Music Consumption Process

​These days, I discover most new music on Spotify. When creating playlists, Spotify will make recommendations. I have to say they have an excellent algorithm for making those recommendations. I found a lot of great EDM sub-genres like Synthwave and Chillwave through this platform. Before that, I found new music through Sirius XM satellite radio along with different internet radio stations. My satellite usage was mainly for discovering Indie music. I was also a big fan of the Indie stations on Netscape, way back in the day. I have also relied on word-of-mouth and movie soundtracks.

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I do not purchase new music anymore. I use Spotify for anything new. However, I still buy old records. I refuse to listen to anything new on vinyl. New music is more natural to consume on digital devices, like computers, cell phones, and tablets. But older jazz, blues, classical, and classic rock has a particular sound on a good record system. It has a warm and full sound. New recordings are excellent but in their own way. Older recordings were often recorded on analog devices like tape. They have a specific sound that I really cannot explain. It is funny that new digital-made recordings try to emulate that analog sound but never the other way around.
 
I feel that physical music still has value but only with vinyl. Media such as CDs and cassettes are no longer needed. Digital media took care of that. However, vinyl has this nostalgic charm. Unlike digital, there is a commitment to vinyl. You have this decent-sized media almost a foot across, usually with stunning graphical elements on the front and back cover. You slide out the record and carefully place it on the record player's platen. With kid gloves, you put the needle in the outermost position before turning up the volume. You sit back with the inner album sleeve in your hand and read along to the lyrics as the first song starts. After twenty to thirty minutes, you get up, walk back to the record player, and carefully flip it over to the second side. You may not like the second song on that side, but you let it play through.
 
This is what I mean by commitment. You are consuming the whole product, not just one or two songs. You are consuming the entire album plus the artwork on the album cover, back cover, and inside sleeve, if there is one. If you are anything like me, I also check out the band photos, the producer, the engineer, the illustrator, who wrote each song, what kinds of instruments were used, and so on. Digital is instantaneous, and often we skip over songs or parts of songs, robbing ourselves of the whole experience. I do not even know what the album covers or what the bands look like on newer albums.
 
I still think that that there is value. Plus, whether you agree or not, you must admit that albums played on a good stereo system sound amazing!