happy that I have a non-trivial collection of local files, most ripped securely 10-15 years ago now
not interested in collecting more except as backup to streaming or when a recording is unavailable
focused on finding masters that I love exceptionally on vinyl (if I’m going to “lean forward” listen as opposed to “sit back” listen, vinyl is a powerful reminder & medium to do so)
So it’s still relevant, but increasingly a backup for me.
What I regret is that when I hear of a recording that sounds really interesting that is not available on Qobuz or Tidal, I often look up to see if an inexpensive copy is available on ebay and if not I just skip it. I no longer obsessively create lists of recordings to find. Because there’s always something else i haven’t heard on streaming that Roon finds for me. So I think it’s more senitmentality for a time of life when I was more actively searching, discovering, and ferreting out. There are some recordings I own that (somewhat shamefully) I could not find anywhere on any platform for purchase, and so I found at a local public library, and borrowed and ripped them. This is probably at most a dozen albums, all of long-dead artists and out-of-print (which doesn’t make the copyright issue any less cut & dry, I absolutely did wrong, I just did wrong out of a sense of last resort and perhaps a desire to make sure that there was a copy somewhere). In any case, I bring that up not to elicit the discussion of copyright issues, but rather to point out what a “detective” I used to feel like. And Roon + Streaming has given me the opportunity to not go to that amount of effort to always discover something really interesting to listen to, broaden my horizons etc. But I have also lost something in that process - something that is absolutely in my control to go pursue, and I choose not to. Hence sentimentality.
I never rely passively on suggestions. I think in 7 years I’ve gotten less than 10 suggestions that have panned out from Roon versus 100s from my own “detecting”.
Unless Roon supports Apple Music, yes, it’s still relevant. TIDAL and Qobuz barely has musics that I listen to. At least TIDAL is getting newer releases, but Qobuz has almost zero. Until Roon adds Apple Music integration (which would be never) I will and have to manage and add more songs to local library. Your mileage may vary of course.
Absolutely agree. I have long accepted that I am odd, peculiar and particular! In other words algorithms don’t really do it for me. “Detecting” is part of the fun. An article here, a review there, even a suggestion or two on the Community music threads! Streaming is great as part of this process but can’t compete with the joy of ripping and/or downloading.
CDs are fast disappearing from UK charity shops now though. Even DVDs are becoming rarer as prices reach rock bottom. DVDs at 10 for a £1 in a local charity shop is not that unusual now.
Just bought 12 albums for £21 at my local 2nd cd shop. That’s so many new albums to me this month along with 10 new CDs as presents and some digital purchases in the last 3 weeks alone I must have go near 30 in all.
I bought 500GB when I started on the ripping and downloading frenzy. I had to buy a 1TB not so long ago! I’m trying to keep things under control. My postman thinks that I’m buying up every CD on eBay! To be fair, I’m only on a modest 1180 (local) albums.
You got it right!
But there’s a hope: Qobuz has acquired e-onkyo music in Japan and they’re merging it into Qobuz!
Btw, here’s how my listening history looks like:
Local music is still relevant to me. As I have quite a few bootlegs, concerts etc. which are not available on the streaming services (Qobuz, Tidal, Apple Music).
Currently busy reripping my own CD collection from 320 kbit AAC to uncompressed FLAC.
My roughly 2,000 ripped cds are stored on 3 WD External HDs. I dont miss them at all. The only music medium i still miss is the LP. Cover art, cleaning, lowering the stylus on the opening cut, playing Revolution #9 backwards manually on my belt drive TT, separating stems and seeds…I do miss those
EDIT: No, I’m wrong. I also miss cassettes. Opening a newly-arrived case of Maxell MX 110 tapes, using a pencil to advance the tape past the leader section prior to recording, breaking off the tabs at the top of the housing to prevent re-recording, adjusting the signal using the VU meters, cleaning the tape head and capstan, demagnetizing the heads…
