Key Takeaways
- Using online resources like Bandcamp and Discogs, you can easily expand your unique and affordable CD collection.
- By purchasing CDs directly from independent artists’ online stores, you increase transparency of profit sharing and support independent artists.
- Prioritise more ethically-satisfied options for your music collection and consider Amazon as a last resort when buying CDs online.
Building a CD collection in the age of streaming isn’t as odd as it once was. Plenty of people still collect CDs, and most major artists still release music on physical discs because of the tried-and-true nature of this infinitely convenient medium. CDs sound amazing, are useful in situations where you don’t have (or don’t want to have) internet access, and once you own a CD, it’s yours forever, unlike streaming.
If you’re thinking about buying CDs online to expand your collection, thankfully there are lots of great places to buy them, both new and used. Some places are more expensive or ethical than others, so you need to be careful about where you get your CDs.
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1 Discogs has just about every CD you can imagine
From expensive new albums to beloved albums
Buying used CDs on Discogs makes it easy to source CDs from anywhere in the world. CDs come in a wide variety of rarities and conditions, as well as new and reissued specs. You’ll find the most specific here, and sellers are often very detailed about the features and quirks of the CDs they’re selling.
We recommend Discogs as your first place to start, not only because it’s budget-friendly, but also because buying second-hand is always a good choice – you’re not contributing to excess waste or overproduction, and in many cases, when you buy a CD on Discogs, you’re donating money to regular people and small record stores.
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2 Search on eBay
It’s a popular place to buy second-hand goods. There are lots of CDs on eBay.
You can find a lot of bargains on eBay. Like Discogs, sellers are often very specific about the CDs they’re selling, their features, the year and place they were released, and their current, specific condition. You can find a lot of affordable CDs on eBay, and if you can bid, you can get even cheaper purchases.
Beware of eBay’s often exorbitant shipping charges – it’s not uncommon to see sellers listing albums for very low prices, but then charging $20 for shipping. Shipping costs also vary depending on where you live and the typical shipping rates for that area.
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3 Buy your favorites on Bandcamp
We have it all, from international pop bands to niche local bands.
If you want to buy new CDs from artists, especially small or independent artists, Bandcamp is a great place to buy albums. Bandcamp only takes 10% of the artist’s profits from the sale of merchandise, including physical CDs. Therefore, Bandcamp is a great way to support your favorite artists while being transparent and giving artists a fair share of the profits. Additionally, Bandcamp sometimes hosts an event called “Bandcamp Friday” where 100% of the profits from sales are paid directly to the artists and labels.
Most local and indie artists have pages on Bandcamp, so if you’re looking to buy a CD from a more niche artist, you’ll very likely be able to find it there. Many physical CDs purchased on Bandcamp also come with a digital copy, which is very convenient and great value for money.
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Four Buy CDs directly from the label
Smaller labels tend to sell their CDs through the artists’ online merchandise stores.
Many music labels have their own online store where you can buy their CDs and other merchandise directly. This is usually the case for smaller independent labels, or subsidiaries of larger labels. However, if you like a variety of artists on the same label, it’s worth checking whether they have an online store where you can buy their CDs, so you can get a variety of artists at once.
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Five Amazon is an option, but not necessarily the best
I recommend one of the above over Amazon, but you can find plenty on Amazon too
You can buy just about any CD on Amazon. While you can find a lot of products on the site and often get free, convenient shipping, it’s not necessarily the most morally or ethically satisfying option for online CD shopping.
If you’re buying CDs online, we recommend Amazon as a last resort. If you’re buying a new CD, you’ll want to support your favorite artists more directly, and you’ll want to get a quality used CD from a marketplace that specializes in selling quality used CDs. However, if you can’t find the CD you’re looking for anywhere else, Amazon is a good option.
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