Spotify........convert me. v.I guess I'm converted.

[ReaperKK]

Do people actually still buy music who use these streaming sites? Considering they basically fuck over the artists, I still can't get on board these.

I do, if I find an album I like on Spotify then I'll buy it on vinyl or cd.

Truthfully people shit on spotify for not paying artists and while I believe artists should be paid more from streaming it wasn't always great pre-streaming. There have been countless stories of artists with shitty record deals making nothing from huge records. I can also remember the days of spending $14 on a cd because I liked a song on the radio only to find that the rest of the album is dogshit.

[HOF]

Do people actually still buy music who use these streaming sites? Considering they basically fuck over the artists, I still can't get on board these.

I do, if I find an album I like on Spotify then I'll buy it on vinyl or cd.

Truthfully people shit on spotify for not paying artists and while I believe artists should be paid more from streaming it wasn't always great pre-streaming. There have been countless stories of artists with shitty record deals making nothing from huge records. I can also remember the days of spending $14 on a cd because I liked a song on the radio only to find that the rest of the album is dogshit.

Yeah, I suspect for most bands Spotify helps at least get your music out there to where it can be found. Doesn't mean it will be, but having a CD out there doesn't either.

[wolfking]

Do people actually still buy music who use these streaming sites? Considering they basically fuck over the artists, I still can't get on board these.

I do, if I find an album I like on Spotify then I'll buy it on vinyl or cd.

Truthfully people shit on spotify for not paying artists and while I believe artists should be paid more from streaming it wasn't always great pre-streaming. There have been countless stories of artists with shitty record deals making nothing from huge records. I can also remember the days of spending $14 on a cd because I liked a song on the radio only to find that the rest of the album is dogshit.

That in a reason itself is probably why bands are struggling so much more these days.  Back then they could pick the best song and suck people in.  I too have done that a few times early on only to be left pissed off that everything else didn't sound anywhere near the single.  Not to mention people can now sample the whole album and listen to it anytime for free.

[SoundscapeMN]

Hey mate everyone has already answered your questions perfectly but as a fellow Aussie Spotify user, I can confirm and suggest a couple things...

1. You will absolutely find some artists and/or albums aren't on Spotify (it's a licensing region thing) so I am often dragging mp3's from the music file on my laptop into Spotify (it's called your Local Folder) where they get converted to play in Spotify.  The good thing is from there you can Add them to any Playlist you create so you can create say an 80's best of with those included in whatever Spotify already has on hand. 

Sounds confusing but it's not and once you get your head around how to use, along with ease of access wherever you go it's a HUGE reason why I continue to enjoy Spotify.

2. One of the best features about these streaming apps is the number of new bands you can discover.  When you go to a band you know there's often suggestions below that relate to whatever genre you're in.  Or there's now some options on the Homepage if you want them, where you can scroll through samples of Goth Metal, Classic Metal, Pop Rock whatever you choose. 

You can also opt to have the App set up to continue playing its own suggestions of your chosen genre after your album or playlist finishes.  I've been caught plenty times hearing something thinking 'what is that?' to then go down the rabbit hole of a new artist 

Anyway these are the extras that keep me using the app.  I still buy my favorite artists/albums on CD and the odd one on vinyl but like you cannot justify the costs like I used to and find streaming a nice alternative to keep the pockets from being too empty.  I have a family subscription so kinda stuck with it anyway


Happy exploring mate \m/

Thanks mate, yeah, that does sound like a nice feature and certainly a way to discover new stuff. 
yl
I mean, I know I'm cheap, but it's ONLY $13 a month.  I guess I'll just give a trial a go.  Nothing to lose.

$13/month aka $156/year.

My take is this. Spotify is a necessary evil, but I don't pay for it, and probably never will. If I enjoy an album enough, I will buy it on Vinyl or CD. But I'm a collector and kind of assume I will still mostly listen to it online (at least until the day I move to a house where my stereo won't disturb my neighbors. And when my wife isn't around or with headphones with most of the majority of music she hates).

-I don't like how awful a company Spotify is and gives nothing monetarily directly to the artists. The best thing they do is offer the artists exposure which leads to income or tours, etc
-I have an ad blocker on my laptop for my browser, so I don't deal with the Ads, however Spotify will freeze up occasionally, so I have to reload my browser which is more annoying than a dealbreaker I guess
-As much as there are several artists and albums not on there (or versions, sometimes they have a remastered version that can sound worse, etc), their library I would guess is larger than all of the other streaming services
-the release date information can be wrong. Many albums are listed with a January 1st release date which is wrong, or the release year being off, etc. Again, annoying, but I suppose not a deal breaker.

