Will music streaming overtake music ownership?

Another dinosaur here! Give me my LP's and SACD's and I'm happy. Streaming may be fine when you're on the run, but for any kind of "serious" listening give me my LP's and SACD's!

 

I still buy cds, still download occasionally from Itunes, and I started using streaming services last year. It's not an "either or" scenario for me. All of these options have something to offer but streaming is beginning to gain more steam in today's "I want it now" culture. Within a decade, I can see streaming overtaking physical media (and even downloads) as the dominant music distribution platform.

 

I don't listen to crap lossy files (from iTunes or anyone else), and I use cloud backup to protect all my data (not just my music library). No need to worry about me.

 

I know this an audiophile forum, so at risk of being shot or disbarred, I have to admit that unless I'm listening on VERY high end equipment (higher than mine) and under ideal listening conditions, I can't tell a 320 or other high quality file from a FLAC. Shoot me. I remember in the early web days of low quality mp3's that it could make a big difference, not so much anymore, at least to the average listener on average equipment.

 

Fair enough. I used to think I couldn't tell the difference until one day I could. It's all about listening for the right things. But to each their own.

 

Is that a standard local colloquialism or just something from down under that spewed out of your...

mouth ?



I gotta remember that.

 

Fixed.

 

If streaming was available when I was younger I am not sure if I would have a CD and Vinyl collection today, it certainly would be a lot smaller. It's good, it's cheap or in many cases free and best of all come moving time it's trouble free. There is a lot of music I would like to listen to but have no desire to buy, now I don't have to. I can listen to it once for free and be done with it forever, but I can still say I heard it and be able to converse about it, it's utterly fantastic. Plus I have used streaming on my phone when I have been out or rehearsals to listen to songs etc. It's so convenient. It remains to be seen how it will all play out but the music industry's own projections have it as the dominant format/model in the not too distant future as physical sales eventually drop to almost nothing. From a business point of view it's a no brainer low cost model that could be very profitable in the future as more and more people sign on.

 

Literally, dude, no one cares about if we "own" what's on the disc. No one is going around looking to sell or license out the music to new copyright holders.

 

The general public is not interested in paying for music. So, my answer is no.

 

Not for people on the Sprint network. Unless I'm on wifi, the signal drops out so often it is impossible to enjoy streamed music while moving.

 

I agree and with streaming you only own the right to access to the music and listen to it while the sub is still active, nothing else. Many people doesn't realize Spotify is here today but tomorrow who knows!. Give me the creeps!

And yes im a Spotify sub but still buying the physical stuff while i can...

 

If Spotify disappears, the music will be offered through other channels. As long as money can be made from music, it will be available.

 

yes but lets wait for prices, things can change drastically for streaming regarding prices if most people go streaming in the near future and cd's disappear.
Hope that doesn't happen but so far we are going in that direction...one direction!

 

How is streaming different from terrestrial radio other than the mode of delivery? I would say the only real difference is that it is more customizable in theory. People in the past listened to radio more than they bought albums. Many LPs were bought and played a few times and then filed away. So it would not be startling for streaming to become dominant over physical media. The real question is whether artists and composers are going to create enough popular extended musical works or collections known as albums which don't fit into the streaming or radio format very well. Those lend themselves to physical media better. If it is just singles then streaming can do that fine.

 

That we know of.

 

Not in this country (well actually people do try). I care, and the people who own the music care. The industry cares. From my experience, your average person DOES think they own what's on a CD. So "literally" people do care. Especially the industry, and the business owners that exploit the content for profit (bringing in customers). My name isn't "dude" by the way.

 

That fix works.

 

Past behavior is no predictor of future behavior. Listen (as I said previously), at one point I would have agreed with you wholeheartedly. That is, until I examined my own behavior regarding videos. I care as much about film and video as the average person cares about music. Guess what? On-demand streaming is my preferred way to consume video and film. Essentially, I rent it most of the time.

Now music for me is a different thing entirely. I'm very much like a rabid film buff... I must own the music I love. Streaming won't cut it.

As time marches on, there seem to be fewer rabid enthusiasts and more folks who just want some noise coming out of their speakers. Streaming supports the latter nicely. No muss, no fuss. As long as you don't really care too much about what you listen to.

 

I'll still always be physical, don't care for streaming.

 

Streaming will over take not just music but also films. As I see it, it's a bummer. Not because I have an issue with it, but because it will not leave alternative methods for consumption (i.e. physical format). Ugh.

 

I love spotify. Never have I had so much music at my fingertips, and even though the more obscure stuff isn't likely to be found there I just need to visit youtube to find most of that. Sure I'd love to have it sound as nice as my vinyl or a audiophile mastered CD/SACD but given that during a typical weekday most of my music listening is either during my workout, in the car, or during family dinners spotify really seems to fill the niche nicely.

 

Not me! I have well over 500 LP's and a few hundred CD's. I just bought a Fiio X-5 to listen to my vinyl (as close to the real thing as possible) and other music at high resolution while on the go. If I do listen to spotify, I use it mainly to demo stuff or casually listen to stuff at work through the X-5 which is also a DAC.

I will never in my life understand why people refuse to tolerate less than HD quality video and yet settle for 128k Mp3 files! It has always boggled my mind and probably always will. Unless we can show the upcoming generations what music is supposed to sound like they will never know. I am trying my best with my two kids. Some of their friends don't even know what a CD is and that is sad.

 

Absolutely streaming will take over. Within two years cds will be a niche item, sold like the way they are at Starbucks. The big items will still be around for a while - the Complete This Or That - but when the Boomers go, that's the end of that. Streaming and downloading for people who want some sort of library.

 

I think they are already.

Generation X also not only boomers!

Generation Y are a different story IMO but who knows maybe we have some here too.