at 3:29 PM on March 17, 2008
posted by Rash at 3:29 PM on March 17, 2008
Other Music is great, although I'm not sure how much 70s and 80s music they have, but I know they carry a lot in their store. Also, Anthology Recordings might have some interesting stuff for you, although I've got no personal experience with them. Both are definitely worth a look if you want something good quality that is off the beaten path.
posted by dubitable at 6:05 PM on March 17, 2008
posted by dubitable at 6:05 PM on March 17, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mkb at 10:48 AM on March 17, 2008 [1 favorite]