Overall, using Spotify is convenient, even with the issues, especially how crummy a company they are not to pay the artists anything. But I do look at it, like downloading was..it is just a way to decide to buy the music or not later. Really a way to sample.

Also the playlist feature is pretty addictive, even though it sucks for stuff that isn't on there like for Songs of the Year lists, for example both Giraffe albums are not on there, so I can't add those to SOTY lists, so those lists while I love, feel incomplete. I guess I would have to pay and import them to a local playlist that others mentioned. I'm still totally against that, but may consider doing that still at some point.

[wolfking]

Interesting post.  When you put it in the context of $156 bucks a year, on Mp3va the full cost of a file when no special is running is $0.15 a tracks, but that's $0.22 Australian currency.  So, that's 709 songs at full price, or 1040 songs when they have specials at $0.10 a track ($0.15 for me).

Breaking down say 1000 songs at 10 tracks an album on average, that's 100 albums I can get and own mp3 copies of.  But that would be bulk buying when there's specials on only.  Plus, they give you extra credit for the amount you spend.  Spend $30US and get $15 free, so there's that too.  So potentially means I could double to 200 albums for the year wtih bonus and buying during special only times.

The equation comes down to Spotify Premium or 200 plus albums I can use the mp3 for.  Hmmm.......something to think about.  The other thing is utilse both and pay extra only for the albums I find on Spotify that I really really like that I'd like the Mp3s for.

Food for thought.

[Evermind]

The "downloading" songs feature where you can play them with no Internet connection is extremely useful when you're on a plane. Never used it otherwise.

I've discovered some good obscure (and sometimes popular) stuff due to recommendations from streaming services.

If your country ever invades another country, Spotify will stop providing service in your country.

[wolfking]

The "downloading" songs feature where you can play them with no Internet connection is extremely useful when you're on a plane. Never used it otherwise.

I've discovered some good obscure (and sometimes popular) stuff due to recommendations from streaming services.

If your country ever invades another country, Spotify will stop providing service in your country.

Hmm.....I think your convincing skills need a bit of work Ruslan. 

[ProfessorPeart]

That mp3va site seems sketchy as all get out. The prices make no sense. Did some digging and it is apparently either Russian or Ukrainian. Also found a lot of people complaining about quality.

As for Spotify, nope. No interest. My biggest issue with them is the $0.000000000000000001 cent or whatever they pay per stream to artists. I will buy my music and curate my own collection and playlists with my own content.

Literally, the first time I ever have had to interact with Spotify was to figure out how to get links for Metro and his roulette.

[nobloodyname]

Yes, scrolled through the thread to see if anyone mentioned mp3va any further. I think ZKX-2099 was trying to lightheartedly say it's a dodgy website, that's all, which you may well not know, wolfking. Any money you've been giving to that site ain't going to the artists. Although most would contend it ain't much better through legal streaming sites, of course.

I've all but stopped buying CDs now. In fact, I only buy the odd vinyl and deluxe edition for bands I really like (Steven Wilson, Dream Theater, Metallica etc). I mostly use Spotify but have also dabbled with Amazon Music, Qobuz and Deezer in the last year. They've all got pros and cons. Spotify at c£10 per month is likely to satiate most of your requirements (in fact, all those apps are).

[MinistroRaven]

If you're getting Spotify just to jam out while jogging or driving, there's no point in worrying about stuff like lyrics or credits. I mean, it's not like you're going to read them while you're busy driving or working out, right? That'd be pretty risky and definitely not a smart move.

[Kyo]

I like YouTube Music Premium. It lets you upload additional songs to your own account to plug the gaps in their library (very useful for more obscure prog releases, for example) and you get YouTube without ads as a very convenient bonus.

[jingle.boy]

Any of those $1/album sites are definitely not selling legally licensed music  .  I used to use them on the regular, but then felt really guilty about it.  I make a good enough living that I can afford to pay full price - I'm an Apple guy, so my go-to is iTunes.  I'll buy 25 or so albums per year there, and then save anywhere from 25-50 albums on Spotify a year.  On the extremely rare occasion that an album isn't available on iTunes or Spotify, I'll use one of those sites, but that's like 1-2 albums a year tops.

