• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Do you mainly stream music or own it?

Do you mainly stream music or own it?

  • Mainly stream tracks

    Votes: 124 44.4%
  • Mainly own tracks

    Votes: 155 55.6%

  • Total voters
    279

bladerunner6

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 24, 2020
Messages
73
Likes
46
Less so than the impact of factories producing hard media, shipping to stores, driving to stores to buy hard media, etc., etc. The environmental impact of data centers is primarily an electrical generation issue which can be mitigated by renewable energy sources.
But you buy a CD once and it is over. I would love to see a detailed analysis of this.

From a financial standpoint paying paying “a low monthly fee” for the rest of your life is a bad move.
 

Robin L

Master Contributor
Joined
Sep 2, 2019
Messages
5,211
Likes
7,590
Location
1 mile east of Sleater Kinney Rd
But you buy a CD once and it is over. I would love to see a detailed analysis of this.

From a financial standpoint paying paying “a low monthly fee” for the rest of your life is a bad move.
There are so many playable CDs in the used market. I have little doubt that affects profits to the majors [more than anyone else], thus the creation and acceptance of the rental model. The artists doubtless make more money selling physical product, particularly merch sold at concerts. The majors make much more these days off of subscriptions or commercials. YouTube is doubtless a big cash cow for tunes. And the independent record stores probably make a lot of money via the defacto rental of CDs, DVDs and other durable used physical product.

As regards environmental impact, it's all bad.
 

More Dynamics Please

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Nov 18, 2020
Messages
562
Likes
752
Location
USA
But you buy a CD once and it is over. I would love to see a detailed analysis of this.

From a financial standpoint paying paying “a low monthly fee” for the rest of your life is a bad move.

You buy one CD once times the number of CDs you buy in a lifetime. Multiply that by the number of people in the world buying CDs to start getting an idea of the cradle to grave environmental impact compared with that of a streaming music data center.

From a financial standpoint paying a monthly fee equivalent to the purchase cost of one or two CDs per month makes perfect sense to anyone buying more than one or two CDs per month. It also provides access to a library of music greater than most would consider purchasing individually.
 

Robin L

Master Contributor
Joined
Sep 2, 2019
Messages
5,211
Likes
7,590
Location
1 mile east of Sleater Kinney Rd
You buy one CD once times the number of CDs you buy in a lifetime. Multiply that by the number of people in the world buying CDs to start getting an idea of the cradle to grave environmental impact compared with that of a streaming music data center.
But many CDs get resold [thus recycled] as used, with many used record stores selling/reselling the same title many times over.
 

Rufus T. Firefly

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 8, 2021
Messages
155
Likes
107
Location
St. Louis
You buy one CD once times the number of CDs you buy in a lifetime. Multiply that by the number of people in the world buying CDs to start getting an idea of the cradle to grave environmental impact compared with that of a streaming music data center.

From a financial standpoint paying a monthly fee equivalent to the purchase cost of one or two CDs per month makes perfect sense to anyone buying more than one or two CDs per month. It also provides access to a library of music greater than most would consider purchasing individually.
And financially it really makes sense if you have a family of four that likes different music and can share one Spotify account.
 

More Dynamics Please

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Nov 18, 2020
Messages
562
Likes
752
Location
USA
But many CDs get resold [thus recycled] as used, with many used record stores selling/reselling the same title many times over.
Sure, that's factored into the total environmental equation which I believe still favors streaming.
 

Robh3606

Active Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2016
Messages
132
Likes
123
I like physical media so I purchase CD's. I also follow quite a few bands on Bandcamp and smaller labels. In some cases only the digital files are available so in that case I will download the MP3 for my I pod and wav to burn a CD. I like LORD's last release where you purchased a nice CD case with lots of photos and a key to download wav files. You can stream or burn as you please.

Rob :)
 

redjr

Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2018
Messages
72
Likes
63
"Whole house ecosystem streaming distribution system". LOL.
Yeah, I know it's a mouthful, but that's exactly what it is and does. :) Roon is expensive, but having a single platform that quietly runs in my server area, available to just about anyone with a tablet or cell phone in the house can enjoy their music. After I rip a new CD, a couple mouse clicks and the NAS is updated, and roon will update its library/catalogue in the background.

