I already don't like the new tendence that with mix compilation albums you can only get the whole mix in 1 mp3, or radio edits only. I want the tracks the way they are in the mix and when I play them all after eachother I'm listening to the full mix.

I want to listen to the mixed version, but I want to be able to skip a track I don't like. You know, like it always was on the old fashion CD. Why can't they sell it like that on the internet portals?

Why would I buy an album with radio edits only?

But now even worse, I saw on the remixed album of Armin van Buuren's Intense that all the remixed tracks are radio edits only. Where are the original remixes??

Why would I buy an album with radio edits only?

How far is the next step that original artist albums will be with radio edits only?

Radio Edits have their place, but I agree 100% if a track is 8 minutes in length, why would you only want the 3 minute version?

I thought one of the benefits of the Internet was supposed to be choice, so why can't we choose Radio edit or Full length for all tracks available to download?

Think of it this way. You say you want the full-length versions as I'm sure everyone else would too. The Radio Edits are just there as teasers in case the compilation/album is downloaded illegally. Otherwise people would download compilations like crazy. They deliberately stick in radio edits where they can.

I'd prefer it if they just got a continuous mix split up into individual tracks so you can hear the full-length track, mixed in.

Originally posted by Remco

I already don't like the new tendence that with mix compilation albums you can only get the whole mix in 1 mp3, or radio edits only. I want the tracks the way they are in the mix and when I play them all after eachother I'm listening to the full mix.

I want to listen to the mixed version, but I want to be able to skip a track I don't like. You know, like it always was on the old fashion CD. Why can't they sell it like that on the internet portals?

Why would I buy an album with radio edits only?

But now even worse, I saw on the remixed album of Armin van Buuren's Intense that all the remixed tracks are radio edits only. Where are the original remixes??

Why would I buy an album with radio edits only?

How far is the next step that original artist albums will be with radio edits only?

Reasons like this is why buying music is just wrong, they are selling you their sh*t quality when they could just do the respectable thing and let you buy what you want (if one was willing enough to spend money on it).

The only way to get a quality mix album, the way you and everyone else in the world would want their's, is to buy the CD (almost all the time) (if a CD was even made, has there been mix albums without a physical CD ever happened before?).

I thought that Ferry Corsten already started that with his last album already...

I also want to say how disgusting I think the likes of Armada (Could be harsh to single them out as a lot labels seem to be doing it nowadays) release an EP with 3 singles. Lets say I want this EP on itunes/beatport/etc. I would say 'buy album' (should be €3 (before inflation anyway)) but no, Armada release their EP's with 6 songs, "radio edits" of the 3 singles to make the 'album' cost €6 (they might only charge €5 but the fact they are trying to scab a couple/few €s here and there is more criminal than downloading the music for free. FACT). What makes these "radio edits" even stupider is that the length of the songs is still too long to get played on most normal radio stations (the songs are almost all 4-4.5 mins), the only purpose of these "radio edits" is for the label to try rob people of money because there is nobody that likes this style of music enough to pay for it, to want to hear a BS pointless edit, everyone wants to listen to the Original/12" (whatever you want to call it)

Here is an example:
http://www.discogs.com/Eco-Desert-Song-EP/release/3900686

Originally posted by zakrush1

I'd prefer it if they just got a continuous mix split up into individual tracks so you can hear the full-length track, mixed in.

That is exactly what I meant and how I want it as well. With a mix compilation, I want to hear the mix, not full lenght tracks or radio edits. But I also want to be able to skip a track that I don't like.

Originally posted by Ultan

I also want to say how disgusting I think the likes of Armada (Could be harsh to single them out as a lot labels seem to be doing it nowadays) release an EP with 3 singles. Lets say I want this EP on itunes/beatport/etc. I would say 'buy album' (should be €3 (before inflation anyway)) but no, Armada release their EP's with 6 songs, "radio edits" of the 3 singles to make the 'album' cost €6 (they might only charge €5 but the fact they are trying to scab a couple/few €s here and there is more criminal than downloading the music for free. FACT). What makes these "radio edits" even stupider is that the length of the songs is still too long to get played on most normal radio stations (the songs are almost all 4-4.5 mins), the only purpose of these "radio edits" is for the label to try rob people of money because there is nobody that likes this style of music enough to pay for it, to want to hear a BS pointless edit, everyone wants to listen to the Original/12" (whatever you want to call it)

Here is an example:
http://www.discogs.com/Eco-Desert-Song-EP/release/3900686

I think it was Coldharbour that started that trend, with their Coldharbour Selections. But at least with EPs you don't have to download the whole album, you can select the tracks you want. With mix compilations that's a lot harder.

I feel radio edits take away from the full impact of the song.

Plus, a few years back, labels would release mixcompilations with "switchable tracks" so you could skip tracks you didn't like and would release the unmixed versions a few months later.

Now, they try to release the unmixed and mixed version in one shot. It doesn't work because the only way you can hear the mix proper is to download the continuous mix where you can't switch the tracks without scrolling (unless you made a cue sheet).

I am one of the few that still burns CDs. I like to collect things and I have them for backup purposes.

Originally posted by DJRANZ

Plus, a few years back, labels would release mixcompilations with "switchable tracks" so you could skip tracks you didn't like and would release the unmixed versions a few months later.

Yeees, exactly! And that's the way they should've kept it. I think commercially it worked as well, being able for them to sell the same tracks twice as well.

