“Neither cheesy, nor bobo…” They still buy CDs and they assume

• Despite enormous competition from the Internet, many

  20 Minutes

  readers said they continued to listen to CDs and buy them.

• They particularly enjoy owning the disc as an object.

• The quality of the sound, the approach and the remuneration of the authors are also pleasing.

Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Qobuz… These music streaming platforms, which have become essential, are far from exciting this weekend visitors to the Rezé-Nantes International Record Fair, one of the biggest events French devoted to CDs and vinyls.

No, what these collectors and lovers of nuggets are fond of is the charm and sound quality of physical media.

And if vinyl has become trendy again on the shelves for a few years, the

has not said its last word.

Many of our readers, consulted on the subject, told us that they were resisting.

"I continue to buy CDs regularly and often take advantage of promotions to buy them in batches of five," says Coraline, 42.

For me, they remain a collector's item that can be kept for a lifetime.

Music platforms, we keep no trace.

But I like to have at home the object, the cult album of such and such an artist.

Antoine, 40, confides the same attachment.

“Buying an album, without material or visual support, I consider that to be too abstract.

»

“I like the fact of owning the object in itself.

For me, the music is completed with the covers of the albums and having it in my hands with the booklet allows you to appreciate it even more", adds Arnaud, 27, who fondly remembers his first album (The Offspring,

) given to her 6 year old.

"I have never stopped buying CDs, simply because nothing replaces the joy of owning a physical album", abounds Aimée, 19 years old.

The sound, we ask ourselves, without advertising

The young woman adds another argument: “The sound is better there than on my phone”.

“The pleasure of listening to a CD is mainly for the sound.

Digital is not as qualitative”, confirms another Antoine, 28, quite proud to own “about 650 CDs”.

Another recurring grievance addressed to digital platforms: advertisements.

“There are too many,” grumbles Marie-Claire, 60, as does Jules, 24.

“Putting a CD is already a process.

We give ourselves time, we settle down, without zapping, without advertising, ”says the young man.

"No ads, no bad surprises, just fun," insists Aimée.

Léon, 30, who appreciates this format with which he "grew up", tries to summarize the advantages attributed to the

 : "quality, duration, format and price".

He could have added the “best remuneration for artists”, another argument cited several times.

"I have very few old CDs because I sold a large part of my collection only to regret it and make a new one," continues Léon.

I buy them in a specialized store or on the Net.

I don't think I'm corny or a bobo.

I'm like a lot of other people I imagine.

"My friends don't necessarily understand", regrets Alix, 23, who likes to buy an album that he "really likes" or "listen to old CDs again".

"But they don't find me sore.

Nerdy, it's more likely, ”she laughs.

Mickaël, 40, also consumes “a lot of CDs, especially second-hand”.

But its use is more original and rigorous than the average.

“Once the CD is purchased, I encode it on my computer in MP3 to then listen to it on my walkman or in my car.

The files are neatly tagged with title, artist name, genre, cover and a rating from 1 to 5. I only listen to the tracks rated 5 and occasionally I listen to the lower rated ones to see if my opinion has changed.

»

A "clear return of the CD for several months"

Let it be said, at the end of the month, CDs will indeed be at the foot of the Christmas tree, confide several of our readers.

“It's mainly for my father because I know he still has a player and they listen to them more easily than his vinyl,” explains Léon.

“I once bought a CD for my brother's son after a concert.

And I also bought a CD from an international artist,” adds Antoine.

This finding comes as no surprise to Patrice, manager of a CD pressing company near Lyon, who has observed “for several months a clear comeback of CDs”.

Jay, 36, admits he no longer buys CDs and listens “mainly MP3s”.

But he “always has a player” in his office to play “from time to time the 200 CDs that sit there”.

"It's mostly out of nostalgia and memories that I keep them," he explains.

Finally, some teasing readers point to other unexpected assets.

"In summer, attached to the end of a branch of my cherry tree, the CD serves very well as a scarecrow for sparrows", ironically one of them.

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