Do You Stream Music ?

[Stone]

Howdy all, Curios if some or most stream music on their PC and what is your choice of platform ?
I listen to Music through my Hi-fi and a turntable, but my Hi Fi is also connected to my PC for streaming
which is handy for me when learning songs, i like the YouTube features for that purpose, sound wise its kinda just ok
However I'm looking at some other options for higher fidelity streaming anyone here ever use TIDAL ?

https://tidal.com/about

Id like to hear your thoughts fellow TGF'ers

Cheers
Mike

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Tidal user here. I basically chose them because

- they are BY FAR the best for listing credits in the metadata.
- they offer streaming in higher resolutions (until recently Spotify and Apple music would both encode the music in a lower quality)

There is absolutely no excuse for these not to be standard across the board (and thankfully things are moving that way now). TIDAL is still better for displaying credits, and I love that you can click on someone’s name or search for their name and see their body of work. It’s so easy to implement and something that all digital music should feature.

With lossless audio, it should be the users choice if they want a more convenient lighter version of the song. There should always be the option of having the music delivered EXACTLY as it’s submitted to distributors. Streaming platforms shouldn’t be altering anything as a matter of course.

I’ve used Spotify and Apple music in the past, they all have pro’s and con’s about their apps. I still just like TIDAL best.

 

[itchyfingers]

I stream Amazon Music. No ads, good quality, and an insanely large library of tunes.

I will say, there is nothing quite like an old record player spinning vinyl. However, I've been trying to rid myself of physical media for the last decade or so. The Amazon Music app has helped a ton.

 

[Achilles]

I stream Amazon Music. No ads, good quality, and an insanely large library of tunes.

+1

 

[mbenigni]

I use Apple Music, primarily because I got roped in when the "Apple One" package launched. ($15 a month for Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade seemed like a no-brainer at the time. Then I realized everything on Apple Arcade sucked, and almost everything on Apple TV+ sucked. And then the price went up to $20 a month. )

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I stream exclusively. Vinyl got to be a pain so I gave away my ~600 LP collection a couple years ago. Keeping up with file libraries also a pain, and if I'm honest, I have to WORK to hear a difference between 256 kpb/s and anything else, and once its above 256, my ears can't hear the difference . I've been on Spotify forever - originally because I thought it was so brilliant at launch that I could combine streamable stuff with my actual file library (how anachronistic); kept going with it because in the time before unlimited data it was really nice to be able to download stuff onto my phone. I'm open to changing platforms, but also not highly motivated to figure out why I might want to.

I do any "critical" (THIS IS CRITICAL!) listening either via headphones on my laptop or in my jam room/office via my music computer/UA interface/near-fields.

 

[spawnofthesith]

nugs.net is the greatest app/subscription/streaming service ever... mostly if you are into jam bands

I use spotify for non live/jamband music

 

[Devin]

Been a Spotify streamist for basically as long as it's been available

 

[Jarick]

I have for years. Started with Spotify, then into Apple Music the last few years because we use other Apple services.

Lately I've started to get more into Pandora, which is more like an intelligent radio rather than just my curated playlists. I don't have time to curate my music as much so it's nice to have a computer do that for me, and it's less stress.

 

[FuzzyAce]

nugs.net is the greatest app/subscription/streaming service ever... mostly if you are into jam bands

I use spotify for non live/jamband music

I've been watching a lot of Widespread Panic lately on youtube and see the Nugs net ad. A lot of cool bands on that site.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I've been watching a lot of Widespread Panic lately on youtube and see the Nugs net ad. A lot of cool bands on that site.

Hell yeah!

Quite a few of them are unbelievably quick getting the shows up too. I've gone to UM shows before where the whole show is already up before I wake up the next morning

 

[mbenigni]

Lately I've started to get more into Pandora, which is more like an intelligent radio rather than just my curated playlists. I don't have time to curate my music as much so it's nice to have a computer do that for me, and it's less stress.

Yeah, I really struggle to not fire up Apple Music and just click on one of the same 10 albums I've been listening to for the last 40 years. It's the downside of being able to hear "whatever you want" - you go for what you already know works, and your tastes and awareness atrophy.

Of course, when I do let Apple Music "take the reigns" and randomize, all its algorithms seem to understand is that I'm very old, so they play the one song I loved 40 years ago followed by a parade of songs I hated 40 years ago.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Hell yeah!

Quite a few of them are unbelievably quick getting the shows up too. I've gone to UM shows before where the whole show is already up before I wake up the next morning

wow, that is quick.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Yeah, I really struggle to not fire up Apple Music and just click on one of the same 10 albums I've been listening to for the last 40 years. It's the downside of being able to hear "whatever you want" - you go for what you already know works, and your tastes and awareness atrophy.

Of course, when I do let Apple Music "take the reigns" and randomize, all its algorithms seem to understand is that I'm very old, so they play the one song I loved 40 years ago followed by a parade of songs I hated 40 years ago.

All the algorithmic stuff just reminds me how close to having really bad taste in music I really am. I remember VIVIDLY the moment that realization hit me while listening to Pandora at work in its early days when everything it was playing after my initial pick was terrible, but as I listened I realized it did in fact have all the sonic attributes of my input, but was juuuuust missing some subtle contextual cultural attributes. I said "fuck" loud enough the person in the office next to me came over to make sure I was okay

 

[mbenigni]

All the algorithmic stuff just reminds me how close to having really bad taste in music I really am. I remember VIVIDLY the moment that realization hit me while listening to Pandora at work in its early days when everything it was playing after my initial pick was terrible, but as I listened I realized it did in fact have all the sonic attributes of my input, but was juuuuust missing some subtle contextual cultural attributes. I said "fuck" loud enough the person in the office next to me came over to make sure I was okay

Exactly. It's not Apple Music's fault that I love the Scorpions.

I'll leave it to the reader to decide whether that one is "close to having really bad taste in music", or a direct hit LOL.

 

[the-trooper]

It's there anyone who doesn't stream?

 

[Whizzinby]

Apple Music for convenience. I tried to flip to Spotify when the Joe Rogan podcast went exclusive there, but I just couldn’t get bedded in and stuck with Apple. (And now Rogan is back on Apple Podcasts )

 

[DrewJD82]

I use Apple Music.

The algorithm surprises me sometimes and I'm stoked, other times I just can't let it take over after I've listened to Paramore or pretty much any metalcore because it's guaranteed autotune choruses are up next.

 

[scole]

It's there anyone who doesn't stream?

Me. Artists get the shaft, the service gets the cash.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Does YT count?