CDs are still alive and kicking...

Following on my my mix tape ramblings comes this article...

THE music download revolution might be eating into CD sales but it may be some time before physical music formats such as discs become completely irrelevant.

While consumers are becoming more selective about which music they choose to buy in disc format - as opposed to online - the CD still holds a place as popular medium for home-made compilations.

(Do you still buy CDs or just download your music digitally?)

The question of how listeners cherry-pick music for such personal collections, however, is the subject of a survey to be conducted by the University of Newcastle.

Marj Kibby, a senior communications lecturer at the university, is investigating the impact of the internet on the way young people find information about popular music, as well as acquire and listen to it.

Dr Kibby said anecdotal evidence suggested digital music collections were becoming more ephemeral and pointed to a resurgence in the personalised compilation album.

"People are actually burning music files back to CD - they are compiling their own 'mixed tapes' again, which was something that disappeared for a while,'' she said.

"We used to do it when we had cassettes and it disappeared for a while because we didn't have the technology to burn CDs and now that's all become easy again.''

The survey will look at the ways in which music is available online, the methods young people use to listen to and purchase music and the impact of the internet on their music consumption habits.

It will also consider consumers' attitudes towards different methods of music consumption and the possible social consequences of those habits and attitudes.

Dr Kibby said musicians were also playing a more active role in interacting with their fans through internet sites such as MySpace, which allow them to better gauge their popularity amongst more specific markets.

Early indications suggest listeners have been looking to the web to find new music as well as familiar artists.

Such trends were likely to challenge the more established ways of pitching music to consumers.

"What's their level of satisfaction with the music? If they're getting free music, does it meet their level of satisfaction? If they're paying for it, is it too encumbered with various protections for them?'' Dr Kibby asked.

People over the age of 18 can take part in the online survey at Online Music.

The results of the survey are expected to be released in June.