Spotify - totally worth it... been a user for about 10 years since they launched in Canada.  Whether as a means to sample new music before buying, or just saving music I'm likely only listen to occasionally, I split my playtime at least 50/50 between Spotify and iTunes, and I'm not terribly stuffed or inconvenienced by it. Even though Apple probably takes a good cut of my $10, I've no doubt artists make more there than they do from Spotify.  I do try to use Bandcamp when the price of an albums is the same as on iTunes.  I do think the Spotify interface is shit though for curating a personal library - I end up just saving albums as individual playlists, and categorize them into different folders. 

[wolfking]

I always knew those sites were dodgy AF.  I just kinda purposely forgot about that aspect to get my mp3s.  It probably should come into the equation though.

[wolfking]

If you're getting Spotify just to jam out while jogging or driving, there's no point in worrying about stuff like lyrics or credits. I mean, it's not like you're going to read them while you're busy driving or working out, right? That'd be pretty risky and definitely not a smart move.

I am a pretty talented guy though.  Multi tasking is one of my key attributes.

[wolfking]

I like YouTube Music Premium. It lets you upload additional songs to your own account to plug the gaps in their library (very useful for more obscure prog releases, for example) and you get YouTube without ads as a very convenient bonus.

Now this.........this is the kind of sales pitch I need.  I'll look into this.

[cfmoran13]

I actually split a "premium family plan" with a family down the street.  It gives you 6 log-ins.  They have one kid and we have one kid.  So, 6 is perfect.  It costs me about $110 every January for the entire year.  Everyone can make their own playlists and make them available to everyone on the plan if they so choose.

The downloading songs to my phone has definitely come in handy at times.  If I'm somewhere with no wi-fi or a shitty connection, I can play the songs I've downloaded.  I easily have over 1,200 songs saved.   I've downloaded entire playlists to my phone.  They come in handy for my jogs.

If you're looking to find new music, you can often find it by playing the "[insert artist's name here] Radio" playlist where it'll play that artist and similar artists, both well-known and not so well-known.  I've discovered some great new music that way.  You also have access to 1,000's of user-created playlists.  You're bound to find at least one or two you really like.

Sure, some albums might be missing from Spotify's library.  But, each service has its omissions.  You just gotta decide what you can and can't live without.  We've been paying for Spotify for the past 3 years and have been very happy with it.

[The Great Ape]

My go to have been this site https://www.mp3va.com/ where you purchase an album for like $1.00 and you're able to download it and use the mp3s. 

This is illegal and I would delete this if I were you!!!

[hefdaddy42]

Big fan of Spotify premium.  CDs are increasingly a hassle, and with the money I'm saving not buying CDs, I can buy more books and cigars, and I still get to listen to all the music I want, while discovering new music all the time.  Win Win, and I'm never going back.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

that website has real "what are you buyin', stranger?" energy from Resident Evil, lmao

[ZirconBlue]

I actually split a "premium family plan" with a family down the street.  It gives you 6 log-ins.  They have one kid and we have one kid.  So, 6 is perfect.  It costs me about $110 every January for the entire year.  Everyone can make their own playlists and make them available to everyone on the plan if they so choose.

The downloading songs to my phone has definitely come in handy at times.  If I'm somewhere with no wi-fi or a shitty connection, I can play the songs I've downloaded.  I easily have over 1,200 songs saved.   I've downloaded entire playlists to my phone.  They come in handy for my jogs.

If you're looking to find new music, you can often find it by playing the "[insert artist's name here] Radio" playlist where it'll play that artist and similar artists, both well-known and not so well-known.  I've discovered some great new music that way.  You also have access to 1,000's of user-created playlists.  You're bound to find at least one or two you really like.

Sure, some albums might be missing from Spotify's library.  But, each service has its omissions.  You just gotta decide what you can and can't live without.  We've been paying for Spotify for the past 3 years and have been very happy with it.

I've been enjoying Spotify's "Discover Weekly" playlist which updates every week with new songs it thinks you'll like (but which you haven't previously played on Spotify).  Most of the songs are decent, and there's usually a couple each week that I add to my library.

