Where do you get your music?

[jackmc]

I used to get a fair bit of music from Itunes (provided I couldn't get it elsewhere :)). Just wondering where everyone else gets music from. Lets exclude Bittorrent and other filesharing networks to make it a bit more interesting...

For me, Finding mp3stor.com (http://www.mp3stor.com) saved me hundreds of dollars in CDs that I would have had to buy (then never use again once I ripped the tracks).

I listen to music that isn't so common, so it is a great source. Also, I support bands I like by seeing them live, so basically I have no ethical issue with getting their records as cheap as possible.

You pay a very low fee for each track, and they are all high quality. Icky Thump (The new White Stripes record) costs $1.86... for the album, not the track. Just in case you couldn't find it anywhere else :)

Of course, I'm not affiliated in any way other than being a happy customer. I think the servers are in Russia, where copyright laws are a bit different :) :)

[chio]

I used to use Allofmp3 before they made it so it was almost impossible to pay from the UK, pretty much solely because it was the only place I could find a good selection of FLAC audio. I can't believe people pay 79p for a rubbish compressed track from iTunes! Working in broadcast, audio quality is important; you can really tell if someone is playing a crappy old MP3 on the radio. All songs used by radio stations tend to be good old WAV.

[steven8]

The Goodwill Store, when I find a cassette I like.

[Johnsie]

From bands that give away their music for free. I am not a theif.

[Onyros]

I used to use Allofmp3 before they made it so it was almost impossible to pay from the UK, pretty much solely because it was the only place I could find a good selection of FLAC audio. I can't believe people pay 79p for a rubbish compressed track from iTunes! Working in broadcast, audio quality is important; you can really tell if someone is playing a crappy old MP3 on the radio. All songs used by radio stations tend to be good old WAV.What I learned, from filling my mother-inlaw's mp3 player with music from her CD's is that 128kbps is seamless CD quality for her ears! And most people don't even notice any differences. A greater part, even if they notice, just don't care...

Audiophiles, in a very broad assertion of the term, are rare and getting fewer nowadays.

So, that's why iTunes and the like make their millions. Even if I don't understand it, personally, I now have a better understanding of the phenomenon.

[Johnsie]

radio quality is less than 128k, isnt it?

[chio]

radio quality is less than 128k, isnt it?

When the radio station sends its output to its transmitter, it compresses the audio to make the signal louder on the dial and less susceptible to interference. That means softer sounds in music are made louder. It's OK if you're playing a CD or a WAV file, but send an already-compressed MP3 to the transmitter, which has had its softer sounds stripped out, and you get the most awful mushy digital sound as the compressor can't find any soft sounds to bring up.

Uncompressed FM radio quality is comparable to that of a CD, but you don't find many uncompressed stations out there.

[Johnsie]

That's interesting. I wonder how moves toward digital stations will affect that.

[PartisanEntity]

I used to buy CD's from stores, then I bought some CD's from Amazon. Lately I have been getting some music from Jamendo. Streaming radio is great too, especially for music that's okay but not really worth buying.

[ButteBlues]

I get my media from OiNK.

RIAA doesn't mean jack to me - I simply don't care to play into their scam. For artists that I like, I support them by attending shows and buying merchandise.

[LaRoza]

I get my music from Amazon, I can't buy my music in stores usually.

(Black Metal)

[daynah]

I get my music from my friend's mp3 players. When I notice they have decent taste, I will ask if I can borrow it for a half hour, download all the songs and then pick out the ones I know to be crap. The ones I know to be good or the ones I haven't heard stay (but may get deleted later if deemed crap). I don't have the time to go searching for stuff.

Speaking to audiophiles, I am very much bothered by audiophiles (in the sense of a wide taste in music) who use am ipod with ipod headphones. The ipod itself doesn' have the best quality, but I can be lenient on that if they wouldn't restrict it with such awful headphones! Ug! Those things are meant for a Gameboy, not music.

Shure E2Cs made me feel like I had been living my life deaf.

[guitarmaniac]

I get my music from Amazon, I can't buy my music in stores usually.

(Black Metal)

I know hey, its ridiculous trying to find good music CDs (metal).
All they have here in Port Macquarie is a few Sanity stores.

I HATE SATINY! :-P

eBay is a godsend.

[ThinkBuntu]

CDs. I'd say I have about 300 songs downloaded, 3500 from my own CDs, and another couple thousand from my brother or from friends of mine. I haven't bought a soft copy (iTunes) of music ever. I own about 300 CDs, which are mostly Hip Hop and Reggae, with a smattering of Jazz, Alternative, and of course, Go Go!

