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Where Do You Get Your Music?

I’m semi old school. I still buy CDs. The car I bought recently does not have a CD player, so I rely on putting songs on a flash drive. I bought an inexpensive CD drive for my car, but I really do not use it. I have adapted better to a flash drive than I…

Mike Miller
2–3 minutes
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I’m semi old school. I still buy CDs. The car I bought recently does not have a CD player, so I rely on putting songs on a flash drive.

I bought an inexpensive CD drive for my car, but I really do not use it. I have adapted better to a flash drive than I thought.

Steps-on-How-to-play-music-through-USB-in-a-car-1

I used to be a vinyl guy. I love the warmth of vinyl, the full sound and even a crackle or two from the needle on the record. CDs were great because they did not wear out like vinyl records. However, the sound was often compressed during the transfer, taken from old or bad sources, and what you got was inferior to the original master.  In recent years, the masters have been cleaned up and the sound quality for CDs greatly improved.

I still have a lot of my vinyl but most of it I have on CD. Part of the reason I kept vinyl was for the album art. The cover art was a big part of the musical experience.

Most people stream their music now or buy it by downloading it. CDs are a much lesser part of the business now, as vinyl has made a comeback.  Vinyl has re-emerged because of production and sound quality enhancements with slower speed production and heavier vinyl. Audiophiles want good quality, thicker vinyl for maximum sound reproduction.  Vinyl now outsells CDs, reversing a nearly 40 year trend.

I will admit. I listen to music on YouTube, not for quality, but for my blogs and to sample new music. I do not belong to Spotify or Pandora. Even with radio, many people subscribe to satellite radio and specific channels for their favorite music.  Spotify has 320 million active users including 144 million subscription users.  Sirius XM Radio has nearly 20 million subscribers.  YouTube Music has about the same number of subscribers as Sirius XM Radio.  Google Play and Amazon Music are also subscription services.  Choices, choices, choices.

I am old fashioned in that I like “owning” my music.  I used to love the feel of vinyl, it is what I grew up with. Cassettes and 8-tracks never grabbed me, in part because the quality was not there. CDs allowed me to get music that was out-of-print and replace worn albums. Cars also had CD players, or at least they used to. Before CDs, we had cassette players, you could record your albums on cassette on listen in your car, which I often did.  Sound quality, not so great. You got the noise from the vinyl and the hiss from the tape, but it allowed you to take music with you.  Later, the Walkman arrived and now, the phone is the preferred method of music.  Bluetooth allows for connectivity between devices and speakers.

I’m moving so I will have to pack and carry hundreds of CDs I have collected in 35 years, plus a couple of hundred vinyl albums.  Suddenly, owning does not sound that exciting anymore.

11 responses to “Where Do You Get Your Music?”

  1. Darren Johnson Avatar
    Darren Johnson

    CDs all the way here! – I blogged about it here https://darrensmusicblog.com/2017/02/15/in-praise-of-the-cd-seven-reasons-why-cds-are-my-favourite-music-format-ever/?wref=tp

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Mike Miller Avatar
      Mike Miller

      Great shelves!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Darren Johnson Avatar
        Darren Johnson

        Thanks. I actually think it’s important that my collection looks good and not cluttered and chaotic which can be oppressive. I bought the first four columns new but picked the rest up second hand to match as my collection grew!

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      2. Mike Miller Avatar
        Mike Miller

        I need something like that.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Darren Johnson Avatar
        Darren Johnson

        In the UK I spend quite a lot of time in second hand (thrift) shops buying CDs at knock-down prices. I often see the shelving units in there, too!

        Like

  2. christiansmusicmusings Avatar
    christiansmusicmusings

    I have to admit that nowadays I mostly rely on streaming music.

    I started buying vinyl in the late ’70s and then jumped on the CD train for the next 30 years or so. In the ’80s and ’90s, I also taped music like a maniac on MCs.

    In the late ’90s, in parallel to DCs, I started i4getting into iTunes by purchasing music, mostly single songs. Initially, I burned a good deal of purchased music on CDs.

    For the past 5 years or so, I’ve mostly relied on streaming. I also ‘rediscovered’ vinyl a few years ago, but that enthusiasm has largely passed.

    Part of the reason for shifting to streaming had to do with my long commute to work (3-3.5 hours both ways), which provided a lot of time to listen to music on my phone.

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    1. Mike Miller Avatar
      Mike Miller

      You are not alone. Many have done as you have, fit music around their lifestyles.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. christiansmusicmusings Avatar
        christiansmusicmusings

        Yep. Now that I’ve been stuck at home for the past 10 months or so, you’d think I would have changed back to “the old ways.”

        Well, part of my lame excuse is that due to some remodeling in my house that got stalled I haven’t been able to use my stereo since it’s not been set up.

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      2. Mike Miller Avatar
        Mike Miller

        I haven’t touch my stereo in months. I play music in the car or my computer.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. hanspostcard Avatar
    hanspostcard

    While I have over the past decade downloaded albums and songs- I am like you I like ‘owning’ having something solid to hold in my hand- not something that is in the ‘air’ on some ‘cloud.” I still buy CDs- usually have to order them now- and buying albums at used record stores to add to my collection. Back in the 80’s I bought cassettes but I hate cassettes and 8 tracks never interested me.

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    1. Mike Miller Avatar
      Mike Miller

      Rock on!

      Liked by 1 person

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