How do you buy and listen to music?

[Michael Messer]

I am doing a bit of market research and am interested in what format or formats you buy music and how and where you listen. I really need honest, rather than cool answers, so if you don't buy or listen to vinyl, please don't say that you do.

A few questions....

1 - What format do you buy - CD, vinyl, download, or stream on Spotify/Apple etc...?

2 - Do you buy music regularly, or occasionally?

3 - How & where do you listen to music - home hifi, car, computer, smartphone with ear buds etc....?

4 - Do you listen to music on terrestrial radio (BBC, CBC, ABC etc), online radio, podcasts, or streaming playlists?

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Oh....my answers are...

1 - CDs and occasional downloads. I never use any streaming platforms and I don't buy records.

2 - I buy quite a lot of music. There is always something on its way from somewhere. I buy CDs from various outlets. I also buy used CDs from Music Magpie which I find is excellent because it's so cheap and is great if I just fancy hearing something on a whim. I also download tracks for those reasons too. I used to get piles of free CDs, but I don't circulate around record company offices so much anymore.

3 - Home hifi for serious listening, the car because it is such a good place to listen to music, iPhone with ear buds sometimes when I'm out walking. Bluetooth speaker in the kitchen from my iPhone. Computer through studio monitors because sometimes I need or want to listen through a studio sound.

4 - BBC specialist shows, some online radio from around the world, very occasionally listen to a podcast. Youtube is also a good source for hearing music.

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I am really not sure about the term "vinyl". When I grew up people bought vinyl flooring, not music. Surely they should be called records or LPs, after all we don't call CDs "plastic". And how can there be a collection of vinyls when the word has no plural. Funny thing is after all these changes and new formats, they are still called Record Companies!
Oops.... I just had to get that off my chest. 😜

Shine On
Michael

[tomgiemza]

1 - CDs and Spotify premium account
2 - Occasionally.
Spotify is for discovering new music and when something is special (I like it very much) I would probably buy a CD. Also, I often buy CD straight from an artists on the shows I'm attending (and get an autograph).
3 - Home hifi (CD) for serious listening or computer connected to hifi for Spotify. I think 2:1 ratio Spotify to CDs listening time.
Daily car driving - online radio/spotify. Long car travels - online radio/spotify + selection of CDs.
4 - since polish government has butchered famous (and my favourite) polish radio program, I listen only to the online radio (Radio Nowy Świat) which was formed partly by the people fired (or decided to leave by themselves) from this butchered polish radio. It is fund exclusively from listeners donations, so I can proudly call it mine radio


EDIT: And one more thing, I don't buy very expensive CDs I rather put album's title on the list and wait for an occasion. I was buying many ridiculously cheap CDs on Amazon, but lately cheap CDs are harder to find.
But if like something very much and it's not on Spotify I would buy it without hesitation

[rich]

Morning Michael

1. CDS only and very occasional download from Bandcamp as the artist gets a proper share of the money. Will never sign up to spotify by the way.
2. Regulary and always looking for something to spark the creative flame!
3. Home Hi-fi and in the car. Again cds in the car ( Im a dinosaur)
4. I look on youtube for artists and new stuff. Never listen to radio much at all unless a specialist show comes up that I want to listen to but rarely.

[bonzo]

Hi Michael,interesting survey.
If I listen to music seriously ie a 'session' it will be records or cds through my big system.I have a large collection of both, I've stopped buying vinyl but still buy cds online. I've recently added a streaming device which I've avoided for years but have to admit it is quite handy to play songs through my phone. Also have several alexas' around the house and one hooked up to a system in the shed. I also watch/listen on YouTube. Listen to boom radio which I enjoy. Never listened to anything mobile with ear buds. In the car used to be radio 2, not so much now, play cds occasionally. I'm not subscribed to any formats, think I have a piggy back Spotify account from my son and I live with the ads on YouTube. Had inspiration from 'what are you listening too' on the forum.

Best wishes to you all, John

[Pickers Ditch]

1) CD and a small amount of vinyl.
2) Occassionaly, if it is good stuff, as I seemed to have amassed a large collection over the decades.
3) Home hifi, sometimes CD in home computer and CD in the car.
4) Yes to terrestrial radio. BBC normally and certain specialist shows if I'm alerted to them in time.

Hope it helps.

[mrstrellisofnwales]

1. /2.Having spent thousands over the years on all the physical formats I now use Spotify premium although I occasionally buy cds from buskers -to support a dying breed and at gigs.
3. All of those. Still listen to all my old vinyl and cds when possible. And quite a lot when I’m walking, which I do a heck of a lot of. Hate headphones of all types as they block out surroundings and are just uncomfortable, so I put my phone in my top pocket which is fine until I come to a noisy street when I put it on my head and cover with a woolly hat.
4. Not radio but occasional podcasts which take my fancy.
I listen to at least two hours music every day
Mrs T

[slide496]

I'll add that I mainly listen to the older blues and classical music these days

1 - stream on Spotify, some on an old ipod that hold previously bought cd collection
2 - buy rarely - especially when an artist offers both cds and spotify but buy cds for download on AMazon
3 - listen on ipad,computer, smartphone with ear phones and not - no earbuds
4 - Don't listen to music on terrestrial radio (BBC, CBC, ABC etc), online radio, podcasts, or streaming playlists unless spotify