Something else about how pointless most radio edits are, 99.99% of all the radio edits will never be played on the radio...

This is one of the things that really irritates me about the music industry.

I buy a mix album, I want the full album, mixed in separate tracks. I absolutely hate how they sell it with 30 tracks unmixed, then one long track. Really irritating.

Years back, I went to digital as I loved the format and found it really accessible. Now, I have gone back to purchasing physical CDs. Mainly due to the sound quality, but another big reason is for the compilations. Nowadays, with most compilations being produced in this format, and no longer being slighter cheaper then the physical copy (thanks to places like Amazon) its just easier to have the CD arrive at my door, rip it in AIFF and have it the way I want. digital for convenience, but with excellent sound quality and the tracks they were meant to be.

If I wanted my stuff to be like a podcast, I would listen to a podcast….

And apparently for Armada, originals are the new extended versions...

http://www.trancepodium.com/releases/armada-10-years-extended-versions

^^Yeah, I totally agree with you all. The radio-edits are getting ridiculous now-a-days. So annoying! I JUST WANT TO HEAR ORIGINAL TRACK IN IT'S ENTIRETY, DAMNIT! hehe

It goes on, an album called 'Armada Top 2013 (Extended Versions)' is full with Original Mixes:
http://www.trancepodium.com/releases/armada-top-2013-extended-versions

So Radio Edits are the new originals and Original Mixes are the new extended versions...

For me original is original and not extended. Original can never be anything else.

an album with radio edits is like buying a dvd full of movie trailers... lol

Originally posted by calgarc

an album with radio edits is like buying a dvd full of movie trailers... lol

Haha well said!

Originally posted by Remco

It goes on, an album called 'Armada Top 2013 (Extended Versions)' is full with Original Mixes:
http://www.trancepodium.com/releases/armada-top-2013-extended-versions

So Radio Edits are the new originals and Original Mixes are the new extended versions...

For me original is original and not extended. Original can never be anything else.

Kind of funny how in that "Extended versions" release there are remixes in there which are certainly not extended versions of the originals.

What I am starting to think, is that people are starting to produce the track as its full 8:00 +/- length and then shortening them for the radio. Technically this is easier then creating three versions of the track. One for Vinyl, one for CD and one for radio. I guess with Vinyl being phased out by so many record labels, they figure the originals can just be the one you have heard on the radio and the extended is the "original" club mix / extended version of the track.

It kind of makes sense for them to do this as I know lots of people who hate the DJ friendliness of original / extended versions of the track and just want the meat and potatoes of the song. With enough demand, any company will change what it does and lets face it, people have become so obsessed with getting what they want quickly in this day and age, they don't want to wait 2 minutes for a track to completely begin. They get bored quickly and move to the next track and then complain that each track on the album sounds the same because they are just hearing the intros to each song.

It is theory, but could be a reason.

That could be a reason indeed and I think it's because the mainstream listeners are now also listening to radioshows of DJs.

I've been complaining a lot lately about ASOT and the many tracks Armin stuffs in 2 hours. Markus is doing it now as well. I mean 30+ tracks in 2 hours is too much. I can hardly enjoy a track before we move on to the next already. But maybe it is because original mixes has gotten shorter. They aren't 8+ minutes anymore, many are only 5 or 6 minutes. And that includes also a short intro and outro.

This quote is interesting for me also in this matter, besides the melody, build up and speed, I think it can also refer to the lenght:

"I think the problem with Trance nowadays is people are trying too much to produce music that fits vibe of certain radioshow not the vibe in the clubs." - Indecent Noise
http://www.trancepodium.com/forums/general-trance-discussions/topics/dj-quotes?page=3

I still think the main reason labels are using radio edits tho is money. They don't want to give original mixes for the same price. They want to sell those seperately. And advertising with extended mixes, while in fact they only sell you an original mix.

But the thing is, with mix compilations, we (or at least I) don't even want to get the full original mix for the same price. I really don't care. I want the track the way it is mixed, like the continuous mix they sell, but then cut seperated pieces. Just the way they do on physical CDs. Why can they sell it like that on CDs, but not on internet? What's the difference?

Yea, I have noticed what you mean about "songs for radio shows" I remember this back when TATW was still here. Lots of music started having what became known as the "Anjuna Sound". It almost sound as if all the artists used the same studio / equipment / presets. I loved Anjuna though in this time because that sound was what I wanted… uplifting, emotional stuff that just made you feel good.

I have almost stopped listening to radio shows. They feel boring a lot lately because it is the same exact thing for almost two hours. Even the WAO of 138 bits all sound very similar to each other.

I also agree with you on the amount of track being crammed into a set these days. What happened to letting us ride out each individual track so we could feel what the producer wanted us to feel from start to finish. I transition normally about 2 minutes of each track and I sometimes feel that is making the tracks too short. I can't even listen (never have been able to) to the Year mix compilations as its just a music overload in my brain haha.

But in the end, I completely agree. I now have the ability to buy a full CD, in WAV quality digitally, but it is not the same as the CD format. So I have to order the CD and wait for it to arrive before I can listen to it. I don't mind waiting, but if they are going to make the album available in CD quality, for more expensive then the CD mind you, then why can't it be an exact copy of the CD. None of the 14 separate tracks and then one long one with out track markers and so on… really irks me.