Where/how do you store your music?

[EPbabe]

I might just take a giant leap and stop buying music CDs. :tears: There's just too many of them I listen to my mp3 player only, plugged into a cd-player.

So, here's the question: if I convert my music into digital format, how should I store them? I have a notebook with limited memory, so I was thinking of an external harddrive perhaps?

What are your music storing/listening habits?

[billybu69]

I listen to Spotify mostly these days. It's rare what I want to hear isn't on there it's just handy, and useful I was reading a discussion on these pages about Kate Bushes last album within a few clicks it was playing.

[the raytownian]

I rip my CD's (and especially my CD-r's, thanks to dye degradation), as well as certain cassettes and vinyl to FLAC.

I store my digitized media (twice) on my laptop harddrive (though space is always running out, so it's not all on there, but a lot is), and on a Western Digital external drive that I keep on the shelf plugged into my laptop... If/when I can afford it, I'd like to get a second external to eliminate the need for laptop harddrive storage, but still have a double backup. This is what most people recommend, "just in case" one HD crashes...

I don't ever move the external, but I do keep it powered and attached at all times, since I never actually move my laptop.

[Peterb]

I have a corrugated fibreboard bio-degradable container with re-enforcer lateral struts and re-closable lids.

[EPbabe]

I listen to Spotify mostly these days. It's rare what I want to hear isn't on there it's just handy, and useful I was reading a discussion on these pages about Kate Bushes last album within a few clicks it was playing.

Feel free to crucify me, but.... what is Spotify?:blushing:

[EPbabe]

I rip my CD's (and especially my CD-r's, thanks to dye degradation), as well as certain cassettes and vinyl to FLAC.

I store my digitized media (twice) on my laptop harddrive (though space is always running out, so it's not all on there, but a lot is), and on a Western Digital external drive that I keep on the shelf plugged into my laptop... If/when I can afford it, I'd like to get a second external to eliminate the need for laptop harddrive storage, but still have a double backup. This is what most people recommend, "just in case" one HD crashes...

I don't ever move the external, but I do keep it powered and attached at all times, since I never actually move my laptop.

I like your style. What if you go out, take an mp3 with you? I'm trying to downsize, eliminate at least one gadget (the cd-player), and sell most of my cds, perhaps....

[Peterb]

Is no out there still using vynl?

[EPbabe]

Is no out there still using vynl?

My brother-in-law is a dj and he does. :) I used vinyl back in the 80s.

[Peterb]

My brother-in-law is a dj and he does. :) I used vinyl back in the 80s.
Yo Ep, I guess DJing is the only real application for vinyl these days. Digitalisation is great although I do fear it will mean the end of the album as we know it. That said, I am an old bastard who really should try and keep up.

[EPbabe]

Yo Ep, I guess DJing is the only real application for vinyl these days. Digitalisation is great although I do fear it will mean the end of the album as we know it. That said, I am an old bastard who really should try and keep up.

I completely agree with you. The thing is, now that I have a child, I need to start downsizing on my stuff, cause it's getting out of control. Plus, I noticed that I don't listen to my cds anymore, so it really makes no sense sticking to them.

[Peterb]

I completely agree with you. The thing is, now that I have a child, I need to start downsizing on my stuff, cause it's getting out of control. Plus, I noticed that I don't listen to my cds anymore, so it really makes no sense sticking to them.
Yeah, Kids change everything. I came home from work one day and found all my LP's on the floor with my youngest sitting on top shouting, 'record mountain!' Not complaining mind you, I love my kids.
I hope you are doing well your young 'un.

[the raytownian]

Is no out there still using vynl?

Sure, but I figured the focus of the discussion was digital media (files). I like spinning records or whatever just happens to be most convenient at any given moment (tapes included), but I like to digitize these things for the portability factor + having a backup, and being able to just click-and-play stuff when I feel too lazy to handle the physical tapes/records/CD's, especially if I am making a mix of different songs, which is often the case... Winamp is a must for long trips, if you get my meaning. No time to fiddle with flipping records and shit then... But I keep my computer hooked up to the stereo, so it's *kinda* like a giant CD, haha.

I will say this: CD's are almost strictly for collecting, data storage [permanent], and artwork since I rip them, but I absolutely insist on owning the "genuine article", because then even my double-backups are insured since I have the factory-pressed disc, should my computer crash, taking all my files with it.

And to answer the other question, I don't own an MP3 player per se, but I have a little voice recorder that lets you put MP3's on it that I often take on walks (not long before that, it wasn't so unusual for me to take a walk/discman).

I usually just make short mixes of songs I feel like hearing on the walk, and maybe make several folders of songs for long trips on which it will be my only source of music (the recorder has several folders [A-E, I think] which hold 99 tracks each), and that involves converting FLAC to MP3 (which is a pain, but I don't mind it too much).

Since getting a CD player in my car about 2 years ago, I've started doing a similar thing to that, only with mix CD-rs... I have way too many of those floating around my sled now, unfortunately. Before that, I did the same with mixtapes, often dubbing direct from my soundcard's line out.

I have settled on deciding what I KNOW I wanna hear instead of choosing to have a massive selection on hand at all times when listening away from the computer/stereo system.

[Irregular Regular]

I might just take a giant leap and stop buying music CDs. :tears: There's just too many of them I listen to my mp3 player only, plugged into a cd-player.

