Yet another independent record shop has closed down in my home town which has enticed me to start typing on a subject close to my heart. This is probably old news to most, but for those of you like me who are clinging on to their vinyl collections for dear life, this may be of interest. The chances are that you already own an mp3 player, or if you don’t, will know someone who does. The idea of  digital music may not appeal to those who prefer their music in physical form for quite justifiable reasons – there is still something about opening up a nice vinyl record or well packaged CD that digital will never replace – but clearly the world has changed and digital formats are where the money is at.

The amount of mp3 players currently on the market gives a vital clue to the direction that commercial music is going. It seems that music stores invited in a Trojan Horse of huge proportions when they decided to start selling them, encouraging people to turn to digital downloads which in turn affected their bread & butter CD sales and pushed them over the edge into oblivion. It’s no surprise then, that when you go into that last bastion of high street music stores, HMV, that CDs and music make up only a small proportion of their shopfloor space – and they are making a big push towards the digital market.

Game over for buying music over the counter, then? Well, no, not necessarily. CDs were supposed to see the eventual death of vinyl but sales have been propped up firstly by DJs buying the latest dance records on mass and then audiophiles, bored of endless downloading, retreading their youth and going digging in the loaded crates of second hand stores up and down the country. CDs themselves are also here to stay as well it seems, as artists and record labels strive to give their fans wonderfully packaged albums with beautifully designed covers.

There was a time when you would buy a stereo system and it would come repleat with everything – tape deck, radio, CD player and a turntable on the top. Now though, everything of any quality seems to be separated – OK the tape deck doesn’t really get a look in – so over the next few weeks we’ll be having a little look at your options when it comes to format.

If you’re into your digital vibes have a look here at our mp3 sound systems

New to digital music and want to know more? Check out our guide to mp3 players

Still hot for a CD player?

Vinyl junkie? Have a browse at these great looking and sounding turntables

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