The thing I like about roon is, it just works and works well. Once you have your end-points configured (my RPi streamers/DACs), away it goes and roon sees it on the network. Roon keeps it's core(in my case ROCK) updated with hardly any intervention from the user, except pressing the update pop-up notification when it occurs. In 4 years, I've only had to reboot the system about 5 times. Usually after power failures. I leave in the Northeast!
 

norcalscott

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 30, 2020
Messages
198
Likes
327
Location
Sierra Foothills
I answered "mainly streaming" although I am probably more 50-50 in streaming from Tidal / Radio Paradise and listening to ripped files on my Plex system or vinyl. We had a big snowstorm last week and the power was out for a few days with hundreds of poles toppled by trees - power is back now but my high speed Internet will likely be out for another week or two. This made me really appreciate the fact that I have a large collection of ripped files to listen to as I do not want to use up my data allocation on my cellular hot spot. (I also cache my thumbs up playlist of 3,000+ songs from Tidal to my phone, which comes in handy)
 

Teeter

Active Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2020
Messages
138
Likes
60
Location
Janesville, WI
My Denon AVR has HEOS built-in, for my internet radio music streaming. So, my AVR is used for streaming internet radio and have bookmark certain stations/music, I like. It fits my music needs and is FREE.
 

Old Listener

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2016
Messages
499
Likes
556
Location
SF Bay Area, California
I don't subscribe to any paid music streaming service. I spend years acquiring CDs and downloads and continue to listen to them.

I do watch/listen to YouTube videos with classical music performances. There are great videos of live performances that were never available on CDs or downloadable files.
 

bladerunner6

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 24, 2020
Messages
73
Likes
46
You buy one CD once times the number of CDs you buy in a lifetime. Multiply that by the number of people in the world buying CDs to start getting an idea of the cradle to grave environmental impact compared with that of a streaming music data center.

From a financial standpoint paying a monthly fee equivalent to the purchase cost of one or two CDs per month makes perfect sense to anyone buying more than one or two CDs per month. It also provides access to a library of music greater than most would consider purchasing individually.
I have a bit less than 200 CDs and I have buying them for 30 years. So I am way money ahead from that standpoint.

I think the overwhelming majority of the population realizes that automatic investment plans like 401Ks are are a fantastic way to build wealth.

Conversely, plans that automatically spend money are tremendously destructive towards building wealth. Every time you spend money you deprive yourself of the opportunity to invest wealth.

$10 a month over 30 years invested at the historical rate of return for the stock market of 9.5% would give you about $18,000.

When you add up all the music and video streaming services, an Adobe subscription, the extra money on your car payment for for all those nice options, payments for a top of the line phone every two years, etc and it results in a huge amount of money disappearing easily and effortlessly without any thought.

Buying CDs on an individual basis at least makes you contemplate the purchase. It is still money being spent but there is effort involved.

Sure, we all have different things we want to spend money on but there is absolutely no such thing “as low monthly payments for the rest of your life”.

And no, I am not pretending to be a financial advisor, I am just saying the math is totally cold blooded. Totally, heartlessly cold blooded.
 

bladerunner6

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 24, 2020
Messages
73
Likes
46
Sure, that's factored into the total environmental equation which I believe still favors streaming.
As I said, I would love to see an analysis of the environmental impact of both. I have some CD’s I have been listening to for 30 years.

Given the longevity of some physical media i think the equation might favor physical media.

At least some research shows physical media to be greener.

Here is one study.

Here is another study on video. For mail order purchase it is a wash.
 
Last edited:

Timcognito

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jun 28, 2021
Messages
3,350
Likes
12,561
Location
NorCal
Conversely, plans that automatically spend money are tremendously destructive towards building wealth. Every time you spend money you deprive yourself of the opportunity to invest wealth
Just listen to internet radio its way cheap. At some point one needs to INVEST in pleasure. I have Qobuz, CDs and records and still plan to invest in each for pleasure. IMO Acquiring money and not spending some of it for fun seems like a vice, unless you are poor where need it all to live. To each, his/her own. Plus having streaming lets me try before I buy.
 

pseudoid

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 23, 2021
Messages
5,122
Likes
3,420
Location
33.58 -117.88
The following is not OT:
PreAmbles: I think I would rather have a bit (or 2) lower audio quality, rather than put up with commercials or any kind of interruptions to my version of "Whole house ecosystem [audio] distribution system". << WEADS?:facepalm:
*I had to give up on FM and internet radios specifically for these two problems.
*I was an early adapter of Sirius satellite radio, when DishNetwork included the free Sirius music channels, as a part of all their tiers.
Yes! *Sirius channels do have DJs but minimal ads and little other interruptions.
*My mate pays dearly for her car SiriusXM subscription, every year.
*Our current cable company offers a fairly robust music channel line-up, yet has no DJs, no ads and minimal glitches.
*I am also not certain if paid/free network streaming services have ads or get network interruptions (glitches?) in the audio stream. *And frankly, do not want to find out.