[goumples]

question for the OP. That mp3stor, doesn't contain any DRM does it?

[chio]

Don't tell the boss, but these days I tend to just rip the WAV files off the radio station's computer. It means my MP3 player is limited to what's on the radio playlist, though!

[euler_fan]

I usually buy the CD's. I may one day start using an online service, but so far it hasn't appealed to me. I am also a big user of Pandora. I think I may someday soon subscribe or donate.

[dreadlord_chris]

I get 99% of my music these days from The Live Music Archive (http://www.archive.org/details/etree). Their goal is to preserve and archive as many live concerts as possible for current and future generations to enjoy. All music in this Collection is from trade-friendly artists and is strictly noncommercial, both for access here and for any further distribution. Artists' commercial releases are off-limits.

All music is available for direct download, no registration required, in a variaty of formats - typically MP3/OGG/FLAC. Simply point & click. FTP access & streaming are also available.

Currently they have 39,416 show by 2,440 seperate bands - with dozens of shows added daily.

[clipse]

Hey, this is awesome. I'm pretty excited about www.mp3stor.com. I was just ripping the songs off of my wife and I's CDs. Pretty nifty. :)

[timcredible]

i have xm at work and in the car, and sirius at home (via dish satellite). i get more music and variety than any mp3 collection, and the artists get paid for their work (win-win). it works out to about a penny per song. imho, the riaa needs to get their heads out of their butts and lower the price of music on both CDs and downloads - a downloaded song should be about 10 cents, not 99, and a CD should be about $4, not $15. and there shouldn't be any drm on either.

[stmiller]

www.mp3stor.com is not legal by US laws. It's another Russian site that doesn't pay money to the artist.

Try www.emusic.com or this site that has free legal downloads from indie bands: http://music.download.com/

[LaRoza]

I know hey, its ridiculous trying to find good music CDs (metal).
All they have here in Port Macquarie is a few Sanity stores.

I HATE SATINY! :-P

eBay is a godsend.

You can't even buy my music in stores that have a metal section. Do you like Mayhem (with Per Ohlin), Darkthrone, or Burzum (before prison)?

[a12ctic]

Blogs promoting underground music mostly. I listen to grind/hardcore/death metal.

[trak87]

I just purchased a couple CD's from Amazon.

[ssam]

Magnatune (http://magnatune.com/), CDs and radio

[Bungo Pony]

I normally buy the CDs, mostly used. I have trouble finding the music I like in music stores, and my searches can get quite difficult. Finding a CD (or cassette, or LP) I've been looking for after 2+ years is a real treasure. Failing finding the actual CD, I will download it from the internet. Unfortunately, it seems many online music purchasing services follow suit for mainstream and popular music. Many times, my only hope is to find it on a free P2P network.

Things get worse when the album is out of print, and has been for many years. That's when used music stores and Ebay come in handy.

[Ujj]

you can see tempostand.com its a recent venture by us that is distributing original indie music from the subcontinent. Subscribe to the podcast to download free music.

[orange2k]

Usually my friend supplies me with a couple of DVDs full with mp3s once in a while...
He selects the music from a local pirate who burns them for like 7 dollars/DVD...
Personally I rip music that I like via shoutcast stations - mostly electro and DNB - and burn it so I can listen to it in my car...

[redsfans4]

I use ProjectPlaylist.com , if I can't find it on there, G2P.org, if I can't find it on there, oh well. :)

[mattchew]

NPR.com @ work, pandora or DI, Soma, or tranceaddict at home. NeverLive365 or Last.fm.

Note: Anyone had problems with volume in pandora?

[lisati]

I sometimes go to www.eztracks.com - some of it is original artists, a lot of the songs are cover versions. I'm not sure what copyright arrangements they've made but they don't charge for most downloads. And they sometimes pester you to download their download manager.

[IYY]

I buy vinyls in independent record stores, and then also download the tracks through Bittorrent. That way, I have a copy of the music in an excellent format, large cover art, and can also listen to it on my computer and iPod.

[FoolsGold_MKII]

Some dude every midnight in a back alley.

I fork over the dough, he forks over the discs. We both give a slight nod to each other then walk our seperate ways.

[aimran]

I don't buy/download music. I love the radio far too much. Nothing beats driving and listening to the radio.

If you ask me what do I listen to at home - nothing. I open my windows and let the fresh air and sounds come in while I do my stuff on the computer.

[mpgarate]

www.skreemr.com is great