Is it easy? How many people live walking distance from a record store? Or know of one within 10 or even 30 minutes drive? One that isn't a big corporation (i.e. Walmart, Target, Best Buy*, B&N). Who still owns a CD player?
I do, but not in my car. The 'infotainment' is sophisticated enough to call in an airstrike, but can't play CDs. Okay, so I've got the CD in hand, can't play it yet, just need to rip it and transfer to USB. Grab the MacBook, and... no optical drive.
It's not as easy as the old man purports. I'm reminded of the scene in Austin Powers where he puts a CD on the turntable.
*Best Buy stopped selling DVDs and Blu-Rays, not sure about music.
It is harder than it was 20 years ago for sure. But not totally gone yet! And I do feel like it’s making a slow come back in some ways.
I used to buy movies before I ripped them too. But now physical copies of those are becoming harder to get.
But places to buy them brick & mortar simply do not exist anymore. The few that do exist are mostly owned by 'big corporations'. And the physical media sections in stores are some of the saddest places I've walked through: they look abandoned, media is disorganized and difficult to find. They tend to focus on stocking greatest hits compilations. The days of treasure hunting in a record store is a relic of the past I'm afraid.
If you live in a city that still has a record store within driving distance, great! But that's, what, maybe 10% of the population at most? You're likely making a special trip, not dropping in on your way to do something else.
Is it easy? It’s not hard. Making it easier is a market opportunity.
