I get that you're not a fan of downloading (you, and many others). And I suspect that the term means different things to different folks. But here's the thing, Terry....

I have a collection of (I'm estimating) around three thousand CDs. I have ripped (not downloaded) each and every one of 'em into my computer. So, I now have a library of over 50 000 songs........songs that I can manipulate pretty much any way that I want (ie., building playlists, etc.).

I have also downloaded (ie. purchased) songs from iTunes. I usually just do this when the CD is unavailable or prohibitively expensive. It's not my first choice, but once it's in my library, in truth, it doesn't make a big difference whether or not the CD is sitting on the shelf downstairs or not.