[bod]

1 - What format do you buy? Mainly CDs, some downloads - usually if not available on CD, (records and deck been in the attic for a few years now.. )

2 - Do you buy music regularly, or occasionally? These days it’s less regular, more now & then

3 - How & where do you listen to music? home hifi, iPad, dvds, (also tv)

4 - Do you listen to music on terrestrial radio, online radio, podcasts, or streaming playlists? Radio 3 (late junction, music planet), YouTube, Bandcamp (also tv programmes and home recordings thereof, BBC4, Sky Arts…)

[Michael Messer]

This is very interesting and extremely helpful. More than a hundred visitors to this page so far today and only seven comments. More PLEASE!

Shine On
Michael

[ken1953clark]

1. CD's, bandcamp downloads and some 'gramophone records'. If I hear something I like out and about I use Shazam to find out what it is. CDs at gigs.

2 - I usually have a splurge 3-4 times a year as stuff comes up on my radar

3 - mainly home hifi, some on PC and in car CD

4 - Radio 4, sometimes 3/classic FM. Can't find any decent British folk on the 'wireless'

[lonelyjelly]

1 - What format do you buy - CD, vinyl, download, or stream on Spotify/Apple etc...?
I buy mainly CDs and occasionally vinyl. I haven't bought as many in recent years aside from collecting Yazoo CDs, then selling them because I don't listen to them (all on Spotify) and then deciding it'd be "cooler" / nicer to collect them on vinyl, then realising I don't get time to listen them, so now starting to buy them all on cd again, because collecting is fun. Vinyl sale in due course lol. I rarely pay to download stuff as I prefer to have the physical copy. I've started buying CDs of contemporary artists again more recently for the car. If at gigs, which is quite rare nowadays, then I'll opt to buy a cd or vinyl from the artist there and then.

2 - Do you buy music regularly, or occasionally?
Semi-regularly. Trying hard to be more present when it comes to new releases and new artists, but gone are the days when I'd go into a proper music shop with a list and spend a mildly big amount!

3 - How & where do you listen to music - home hifi, car, computer, smartphone with ear buds etc....?
Mainly car on cd (I drive a lot), on headphones at work, at home on hi-fi, turntable, Bluetooth speaker and headphones either over ear or in-ear. Also YouTube and occasionally band camp, both normally headphones.

4 - Do you listen to music on terrestrial radio (BBC, CBC, ABC etc), online radio, podcasts, or streaming playlists?
BBC radio 2 occasionally but I mainly listen to radio 4, podcasts and playlists on Spotify and or BBC Sounds.

[Michael Segui]

1 - What format do you buy - CD, vinyl, download, or stream on Spotify/Apple etc...?

CDs from 30+ years of collecting are boxed up in the basement.
I stream on Spotify but buy CDs at concerts to support artists I see (even though my new car doesn’t have a CD player).


2 - Do you buy music regularly, or occasionally?

Only occasionally now. It’s not often Son House releases a new record LOL. Most often at concerts. I will buy music online from smaller independent artists. The likes of Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger don’t need anymore of my money.


3 - How & where do you listen to music - home hifi, car, computer, smartphone with ear buds etc....?

I usually listen to Spotify in my car during my commute to work or on my iPhone with earbuds when I am walking the dogs. Also SiriusXM radio in the car.


4 - Do you listen to music on terrestrial radio (BBC, CBC, ABC etc), online radio, podcasts, or streaming playlists?

SiriusXM for music. CBC for news mostly.

[snakehips]

Hi there !

1. I bought an LP today, in a 2nd hand record shop.
An early Big Town Playboys album (Mike Sanchez on piano).
I don’t have a decent record player to play it on though, ha ha !
I prefer buying CD’s and I can’t remember how long ago it was since I downloaded something - about 5-10yrs probably.

2. I buy music less & less these days - I’ve heard almost all I want to hear - and happy listening to what I have.
Always on the look out for more items by my favourite blues artists but probably have all available already

3. Mainly listen to music in my car, but Youtube at work & home on ipad, iphone & laptop. Not ideal !

4. Radio ? Not really. Used to listen to Paul Jones’ Radio 2 Blues hour every Thursday night, in the 2nd half of the 1990’s, when I was a teenager

[leeophonic]

Still buy Vinyl, new and secondhand, will check out shops (if you find one) online, ebay Amazon and artist direct etc. CD's we have a few local charity shops which have a good turnover of used CD's so will buy from there. Only one car now has CD player, have home hi fi, amazon Alexa has a formulated playlist and can then target podcasts or other stuff. Also a garage/workshop with an old PC that can play CD,s and various radios in there although radio listening for me is diminishing from music to talking shows.

I have only ever downloaded one or two things (By mistake) and do not use digital players like phones or I devices (can't be bothered)

Watch youtube and listen to music also that way as well.

If this answers the question I would buy your new record on Vinyl Michael...

Lee

[uatru]

1 - Spotify premium

2 - second hand usually from lonejelly (see his reply)

3 - in the car, through hi fi speakers at home, headphones on train.

4 - never nowadays. Either music or podcasts.

Andrew.