Soundtracks & Compilations (music) | Film & Music

Some people love them, some people hate them but there is little doubt that music compilations and soundtracks from movies or television series represent a major music category. If this is the sort of music that you like it is important that you know the best places to buy and what to look out for when you are buying it. Here are some tips and advice on how to make sure that you find the particular compilation or soundtrack you want with minimum fuss and expense.

Where to source music compilations and soundtracks
Your local music store may be a good place to start looking for the type of music you want but if you can't find what you are looking for you may need to look further afield. Try searching online on classified adverts websites where music suppliers and individuals can advertise music for sale. These adverts will provide some details about the music they are selling as well as their contact details. You may even be lucky enough to find a specialist music store that concentrates on selling compilations and soundtracks. Other places to look for your preferred type of music include second hand shops, charity shops and car boot sales. Music magazines may also contain adverts from people or suppliers.

BUYING MUSIC IN A MUSIC STORE

Advantages
One of the main advantages is that it is very easy to walk into your local music shop, pick up a CD, buy it and go home and listen to it. You will probably be able to listen to the music in the store before you buy it to make sure that you like it and you will have the music you want at home with you that day so you won't have to wait to listen to it. As you pay on the spot you can be assured that the payment system is safe and most stores will be happy to give you an exchange or refund if you find out that there is anything wrong with it when you get it home.

Disadvantages
Music stores tend to cover all types of music so they may not specifically stock a big range of compilations and soundtracks. You will almost certainly be able to find the soundtracks to popular movies such as The Sound of Music, Dirty Dancing or Bridget Jones Diary but you may have difficulty finding soundtracks to more obscure movies or older television series. Similarly, most good music stores will stock compilations of recent chart songs but they may not keep compilations of less popular genres of music. Prices may be higher in a music shop on your local High Street as these shops have to cover significant overhead costs.

BUYING MUSIC ONLINE

Advantages
The world wide web, as its name suggests, covers the global market so you will be more likely to be able to find the particular compilation or soundtrack that you are looking for online. Shopping on line means that you can shop in the comfort of your own home at a time that suits you. Also, you can easily compare prices between different suppliers. Generally, you will be able to read something about the album or track you are thinking of buying and in some cases you will even be able to listen to a bit of it. The volume of music sold through the web often means that the prices may be cheaper than in a High Street store, particularly if you are buying a music download rather than a CD, tape or vinyl.

Disadvantages
One of the big disadvantages of buying music online, unless downloading it, is that you will have to wait for it to be packaged up and posted out to you before you will be able to play it. Also, you will need to consider postage and packing costs as these can sometimes be quite high which can result in you ultimately paying well over the odds. Payment is usually handled by electronic methods such as PayPal or credit or debit card so you need to make sure that the site's payment system is secure -- whilst this shouldn't be an issue with major online stores, pay close attention to the payment systems used by small online retailers and sites that you have not previously used. Also bear in mind that although the UK Distance Selling Directive is designed to provide consumers with enhanced protection for online purchases, there are notable exemptions to this which include electronic music downloads.

Buying second hand music
If you are looking for an older, rare or collectable soundtrack or compilation album, it is likely that you will be buying it second hand which does pose some additional risks. So, to make sure that you minimise these risks as much as possible, here are a few things to think about when buying second hand music:

If you are buying the music in a second hand shop (online or offline) ask if they have a returns policy or if it is possible for you to hear the music before you buy it.
If you are buying online make sure that you get some indication as to the condition of the vinyl record or CD before you buy it. Most online music suppliers will have some sort of scoring system to indicate if it is in excellent, good or poor condition.
Find out if the online store or supplier has a returns policy if you discover that the music is not in the condition it was advertised to be in when you receive it.
If you are buying online, make sure that the music is exactly what you want before you buy. For example, check that a vinyl album comes with the original sleeve or a CD has the original box etc.

Compilations and soundtracks are increasingly popular types of music. Even if you are looking for something which is not readily available or is no longer in production, you should be able to locate it and secure it if you keep your wits about you and think carefully before you buy.