PunchLine: Some years ago, I ran across a rather suspicious eBay deal about "Lifetime Subscription SiriusXM" hardware for sale.

Notes: After some research into this lucrative dealio; I paid $100 for the hardware (w/both home/car docks). 34 months later; it still works!
I don't care to know what side of the law or ethics (such items) are in but they are a great alternative to subscription-based streaming services
"Lifetime" goes bye-bye when the purchased hardware goes Tango-Uniform.
 

MattHooper

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 27, 2019
Messages
7,197
Likes
11,814
The following is not OT:
PreAmbles: I think I would rather have a bit (or 2) lower audio quality, rather than put up with commercials or any kind of interruptions to my version of "Whole house ecosystem [audio] distribution system". << WEADS?:facepalm:
*I had to give up on FM and internet radios specifically for these two problems.
*I was an early adapter of Sirius satellite radio, when DishNetwork included the free Sirius music channels, as a part of all their tiers.
Yes! *Sirius channels do have DJs but minimal ads and little other interruptions.
*My mate pays dearly for her car SiriusXM subscription, every year.
*Our current cable company offers a fairly robust music channel line-up, yet has no DJs, no ads and minimal glitches.
*I am also not certain if paid/free network streaming services have ads or get network interruptions (glitches?) in the audio stream. *And frankly, do not want to find out.


PunchLine: Some years ago, I ran across a rather suspicious eBay deal about "Lifetime Subscription SiriusXM" hardware for sale.

Notes: After some research into this lucrative dealio; I paid $100 for the hardware (w/both home/car docks). 34 months later; it still works!
I don't care to know what side of the law or ethics (such items) are in but they are a great alternative to subscription-based streaming services
"Lifetime" goes bye-bye when the purchased hardware goes Tango-Uniform.

Oh don't get me started on f*ckin' SiriusXM!!!

Too late!

One of our cars came with a "free SiriusXM subscription." Which was of course a trial for, i dunno, a month or a few. We never used it, didn't give a damn about SiriusXM, and were happy to let it expire. But did it go away? No! Now we don't have a subscription but the damned thing is permanently programmed in to our car radio as essentially a constant advert for SiriusXM. In other words, we can't just directly select a source - e.g. A.M or F.M radio, without having to scroll THROUGH the bloody SiriusXM page "want a subscription???" No we bloody well don't. Get OUT OF OUR CAR! I've asked our dealership how we can get rid of the damned thing, but they have no answers. I've seen plenty of complaints by other car owners too. There's a lot of hate out there for SiriusXM, for various reasons.

 

bladerunner6

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 24, 2020
Messages
73
Likes
46
Just listen to internet radio its way cheap. At some point one needs to INVEST in pleasure. I have Qobuz, CDs and records and still plan to invest in each for pleasure. IMO Acquiring money and not spending some of it for fun seems like a vice, unless you are poor where need it all to live. To each, his/her own. Plus having streaming lets me try before I buy.
I am not saying don’t spend money. I certainly spend plenty on pleasure. I am just saying streaming and everything else that claims it just “ a low monthly payment for life” isn’t cheap.
 

Robin L

Master Contributor
Joined
Sep 2, 2019
Messages
5,211
Likes
7,590
Location
1 mile east of Sleater Kinney Rd
Your bias is showing :)

The math isn't a single unified answer, it's based on the consumption pattern of the individual.
Face it, if you're far enough up the food chain to be an audiophile, your carbon footprint is going to be appalling anyway.
 

bladerunner6

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 24, 2020
Messages
73
Likes
46
Your bias is showing :)

The math isn't a single unified answer, it's based on the consumption pattern of the individual.
Nope , my bias isn’t showing.

There is no such thing “as low monthly payments for life”.

I am not telling people not to spend money, just to realize how expensive things really are.
 
Top Bottom