How do you primarily listen to music? [2020 edition]

[Mats]

@ameraal how can streaming be BAD for the environment? If anything it's way better than physical which usually ends up in boxes in someone's loft (like me) or in charity shops.

emissions from data centres I reckon (or more precisely emissions from generating the vast amounts of energy data centres use). whether it's better, worse or on par with production of compact discs and vinyls I don't know

 

[L. Põldvere]

Personally your ailing lounger is HERE (and ahead of the pack obviously *smug emoji*) for that long-awaited COMPACT DISC REVIVAL

As long as we can refer to them as COMPACTS, that is

 

[lolly]

I read something similar to what ameraal said a while back. And just found this:

Although the amount of plastics consumed by the industry dropped to 8 million kilograms in 2016 from a high of 61 million kilograms at the CD’s peak in 2000, when the study translated the production of plastics and the generation of electricity into greenhouse gas equivalents (GHGs), streaming generates far more. While GHGs peaked at 157 million in 2000 under the physical era, the generation of GHGs by storing and streaming digital files is estimated to be between 200 million kilograms and over 350 million kilograms in the USA alone.

Dr Kyle Devine, Associate Professor in Music at the University of Oslo, said: “These figures seem to confirm the widespread notion that music digitalised is music dematerialised. The figures may even suggest that the rises of downloading and streaming are making music more environmentally friendly.

“But a very different picture emerges when we think about the energy used to power online music listening. Storing and processing music online uses a tremendous amount of resources and energy – which a high impact on the environment.”

The study’s findings mirror similar warnings around the carbon footprint of running cryptocurrency mining operations and the CO2 generated by billons of daily Google searches sent to data centers around the world.

Dr Matt Brennan, a Reader in Popular Music from the University of Glasgow, said: “The point of this research is not to tell consumers that they should not listen to music, but to gain an appreciation of the changing costs involved in our music consumption behaviour.

“We hope the findings might encourage change toward more sustainable consumption choices and services that remunerate music creators while mitigating environmental impact.”

But to be honest, when I think of how much the industry generates by making physical product that nobody ever plays (and the relentless repackages, box sets etc) I'm not going to feel guilty about streaming over getting out my wind up radio.

 

[Jark]

just bung a solar panel on the roof and we'll all be A-OK

 

[SDF]

I only really listen via streaming, but I still buy some vinyl. I just don’t ever bother listening to it on my record player.

 

[K.C.]

Does anyone actually use Amazon streaming?

 

[Cerro de Casa]

Does anyone actually use Amazon streaming?

Well I have Amazon Prime so occasionally on my Alexa if I ask her for a song she'll automatically choose Amazon Music unless specifically I ask her to play it on my Spotify. She keeps wanting me to pay for Amazon Unlimited but she can fuck off.

 

[K.C.]

 

[Ellie]

Does anyone actually use Amazon streaming?

Yes. I used to subscribe to Apple but cancelled when I just wasn’t using it. Never had a Spotify Premium as I just don’t like the interface, so Amazon kind of suits me at the moment - I got the first 6 months for free when I won the Echo and just never cancelled.

 

[ameraal]

I read something similar to what ameraal said a while back. And just found this:

Although the amount of plastics consumed by the industry dropped to 8 million kilograms in 2016 from a high of 61 million kilograms at the CD’s peak in 2000, when the study translated the production of plastics and the generation of electricity into greenhouse gas equivalents (GHGs), streaming generates far more. While GHGs peaked at 157 million in 2000 under the physical era, the generation of GHGs by storing and streaming digital files is estimated to be between 200 million kilograms and over 350 million kilograms in the USA alone.

those figures are insane.

 

[Tisch]

Does anyone actually use Amazon streaming?

We used to before we got a Spotify family account. Amazon Prime doesn't include Amazon Music which is a complete swindle if you ask me. Amazon Music and Spotify Premium cost about the same, but Spotify has more and the family package works better for us as we can use more than one device in the house at the same time which we couldn't before.

 

[K.C.]

Yes. I used to subscribe to Apple but cancelled when I just wasn’t using it. Never had a Spotify Premium as I just don’t like the interface, so Amazon kind of suits me at the moment - I got the first 6 months for free when I won the Echo and just never cancelled.

Does Amazon have the same selection of music?

 

[K.C.]

We used to before we got a Spotify family account. Amazon Prime doesn't include Amazon Music which is a complete swindle if you ask me. Amazon Music and Spotify Premium cost about the same, but Spotify has more and the family package works better for us as we can use more than one device in the house at the same time which we couldn't before.

Oh that's rubbish. I thought it would be part of the bundle. But I guess we do get the streaming service.

 

[Ellie]

Does Amazon have the same selection of music?

Not sure compared to Spotify but it has way more than Apple Music for my own personal tastes.