Streaming music vs physical ownership

[Don Gately]

I love Spotify, it's great to play some music or a podcast in the car or out cutting the lawn. I've come across some great new music and some that I may have missed through it. However I feel that owning a record or CD gets me more invested into a record rather than dipping in and out and perhaps streaming music is a bit shit? Thoughts

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

On the one hand, I'd like to agree, because it's what feels like it's true. But in reality, I have many vinyl I almost never listen to and plenty of albums I only ever stream, and endlessly (cos don't own a physical copy). But then, when I stream, it's only ever full albums, and I think that's because I grew up on physical releases. It'd be interesting to hear from younger folk who have the opposite experience; grew up on mp3s and/or streaming and then got into buying vinyl or CDs later.

[vinterland]

Yes I prefer owning a physical copy but a huge amount of the albums I listen to nowadays are either on Youtube or Spotify, even with the excruciating ad breaks. Only yesterday I came across a copy of Firepower I'd purchased last summer in Hamburg. The packaging wasn't even opened, yet I know the album off by heart. Still can't shake the feeling that I'm supporting the artists by having the genuine article. Eight to nine hundred CDs at this juncture from Ablaze my Sorrow to Zyklon and everything you can imagine in between.

[Eoin McLove]

Yes I prefer owning a physical copy but a huge amount of the albums I listen to nowadays are either on Youtube or Spotify, even with the excruciaating ad breaks. Only yesterday I came across a copy of Firepower I'd purchased last summer in Hamburg. The packaging wasn't even opened, yet I know the album off by heart. Still can't shake the feeling that I'm supporting the artists by having the genuine article. Eight to nine hundred CDs at this juncture from Ablaze my Sorrow to Zyklon and everything you can imagine in between.

Celine Dion?

[Carnage]

I buy physically when I can, CDs only. I'd buy digitally if that's all that's available but there's a lack of that dopamine hit you get ftom picking up the actual album.

[Bürggermeister]

Most of my listening is done either through the computer or the phone, which I can connect to my old stereo and use it in the car too. Regardless of source, I tend to listen to the whole album, that's the way I've always done it. In the old days, that meant carefully selecting a tape or two before heading out with the walkman and committing to that music for as long as I was out. I still tend to commit to whatever I put on, whether at home or out and about. Old habits die hard.

The declining availability of CDs combined with mental and still escalating postal charges have pushed me towards non-physical digital music. I've ripped everything I've owned over the last 40-odd years on a large hard drive and have the best of it on my phone. I'm still drawn to new music and still buy the music I like, though, lossless from either from Bandcamp or Qobuz, usually after having a quick listen first. I don't see a difference between playing something from a physical or digital source.

I buy the music I like, largely because it's how I grew up but, also, I think if it's not worth my money then it's not worth my time either. I could listen to something good which moved me enough to spend money money on it instead. I don't use Spotify largely because it's shit to the musicians who made the music while being kind to their shareholders but, also, I've been buying music since the early 80's and don't need some streaming service to find something to listen to.

[Eoin McLove]

I buy shit if I like it. I'll listen to CDs, vinyl and tapes but I listen to a lot of stuff on youtube too. But if I like it, I buy it physical.

[mickO)))]

I prefer physical as well. I was never into tapes and the last CD I bought was Down III in 2007. I own close to 2000 vinyl but the constant price hikes from most labels these days along with postage and the severe drop in quality of records over the last few years is making buying physical copies very difficult and I think very soon I will only be buying a handful of releases each year.

I have no interest in streaming and think it is a bad idea relying on an internet connection to listen to music plus a good 20% of what I own isn't even on Spotify. I either download the bandcamp edition if it comes free with the physical copy or just download illegally and have it all on my phone so I can listen whenever and where ever I want. Plus it's not as if artists especially underground ones are making any money from Spotify either.

[Eoin McLove]

I buy much less than I did a couple of years ago. Just getting older and having other responsibilities mixed with being fucking bored to death by most new stuff (my own fault).

[Carnage]

I've probably bought more in the last 3 or 4 years than I'd bought in the previous 20. Partly due to the midlife crisis thing we were on about in another thread but the lockdowns definitely were a factor. Spare cash with fewer spending opportunities, boredom, etc. definitely had me buying piles of CDs.

I also found myself spending more on rare or out of print stuff that I previously woudln't have been able to justify forking out on, I'd bet I wasn't the only one in that boat.

[leatherface]

Physical all day for me. Have most of the albums I want (classic band discographies etc), though I often seem to search out obscure, never reissued albums and end up getting depressed as I refuse to pay over the odds and never get what I want. Another thing is some (older) albums being only available in the States or Canada, again - not paying exhorbitant postage. Frustrating- you used to be able to go into places like Freebird and get this stuff second hand for next to nothing.

[Pagan Saviour]

constant price hikes from most labels

Yeah they're getting stuck into us now, it's become a seriously expensive interest. I find it hard to shop local as well I can't justify 50-65 for two pieces of vinyl from any of our local record stores.

That and I've been stung for customs three or four times this year already. I find more and more I'm going through Amazon

[hellfire]

Apart from Bandcamp everything I listen to is physical copy. That said I have all my CDs ripped to my phone and they get listened to much more that way.

[Ducky]

On the one hand, I'd like to agree, because it's what feels like it's true. But in reality, I have many vinyl I almost never listen to and plenty of albums I only ever stream, and endlessly (cos don't own a physical copy). But then, when I stream, it's only ever full albums, and I think that's because I grew up on physical releases. It'd be interesting to hear from younger folk who have the opposite experience; grew up on mp3s and/or streaming and then got into buying vinyl or CDs later.

Yeah I'm in the "old fart" category here too. Doesn't matter the medium, I listen to albums the whole way through (aside from when I'm deliberately using a playlist).

I quite like Spotify's "play something similar" feature when an album finishes. I've found a few cool bands that way, and it reminds me of when someone would tape an album for you and they'd stick a few extra songs on the end to fill the cassette's runtime.

That said, I still like having a meaty physical and meatier digital collection, but any opportunity that presents me with music I want to hear has its place.

[astfgyl]

Ah I just mix and match. I like the physical but the streaming is great for trying stuff to see if it's worth a physical copy.

This new vinyl Walkman thing looks interesting all the same..