Topic: Storing vs. Streaming your music library

[Patrick]

I can't figure out a good way to balance using services like Spotify and storing music to my local drives.

I'm usually around wifi and have no problem connection to Spotify, Google Play, etc.  But at the same time I want to keep my downloaded library current and somewhat thorough, since not all music listening happens indoors near wifi.

I've got all the technology needed - (Macbook, ipad, iphone, multiple ipods, Apple TV, etc etc0 but I just need strategies on how to make it all work together. 

How do you decide what to stream and what to keep on your hard drive?

For the sake of the discussion, I am talking about your "studio recordings" and not necessarily your live show/flac collection.

[acidjack]

I voted "no streaming" but mine is complicated, I guess.

I keep everything in iTunes - my live stuff (yes, in VBR0 MP3) and my other stuff (mostly bought from iTunes or with download codes from vinyl).   My iTunes has Match, so it can be streamed elsewhere, though work seems to have disabled iTunes here.  I mostly use Match to keep a backup, though I have maxed it out now with uploading all of my live stuff, which annoys me. 

In my place, I have an AppleTV and Airports in other rooms that can stream MP3s being played on my laptop.  This works kinda-sorta well, though the Airports do drop out some times.  The Apple TV can also enable Match and just stream everything you have in Match directly, without the computer.

At work I mostly use my iPhone or Spotify.

I also listen to music at home on vinyl, which is my preferred format if I own it.  That's only a tiny fraction of my collection, of course.

All the Apple stuff you have would suggest that you go with a system somewhat like I described.

[kindms]

Most of my music is on HDD. I like many others use a squeezebox (touch) to get my tunes from the HDD to the big system. The device also has apps that enable online streaming from things like slacker, spotify, LMA, internet radio etc (controlled by any iOS device by the way, i use my ipod as a remote etc)

All the official releases I own are on HDD. I never use physical media unless I'm in the car. I will use the streaming services on my ipod (like slacker etc) when moving around the house doing chores when the GF is sleeping or watching tv etc

I'm not sure if this answers your question but I guess the what on HDD and what to stream is answered by this.

All my music is on my server. When it is convenient I always go for the better source (my HDD). When not convenient I will use whatever services are available to listen to tunes.  HDD space is cheap these days and I don't buy many CDs any more so once I got it done (big project) adding the few I still buy from time to time is quick and painless. Plus the added back up of having it on HDD and not potentially harming the silverbacks is nice. I buy a CD, I rip it to HDD and then it goes back in the case. I don't use any "cloud" solutions for getting to my collection outside of my home. I just use the services for that when out and about etc

[Patrick]

Thanks for the replies y'all.  I guess I am having trouble deciding whether to buy a digital album, buy vinyl, or simply stream it from Spotify.  I love Spotify but don't want to rely on it too much in the times that I am not around an internet connection.  At the same time, I don't want my digital music collection to stop growing because I made the switch to streaming.  So many options-- it's all so confusing. 

[nickgregory]

Thanks for the replies y'all.  I guess I am having trouble deciding whether to buy a digital album, buy vinyl, or simply stream it from Spotify.  I love Spotify but don't want to rely on it too much in the times that I am not around an internet connection.  At the same time, I don't want my digital music collection to stop growing because I made the switch to streaming.  So many options-- it's all so confusing. 

buy vinyl when you can...it sounds better, you can create a digitized version pretty easily and you have all kinds of options at that point...

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

Thanks for the replies y'all.  I guess I am having trouble deciding whether to buy a digital album, buy vinyl, or simply stream it from Spotify.  I love Spotify but don't want to rely on it too much in the times that I am not around an internet connection.  At the same time, I don't want my digital music collection to stop growing because I made the switch to streaming.  So many options-- it's all so confusing. 

buy vinyl when you can...it sounds better, you can create a digitized version pretty easily and you have all kinds of options at that point...

Not to mention almost all vinyl comes with a download code now.

I buy the vinyl (when available) to playback on my home stereo.

Download the MP3's to playback in the car or via streaming to my phone. If for some reason the vinyl doesn't come with a download code, I'm forced to go the "not exactly legal" router (without guilt).

Normally I have a media server to stream my MP3's to my phone, work computer, PS3 (which is hooked up to my home stereo), or anything else hooked up to the interwebs. I currently am in the process of putting together a new media server (one that uses less electricity)...but when I have it working I use SUBSONIC. Subsonic server costs a few bucks ($25, I think), but well worth it. Very well maintained. Toss the app on your phone or pad-device and your good to go anywhere you have the interwebs. Subsonic will also convert formats on the fly, so you can keep your media server loaded with FLAC's so you get the best sound on your local network, but at the same time can convert on the fly to something that can be uploaded over you home internet connection. You can set it up to convert to whatever bitrate you want depending on your upload speed (or download speed on the other side).

For the home system I think I'm going to change out the PS3 and turn my Raspberry Pi computer into a XMBC server for the home system, so I can stream whole albums when I don't feel like flipping records. You can get an app on your phone to use as a remote for the Raspberry Pi, so you won't even need a monitor hooked up to it to select your music. Pretty snazzy.

As for apps like Spotify, etc. I prefer not to use them except if I'm just looking for a quick listen. At the very least I prefer to BUY what I really like to support the artists (see the David Lowrey thread).

As for the media server I'm working on, I'm thinking about putting together a cheap Atom based (or similar) barebones system running linux. I tried to get the Raspberry Pi rolling, but as the media server, I don't think it's going to cut it. It's just too unreliable. It freezes a lot, so obviously that isn't good if you on the road and find out you need to physically reset your server.

At the moment I'm looking at something like this Foxconn Barebones system (you'll need to add memory and an HD to it). Still have a little bit of research to do, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. I also plan on using the barebones system as a centralized backup server. Not exactly sure how to do that yet...but it will be nice to have all of my files from all of my computers, phone, etc. all backed up in one place.

[nickgregory]

you dont need to go the not exactly legal way to get the vinyl...plug the feed from your phono preamp into your deck and rip the vinyl...the files I get that way are cleaner than those that come off of ripped CDs usually...

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

you dont need to go the not exactly legal way to get the vinyl...plug the feed from your phono preamp into your deck and rip the vinyl...the files I get that way are cleaner than those that come off of ripped CDs usually...

True. Depends how lazy I'm feeling. Just ripped the new Hot Chip vinyl to my M10...sounds considerably better than the CD > FLAC rip I "acquired."

[mfrench]

I need to go plug the digishizzer thingie in and see if it still works.

[noahbickart]

All my music is stored on FireWire hard drives in apple lossless (most 16/44.1, but a growing portion of 24/44.1, 48, 88.2, & 96). I use iTunes to organize everything, but I mostly use fidelia because of hog mode and the ability to adjust samplemratenon the fly.  The computer outputs an optical signal which is converted to coax which runs throu the wall over 75 ohm cable giftednto me from the cable guy to the listening room and right into a dac. I only use the wifi network for streaming to the speakers in the kitchen, etc.

I want my music. I never want to be dependent on the wifi router let alone the cloud.