[HOF]

One other reason I still buy stuff is simply to support and encourage the artists I like to keep making music. I don't go to shows (not that anyone I am interested in comes anywhere near where I live anyway). I don't want the bands I like to fold. I'm gonna go out of my way to buy releases at least for the bands I'm really into, but in general I still like to support any active artist who's music I enjoy with a few bucks. It's not that much for me in the grand scheme. I have less issue buying used or streaming older albums from bands who have been around forever and don't strictly speaking need my money to keep going (if they even still exist).

At some point though, we're gonna reach a flex point where Spotify will need to be significantly more expensive or artists will just stop making music. I don't think the current model is sustainable for most bands, and maybe not even for Spotify which I don't believe really makes money either.

[jingle.boy]

One other reason I still buy stuff is simply to support and encourage the artists I like to keep making music.

I have less issue buying used or streaming older albums from bands who have been around forever and don't strictly speaking need my money to keep going (if they even still exist).

Me too, brother.

[wolfking]

One other reason I still buy stuff is simply to support and encourage the artists I like to keep making music. I don't go to shows (not that anyone I am interested in comes anywhere near where I live anyway). I don't want the bands I like to fold. I'm gonna go out of my way to buy releases at least for the bands I'm really into, but in general I still like to support any active artist who's music I enjoy with a few bucks. It's not that much for me in the grand scheme. I have less issue buying used or streaming older albums from bands who have been around forever and don't strictly speaking need my money to keep going (if they even still exist).

At some point though, we're gonna reach a flex point where Spotify will need to be significantly more expensive or artists will just stop making music. I don't think the current model is sustainable for most bands, and maybe not even for Spotify which I don't believe really makes money either.

That would be buying the CDs directly from the artist?

[wolfking]

My go to have been this site https://www.mp3va.com/ where you purchase an album for like $1.00 and you're able to download it and use the mp3s. 

This is illegal and I would delete this if I were you!!!

No point deleting it when you've quoted it.

[wolfking]

that website has real "what are you buyin', stranger?" energy from Resident Evil, lmao

Yeah yeah, the chat here has made me think about that side of things.  I'll give that site a miss. 

I haven't delved into Spotify yet but looks to be heading that way.

[jingle.boy]

You know... if you haven't already committed to a platform, the fact YT also removes ads for all YT videos could be a bit plus.  Unfortunately, I'm kinda pot-committed to Spotify at this point.

[HOF]

One other reason I still buy stuff is simply to support and encourage the artists I like to keep making music. I don't go to shows (not that anyone I am interested in comes anywhere near where I live anyway). I don't want the bands I like to fold. I'm gonna go out of my way to buy releases at least for the bands I'm really into, but in general I still like to support any active artist who's music I enjoy with a few bucks. It's not that much for me in the grand scheme. I have less issue buying used or streaming older albums from bands who have been around forever and don't strictly speaking need my money to keep going (if they even still exist).

At some point though, we're gonna reach a flex point where Spotify will need to be significantly more expensive or artists will just stop making music. I don't think the current model is sustainable for most bands, and maybe not even for Spotify which I don't believe really makes money either.

That would be buying the CDs directly from the artist?

If possible, yeah. I like to buy through Bandcamp or an official store if they have one. Even if it's just a download. Sometimes Amazon is the only reasonable way to go, and I know that doesn't get them much so I usually reserve that for bigger acts (like Peter Gabriel doesn't need my money).

[wolfking]

You know... if you haven't already committed to a platform, the fact YT also removes ads for all YT videos could be a bit plus.  Unfortunately, I'm kinda pot-committed to Spotify at this point.

It is a big plus.  Just seems Spotify has the monopoly when it comes to the whole streaming platform.

[wolfking]

One more question.  Do people play Sportify through their phones in their car?  If so, how the fuck do you do that?

[twosuitsluke]

Has Australia not got Bluetooth yet?

[wolfking]

Has Australia not got Bluetooth yet?

   Okay. righto.  I'm a techno noob remember.

[twosuitsluke]

My favourite way to listen is to duct tape my phone to the dashboard and then position one of those collars you get for dogs, to step them chewing out their stitches, to really amplify your phones built in speaker.

Alternatively, train your pet (cat, hamster, goat) to sing your favourite songs, and have it ride up front in the car with you.

[wolfking]

I don't have a pet.  :'(

[King Postwhore]

Has Australia not got Bluetooth yet?

   Okay. righto.  I'm a techno noob remember.

Just say you're a noob, Kade. We know. Lol

[twosuitsluke]

I don't have a pet.  :'(

But you are the Wolf King!!