POLL: How has your streaming usage changed, in the last several years?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Gaslight, Jul 21, 2019.

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  1. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑ Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    Given that streaming usage, for the general music consumer, has increased sharply in the last several years, was curious how those numbers equate here on the forum.

    Assume that by "streaming" I mean Spotify, Tidal etc, but not YouTube (yes, I know it's technically streaming but I'm looking for dedicated music service usage information).

    My own answer : I have probably increased slightly as I'm leveraging T-Mobile unlimited data plans, a larger capacity smartphone where I can add music offline + the Tidal app. But I'm still purchasing a lot of physical media and digital files also.

    What about you?
     
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  2. Kiss73

    Kiss73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    Never stream.....never intend to (I have tried before anyone asks).....once physical format (CD) stops I will be content with what I already own.
     
  3. cwitt1980

    cwitt1980 Senior Member

    Location:
    Carbondale, IL USA
    Very rarely. I tried Spotify for a free trial to hear the Michael Nesmith reissues when they first came out and to find a song by the California Poppy Pickers (of all things!). That was over a year ago.
     
  4. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Not interested in streaming.
     
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  5. BadJack

    BadJack doorman who always high-fives children of divorce

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    I listen to Amazon Music almost all day while at work, occasionally Pandora in the hopes that I'll discover something good that I haven't heard.

    The biggest impact on my purchase of physical media is that I never do a blind buy anymore, which is a good thing in my mind, but generally I will buy a CD or vinyl record if I like what I hear.
     
  6. RickH

    RickH Connoisseur of deep album cuts

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Streaming usage has increased heavily
     
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  7. nodeerforamonth

    nodeerforamonth Consistently misunderstood

    Location:
    San Diego,CA USA
    I just moved. I had to put about 3,500 CDs into storage (keeping the other 2,000). Just moving the 2,000 CDs was a pain. And I don't listen to them all the time. I'm giving streaming more of a chance, mainly due to space considerations.
     
    Naughty Chord likes this.
  8. Weirdomusic

    Weirdomusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    Streaming usage has increased heavily / purchases have decreased heavily.
     
  9. Freedom Rider

    Freedom Rider Senior Member

    Location:
    Russia
    I'd say, "generally unchanged." Probably even decreased slightly as I've naturally learned to keep my listening under control after I realized too much music is not always a good thing - oversaturation can happen pretty fast.

    Using streaming mostly to check out new artists/albums, explore some old/obscure stuff.. also for some casual listening now and then.
     
    Naughty Chord likes this.
  10. Wild Horse

    Wild Horse Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    I buy used vinyl albums, but my collection is pretty saturated at this point. I sold my CDs about 10 years ago after ripping them to 320 kbps MP3s. I haven't bought a CD in over 10 years, and I don't miss them.

    I stream on Spotify when I'm not listening to my vinyl albums or MP3s.
     
    funknik likes this.
  11. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑ Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    One add here that I forgot to mention : if you're streaming your purchased music via a NAS or cloud service offering where you upload the files, I still would count that as purchased music.

    The term "streaming" here is meant to mean services like Spotify where the music you are listening is what they offer, not something that was sourced from your collection.
     
  12. jhershauer

    jhershauer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    • Streaming has increased heavily, purchases have increased heavily.
    I almost never stream on my main listening system. It's LP, CD or FLAC from a USB stick. That being said, I stream music all the time on my phone with headphones or earbuds. It's such a blessing to have almost any music I want wherever I go, and to be able to "try before I buy" when discovering new stuff.

    I buy more now that I have Apple Music than I did before it existed. Basically...the increased streaming fuels more purchases because I'm discovering more albums that I want to listen to on my main rig.

    Granted, the increased purchasing is also related to my kids getting older and almost being out of the house, so I have more time to sit in front of the stereo than I have since before they were born.
     
  13. pig bodine

    pig bodine God’s Consolation Prize

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY USA
    Stream only occasionally ( my kids have Spotify) and purchasing has dwindled to a few (less than five) purchases a year and 4 out of the five are reissues.
     
  14. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    I voted Other.
    I'm streaming more, but also hearing more new music than I ever would have without it. Therefore, I am buying more.
     
  15. 131east23

    131east23 Person of Interest

    Location:
    gone
    I'm down with this. I could be happy the rest of my life with what I own now. I put all my faith in my LP's and the audio gear that I have revived and mechanically understand. I should probably have my amp gone through by a pro sometime in the next few years though, then it'll be good for another fifty years or so.
     
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  16. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Within last year or so I
    - got unlimited data plan
    - upgraded to paid Spotify account
    - started dating someone who is hooked on Spotify and using BlueTooth speakers

    Purchases have dropped by at least 50%
     
    audiomixer likes this.
  17. Damien DiAngelo

    Damien DiAngelo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    I only stream to check out new songs & artists. I will also stream an earworm to get it out of my head.
    If I like something A LOT before I get the LP or CD, I will rip the audio any way I can and listen to those files until I get legit rips/LPs/CDs.

    I still much prefer to have physical versions & files that I can play when I want.
    I have music playing all day at work. I have something like 1,000 albums on my computer's drive. I know what I have, and I know it will be there unless the computer dies. No worrying about if it's on Spotify/Pandora/YouTube.
     
  18. 131east23

    131east23 Person of Interest

    Location:
    gone
    I will add, that when I find a new band or artist I like, I go all in and buy physical format from their site only. If it comes with a download, that's cool.
     
  19. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑ Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    Yep, I can see that. And I would say that, earlier in the 10's this would have been my answer too, probably should have added a section for it.

    I've definitely gotten a little more picky in the last few years though, as it's just a matter of shelf space plus keeping my internal collection in check. If I think the album I'm streaming will be more "in today / out tomorrow" I generally won't purchase it, but of course it's hard to know what's going to stick.

    I'll still err on the side of "buy it" if I'm unsure.
     
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  20. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    Same here. I'll hear something, get excited about it, but I'm never sure if it's just a passing fancy or the real thing. But like you, I'll buy it, especially if it's a new band on a small label.
    Space considerations also enter into it for me.
     
  21. vonwegen

    vonwegen Forum Resident

    I find it totally unlistenable. Dynamically compressed into screechy sonic warfare, nothing less.
     
  22. bcaulf

    bcaulf Forum Resident

    I go against the trend of peers my age and don't stream. I think of it every once in a while but I like everything kept in one place and there are some artists/albums I like not available on streaming services so I would be annoyed to have to go back to my iTunes just to listen to those artists; I want everything consolidated. I also like the control of ripping/compressing my own music, and choosing which edition of the cd I want to buy instead of being forced to rely on the "remaster" that's likely on the streaming service.
     
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  23. nick99nack

    nick99nack Forum Resident

    Location:
    Spotswood, NJ
    I stream albums every so often just to see if I want to purchase a real copy of it.
     
  24. dbone828

    dbone828 Only Visiting This Planet

    Other: I stream a lot more (mostly just from desktop), now that I know how accessible it is, and how great a way it is to check out artists I am curious about. I still buy just as many albums as I did before, and while I prefer the CD format, I will sometimes opt for an iTunes download instead if it costs 3x as much to get a CD. I do a lot of my music listening on an iPod, and haven't used an actual CD player in years.
     
  25. fatwad666

    fatwad666 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fat City, USA
    Other: way less filesharing downloads, way more streaming. Then got into buying CDs in the last few years, specifically for releases and masterings unavailable on filesharing and streaming.
     
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