So, here's the question: if I convert my music into digital format, how should I store them? I have a notebook with limited memory, so I was thinking of an external harddrive perhaps?

What are your music storing/listening habits?

Hi EP,

All my music is on itunes and my ipod (a very old classic one btw).
I also use an external HDD to back up all my files (music, photos and videos).
With this set up I have 3 copies of each track I own (1 in my itunes library, 1 in my ipod, 1 in my external HDD).

Hope this helps.

I.R.

[EPbabe]

Hi EP,

All my music is on itunes and my ipod (a very old classic one btw).
I also use an external HDD to back up all my files (music, photos and videos).
With this set up I have 3 copies of each track I own (1 in my itunes library, 1 in my ipod, 1 in my external HDD).

Hope this helps.

I.R.

Absolutely, thanks a lot. :) A very stupid question remains though: if I download from iTunes, can I upload that music on my mp3 player, even though it's not an Ipod?

[Thesmithsmorrissey]

I only buy music on vinyl, or on cd as a last resort if there is no vinyl release

everything stored digitally on a 1.5 TB hard drive.

hard drive and vinyl stored under lock and key.

[EPbabe]

I only buy music on vinyl, or on cd as a last resort if there is no vinyl release

everything stored digitally on a 1.5 TB hard drive.

hard drive and vinyl stored under lock and key.

Under lock and key? Who are you protecting it from???

[Irregular Regular]

Absolutely, thanks a lot. :) A very stupid question remains though: if I download from iTunes, can I upload that music on my mp3 player, even though it's not an Ipod?

Not a stupid question at all. :)
The ability to play files downloaded directly from itunes on your mp3 player, depends on whether your player is compatible with M4A files.
M4A is the format that itunes uses when you download music from their site. If your player cannot play them, you will need to convert them to mp3 before transferring them.

I tend not to buy my music from itunes for that reason, most of it has come from either my own CDs converted to mp3 or downloaded in mp3 format from other retailers (amazon, play.com, etc) and manually added to my itunes library.

[billybu69]

Feel free to crucify me, but.... what is Spotify?:blushing:

No crucifixions necassary, Spotify is a web based service which allows you to stream to your pc music tracks, it takes the form of a Itunes/jukebox interface where you can search for artists or tracks, then play them at wil, in the uk there's 3 prices for the service, free with an advert every 4th song or so to listen to,£4.99 advert free, and £9.99 advert free with higher quality bitrates plus mobile usage with an iphone/ipod. The only downside is you do need internet conectivity, and you don't actually own the music,but does that matter? It really is very good.

http://www.spotify.com

[Abrahan]

i use dropbox, which enables me to share music with friends: http://db.tt/WSuXrv8

[Urban the swede]

I thought someone would mention Boxee Box here although I am not getting one to store music but to watch certain tv shows on play-services as the remote comes with a keyboard and it is easier to use Boxee than the laptop to watch tv.

12771

[mattisek]

I've just bought a new laptop with 750 gb harddrive, my 140 gb of music is on there as well as a backup on an external hdd. Plus i've got some of the music on my smartphone 32 gb external card.

Still I will always buy cds and vinyl as long as it will be available. My livingroom is basically packed with them with books and to a lesser extent dvds etc.

[CrystalGeezer]

Every CD I buy I digitize and I've digitized most the old ones, I keep them on a terrabyte drive, cost about $100 if I recall. Instead of selling my CDs, I keep the sleeve's which are small and easy to store so I at least have a hard copy of the art and liner notes and toss the CD case.

[M-in-Oz]

Hi EP, if you go digital make sure you back up to an external hard drive. My laptop died taking all my itunes library with it :tears:

[Urban the swede]

I wanna know what it is like to buy music and get a cd to take back home. Last time I did that was in 2000 or 2001 I think. I stopped downloading music when it became illegal here in Sweden and just about that time music became uninteresting and bad and I have since lived with the feeling that nothing of interest has been released during this time.

[DAVIE]

All on me pc, but I need a portable hard drive for my birthday. So I can be 100% sure that none of the files disappear forever.

[Luke Action McClure]

On my shelves

[EPbabe]

Hi EP, if you go digital make sure you back up to an external hard drive. My laptop died taking all my itunes library with it :tears:

I hear you. Everybody knows about the need for backup, yet everybody's too lazy to make backup copies. Myself included. ;)


I wanna know what it is like to buy music and get a cd to take back home. Last time I did that was in 2000 or 2001 I think. I stopped downloading music when it became illegal here in Sweden and just about that time music became uninteresting and bad and I have since lived with the feeling that nothing of interest has been released during this time.

I agree with you, sort of. Nothing really impressed me musically in the last couple of years, with the exception of Lana Del Rey's Video Games. Other than that, I have a hopelessly outdated musical taste.


On my shelves

:thumb: Me too, but it'll have to change, I'm running out of storage space.

[the raytownian]

On the subject of buying music...

Since I've started using eBay and Discogs, I've taken great pleasure in being able to score dirt-cheap brand new, unopened CD's and shit, sometimes rare stuff if I really luck out.

There's just something really awesome about getting to open a time capsule like that... That, and knowing you aren't getting screwed on an "EX" disc that's scratched to shit and riddled with pinholes.

[peptastic]

I have a portable harddrive for now.
I had to use a program to burn songs from my ipod when my old harddrive suddenly needed new formatting.
I have cds too but going through the trouble of burning them all again?