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View Full Version : Music ownership vs streaming



arnab_das
March 2nd, 2012, 08:52 PM
Would really love to hear opinions about this. Just the other day I was readingreports that the sale of mp3s have reduced over the years and taking its place is music subscription, streaming in other words. Is streaming really the future? Do people really not care about the quality of the music files anymore?

Would be great to hear some opinions on this.

eriktheblu
March 3rd, 2012, 12:01 AM
Audio fidelity varies in value between individuals. I doubt most people would be able to distinguish between 128k and 256k.

nutpants
March 3rd, 2012, 12:18 AM
since in many places you don't "OWN" the music and there are TONS of restrictions if you want to burn a cd to listen to some place or if you just want to let a friend hear some song.. it is just easier to pay for a subscription and listen to everything..
but i think mp3 sales have reduced more because honestly i only buy just the song i want and not a bunch of them just for fun any more..

seeing that bill at the end of the month that $.99 a song is not so attractive as it used to be.

moneys tight and i have a radio and the free streaming music every where now.

aysiu
March 3rd, 2012, 01:26 AM
I don't get the subscription stuff. I can pay $10 a month for Spotify to not own anything, or I can buy 10-20 MP3 songs per month and end up with a new 180 songs per year. Now Google Music, Amazon MP3, and iTunes no longer have DRM on the songs they sell.

Smilax
March 3rd, 2012, 02:18 AM
ownership all the way.

charity shops have some good gear

S3V3NTiNiN3
March 3rd, 2012, 02:52 AM
Most of the music I have on my hard drive is in a lossless format, usually FLAC. If I absolutely must use mp3, and I very much dislike doing so, 320kbps - nothing less - will suffice.

But then again, I'm picky. :)

arnab_das
March 3rd, 2012, 01:33 PM
very interesting. i guess i'm incapable of differentiating FLAC from a 320kbps MP3. but is there a legal way to get FLAC files?

Paqman
March 3rd, 2012, 01:45 PM
but is there a legal way to get FLAC files?

Sure, either rip your CDs to FLAC, or some online stores do sell FLAC directly.

I keep meaning to re-encode my music collection to FLAC for futureproofing (we won't always use mp3) but it's such a big job I never get round to it.

3rdalbum
March 3rd, 2012, 03:18 PM
In a choice between buying and pay-to-stream, I would buy. That way I can do stuff with the music such as put it on CDs or my MP3 player, and make sure that I have it forever and nobody can take it away from me.

It's also a lot easier on the old bandwidth to download and listen, rather than keep streaming the same music over and over. I imagine streaming music could stutter if the internet connection was a bit flaky too.

Otherwise, I usually pirate individual songs or download them as videos from Youtube. I know you don't want to hear that, but it's true. If someone releases a few good songs I'll buy their album, but the "I can't believe this singer with a terrible voice actually released a good song" situation usually results in my getting the song illegally.

arnab_das
March 3rd, 2012, 03:54 PM
Sure, either rip your CDs to FLAC, or some online stores do sell FLAC directly.

I keep meaning to re-encode my music collection to FLAC for futureproofing (we won't always use mp3) but it's such a big job I never get round to it.

now that again is a grey area and what might seem a simple 'ripping' to you, could actually be considered piracy. see this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1794702

arnab_das
March 3rd, 2012, 03:58 PM
In a choice between buying and pay-to-stream, I would buy. That way I can do stuff with the music such as put it on CDs or my MP3 player, and make sure that I have it forever and nobody can take it away from me.

It's also a lot easier on the old bandwidth to download and listen, rather than keep streaming the same music over and over. I imagine streaming music could stutter if the internet connection was a bit flaky too.

Otherwise, I usually pirate individual songs or download them as videos from Youtube. I know you don't want to hear that, but it's true. If someone releases a few good songs I'll buy their album, but the "I can't believe this singer with a terrible voice actually released a good song" situation usually results in my getting the song illegally.

that is actually a very good argument. the other side of the story is of course the fact that broadband/3G connectivity is only going to get better over the years. also, with streaming, you dont have to worry about carrying a memory card or running out of space. and if a new album comes out, you get access to the whole album overnight without having to spend anything.

nothingspecial
March 3rd, 2012, 03:58 PM
I buy new music on vinyl which most new releases are available on. They usually come with a free mp3/flac/wav download included in the price.

