What is your approach to this new model? If you are local only or streamer only then fine, this question isn’t for you.
For years I have been focused buying thousands of CDs for my local library and using streamers (Zune, Apple Music, etc.) for mobility and exploration at 320kbs often buying CDs of titles I discovered w/streamer.
Now I have Roon + Tidal and ability to add many “want list” CDs to my Roon library as if I bought and ripped the disc. Maybe I need to be more selective in my buying.
Buy audiophile pressings &other masterings when better than streamer (APO, MFSL and other SACDs, rare OOP DCC Gold Cds, etc. or even older CD masters vs. some “load” remasters).
Buy titles not on streamer (Bear Family boxes, regular SACD/CD titles on on streamer
When to add a Streamer title to library?
for many artists I don’t own I can see their discs in Tidal via Roon w/o adding them to my library. May just play those w/o adding
for artists I have a collection of but missing some harder to find titles that are listed in Tidal I can add those to complete my collection (still tempted to eventually buy those as a collector)
Sell common back catalog titles of many CDs? Why do I need all these Blue Note and OJC Jazz CDs when there is plenty of jazz on streamer. I could sell and buy APO SACDs, etc and free up some space.
Roon Radio 1.6 needs streamer so this model is good for radio even if many tunes are available locally. Based on seed more or less seam to come from streamer (although some come from streamer when available locally on better sources).
Radio with local and some streamer is better than shuffle on local and Pandora.
New way of collecting music…but no physical collection and no art beyond cover and who knows if titles will go away.
Don’t fall into the streaming service rabbit hole. Availability of an item is too dependent on the latest contract between the streaming service and the record label. Think video streaming - ever start watching a series on Netflix/Hulu/Prime/insert streaming service here, only to discover that the series is no longer available?
How long did it take for iTunes for finally recognize the existence of The Beatles?
In other words, if you like something and just have to have it readily available to listen to then put a copy in your local library. And make sure to back it up!!!
Your point may be valid. But you have the relationship above reversed.
How long did it take The Beatles finally to recognize the existence of iTunes (or other Internet digital music distribution)?
Not Apple Computer, The Beatles’ Apple Corps was the hold out. And history repeated itself. The Beatles were not on CD – with one aberrant exception in Japan – until 1987.
I add Tidal (and now Qobuz) albums to my library because the library is what I normally live in, browsing and following relationships and filtering in different ways. And it reminds me of what I like. It’s my stuff. It’s me.
That’s different from search or radio, those are useful too and allow play without adding to the library and I like that, but that is less convenient and inspirational and it isn’t me.
So the library is very important in my music life.
That has nothing to do with the physical form, local file or stream. I used to buy stuff for several reasons: protect myself from stuff disappearing (as @Jazzfan_NJ mentions), establish a long-term library, higher quality, offline access.
I protect myself by exporting a list of the Tidal (and now Qobuz) library about monthly, if Tidal disappears I can buy them then, no need to spend on buying them now. More than half of my library, 2,300 albums, are Tidal — should I pay $40,000 as insurance in case a Tidal goes away?
The long-term library — why do I think what I listen to today is going to be relevant 30 years from now? What I listened to 30 years ago is not very interesting. Who am I kidding, it’s not like I’m building up an heirloom here.
Higher quality — I get the best quality I can find, buying or streaming, but it was a long time since I chose what to listen to based on technology. And the streams are great. Even with that buying policy, 90+ % of my library is Redbook and modern gear makes it sound great.
Offline access — we are rapidly getting to universal access almost everywhere. (Almost — I’m just going on a trip to Antarctica, no internet).
So the library matters, streaming is fine, out-of-library search is great but that is not how I live most of the time.
Splitting hairs. My point is that with ALL streaming services the end user has no control over the content. The accountants and lawyers have all the control.
Very true, which is why I try to have control whenever possible.
Don’t get me wrong, I love streaming services and recommend them to friends and family all the time. I’ve been streaming and collecting digital music files for over 10 years but if I was just starting out I would definitely go the streaming route - with my eyes wide open about who ultimately has control of the music.
I read somewhere the reason for no Beatles CDs was the pressing capacity available would not meet the predicted sales so until pressing capacity was higher they hung out
Apparently the prediction proved to be true as loads of aging hippies replaced their scratched vinyl
And now they are buying the scratchy old records back as well as forking bucks for nice new remastered vinyls and expensive cd anniversary box sets.
I see these $100+ album expansion in the streamers but minus surround and of course the books, mark led and other printed content. After listening
To the U2 Joshua tree Super Deluxe several times and added it to roon library. Seems plenty for this one without 5.1
I bought the Beatles with 5.1. I like the Yes and Tull packages with surround and hi Rez and less packaging that triples the price. The recent McCartney archives super deluxe seem a bit much for example
The biggest bonus for me is that, while I have a large library of local files, I made the short-sighted decision to rip them in 320 to save space, not anticipating how inexpensive large drives would become. With Roon’s integration of streaming services, I can go to the disc in my collection but play a higher res version of it.
The second biggest bonus is that it helps with my completist tendencies. When I like an artist or band, I tend to track down everything they’ve put out. The reality is, though, that I end up only really playing my favorites over time. With the Roon model, I can have access to the complete output side by side in my library, but don’t have to go buy the physical discs.
The bottom line is that the integrated Roon model satisfies my collector itch in a way that broadens my library faster and in different directions than collecting CDs would. It is a richer experience.
I’m glad you mentioned “completest” tendencies. I have that for sure. I pulled up an artist tonight and noticed I was missing two out of 10 albums so I added them from Tidal. if they are $5 CDs I might find them used and buy them (due to completest tendencies and collector mania). If they are OOP, hard to find and expensive then adding is a nice and leaves buying to just opportunistic bargains.
I need to shift away from disc completest, sell off some to save space and focus more on complements to Streamer (less common back catalog CDs of current pressings).
I have also added recent expanded CD issues with a few bonus tracks. I have copies of the albums already so Tidal was fine for the few bonus tracks…which often I don’t listen to much anyway.
I think of it this way:
If I want some music, I can get it streaming at zero marginal cost.
I protect myself from loss by periodic export to Excel.
If Tidal or Qobuz goes belly up, I have to buy the albums.
Why should I buy them now, just in case?
Why should I refrain from listening to them?
