Posting in AH because I know there's a bunch of smart, articulate people.

[AG31]

How do you give music as gifts? I used to love to give people CDs, to share music I liked. But anymore there's no way. You can't exactly wrap up a digital music file and put it under the tree. Is there a way around this?

 

[alohadave]

iTunes gift cards if they are iPhone, Google Play gift cards for Android.

 

[SimonDoom]

I have no idea. A gift certificate is totally impersonal. A CD is . . . probably unwanted. I can't remember the last time I bought a music CD, and I'm a boomer. I imagine younger people would wonder, "What's that?"

 

[Tio_Narratore]

I'm close enough to a big city that there are numerous music venues, for small groups through a symphony orchestra, and enough variety and costs so I can share music through pairs of tickets as gifts. I do receive some of the same as gifts, and I appreciate a live performance, even of amateurs. You might consider the same, if possible.

 

[Yarglenurp]

Depends on the person receiving. The key is to deliver it in the format they listen to.

These days, I think the kids listen with streaming services, like Spotify, Tidal, or Youtube. If the goal is to share specific song, I’d just send a link for Youtube. If the goal is to deliver a gift, I’d say to gift a Spotify subscription.

If the goal is to gift a specific song or album, I’d say anything works… It would be purely symbolic anyways. Might as well have it be a vinyl album for all the use it would be.

 

[Bamagan]

You could put the song file(s) on a thumb drive or something similar and wrap that.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Depends on the person receiving. The key is to deliver it in the format they listen to.

These days, I think the kids listen with streaming services, like Spotify, Tidal, or Youtube. If the goal is to share specific song, I’d just send a link for Youtube. If the goal is to deliver a gift, I’d say to gift a Spotify subscription.

If the goal is to gift a specific song or album, I’d say anything works… It would be purely symbolic anyways. Might as well have it be a vinyl album for all the use it would be.

My grandson is currently copying all my vinyl to digital and has asked for my turntable and vinyl collection (not that big, about 1,000 albums) when I'm ready to give it up.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Buy that person a guitar and a guitar-playing course. The music we most appreciate is the one we perform or create ourselves.

 

[Yarglenurp]

My grandson is currently copying all my vinyl to digital and has asked for my turntable and vinyl collection (not that big, about 1,000 albums) when I'm ready to give it up.

Yeah, vinyl is in a bit of a retro revival period. It’s so old that it’s new again.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Yeah, vinyl is in a bit of a retro revival period. It’s so old that it’s new again.

Yes, and I'm amazed at what I've been offered for some of my 60s albums.

 

[Yarglenurp]

Yes, and I'm amazed at what I've been offered for some of my 60s albums.

Yeah, and I’d bet they’ll only get more valuable as time goes on, if you have albums of famous artists.

 

[TheLobster]

Rent a band?

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Share a Spotify playlist. I suppose you could make a card with a QR code link in it.

Or stick the files on a USB stick.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I had a song written for a special occasion for The Boss. I put it on my phone and emailed it to them at an appropriate moment. Mission accomplished.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Yeah, vinyl is in a bit of a retro revival period. It’s so old that it’s new again.

Yes, vinyl is the go, these days. I'm forever buying vinyl for new releases - most bands worth their salt will issue a run of 200 - 500 LPs as part of a new album release. An LP costs more than a CD (yes, double luddite, still buy those too), but sounds superior. Especially when your amp chain is all tube, like mine is (and home brewed).

The aliens who eventually find Voyager 1 and 2 will get to play Chuck Berry and Beethoven off the golden record that's stuck to the side of the space craft. With a Denon 103 cartridge, I believe.

 

[Yarglenurp]

Yes, vinyl is the go, these days. I'm forever buying vinyl for new releases - most bands worth their salt will issue a run of 200 - 500 LPs as part of a new album release. An LP costs more than a CD (yes, double luddite, still buy those too), but sounds superior. Especially when your amp chain is all tube, like mine is (and home brewed).

The aliens who eventually find Voyager 1 and 2 will get to play Chuck Berry and Beethoven off the golden record that's stuck to the side of the space craft. With a Denon 103 cartridge, I believe.

Interesting side fact is that human music doesn’t seem to appeal other animals in the same way as us. I think the running theory is that we all have different ear structure, pick up on different frequency ranges, and have different senses of natural rhythm. There’s a good chance that any aliens that hears Beethoven will think of it the same way we would imagine a song composed from the screeching of howler monkeys.

 

[THBGato]

My wife turned 50 during COVID. As we couldn't return to the UK that year to see friends and family, I asked 50 friends/family members to nominate a song they associated with her. I then made a playlist for her of those songs. I also got everyone to record a video message explaining their choice, which I editted together.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

Vinyls have been making a huge comeback over the past decade or so. Especially popular with gen Z music lovers. My younger sister has a record player so a record is always an easy and obvious gift. The album covers are always cool to decorate a room with too!

 

[Yarglenurp]

Vinyls have been making a huge comeback over the past decade or so. Especially popular with gen Z music lovers. My younger sister has a record player so a record is always an easy and obvious gift. The album covers are always cool to decorate a room with too!

Now just wait for CDs to make a comeback.

 

[Comshaw]

I have no idea. A gift certificate is totally impersonal. A CD is . . . probably unwanted. I can't remember the last time I bought a music CD, and I'm a boomer. I imagine younger people would wonder, "What's that?"

They'd really scratch their heads with a 78, 45 or 33 1/3 RPM vinyl disk huh?

Comshaw

 

[Bramblethorn]

They'd really scratch their heads with a 78, 45 or 33 1/3 RPM vinyl disk huh?

Comshaw

No no, they'd scratch the vinyl.