The only streaming service I use is the live music archive for when I'm in the mood for a whole Grateful Dead concert which, to be honest, is not very often.

sffvba[e0rt
March 3rd, 2012, 07:23 PM
I buy either on CD (if I hit a bargain) or digitally online... I do however listen to several streaming radio stations and have started listening to "free" streaming services more and more often over the past two years...


404

drawkcab
March 3rd, 2012, 07:52 PM
In spite of myself, I use mostly free streaming services these days to find new music. Pandora is great for that.

I do pirate music and, if I end up keeping pirated stuff (i.e. I listen to it for more than a few weeks or move it to my mp3 player) I'll buy some merchandise from the artist to compensate them.

arnab_das
March 3rd, 2012, 08:40 PM
I buy new music on vinyl which most new releases are available on. They usually come with a free mp3/flac/wav download included in the price.

The only streaming service I use is the live music archive for when I'm in the mood for a whole Grateful Dead concert which, to be honest, is not very often.

ooo vinyl! :) i can understand if mp3s/streaming fail to satisfy you.

Smilax
March 3rd, 2012, 09:23 PM
i buy vinyl cause i love the artwork. :popcorn:

nothingspecial
March 3rd, 2012, 09:40 PM
To me, and I know this may sound a little silly to some, a cd feels like a usb stick or sd card with a digital copy of the music on it.

A vinyl record, however, feels like a work of art, something I actually want to own, discover, use and cherish.

I particulary love it when the artist/record company make an effort such as the engraving on side 4 of Neil Young's recent album "A Treasure"

213641

Or the green vinyl + artwork of The Gaslight Anthem's single "Tumbling Dice"

213642

You just don't get that with a cd or streaming.

arnab_das
March 3rd, 2012, 10:37 PM
To me, and I know this may sound a little silly to some, a cd feels like a usb stick or sd card with a digital copy of the music on it.

A vinyl record, however, feels like a work of art, something I actually want to own, discover, use and cherish.

I particulary love it when the artist/record company make an effort such as the engraving on side 4 of Neil Young's recent album "A Treasure"


You just don't get that with a cd or streaming.

very impressive! i've always wanted to ask this to vinyl fans. it must be tough to be super picky about the albums, because unlike mp3s or streaming or even CDs, you cant really afford to buy a crap album. can you, considering the price of vinyl these days?

sffvba[e0rt
March 3rd, 2012, 10:48 PM
When I am banging to the tunes, the delivery method doesn't matter to me :guitar:


404

Smilax
March 3rd, 2012, 11:52 PM
bob marley, i know a place. single, vinyl £1.99.

charity shops rock.

Paqman
March 4th, 2012, 09:11 AM
now that again is a grey area and what might seem a simple 'ripping' to you, could actually be considered piracy. see this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1794702

It did used to be technically illegal to rip from CD in the UK, but it was a law that was deliberately never enforced, and the government has accepted the recommendations of the Hargreaves report that it should in fact be legalised.

The fact that it wasn't legal was due to an oversight in earlier legislation where the right to make backups of software wasn't extended to other digital information.

MisterGaribaldi
March 4th, 2012, 04:04 PM
I'd rather rip my own CDs, thanks. And because I have to keep compatibility in mind, I use MP3.

Ideally, I'd rather use something like OGG, but it is impractical to do so.

And I love using Pandora. Works out quite well.

venator260
March 4th, 2012, 04:18 PM
Audio fidelity varies in value between individuals. I doubt most people would be able to distinguish between 128k and 256k.

It depends where I am. In my car I can usually tell the difference if I use a 128k vs. 256k or 320k file to burn my cd's with. The better the rip, the clearer the bass (both bass drum and guitar).