How do you listen to music?

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Do you still listen to CDs? In your car? Home stereo? Computer?
Do you buy downloads or do you rip your CDs into mp3s or iTunes or another format for playback on another device?

Personally, I listen to CDs in the car, but mostly I listen to digital audio files loaded onto miniSD cards which are either loaded into my portable music players or played in my car via Bluefly.

I've purchased a ton of downloads from iTunes, etc., but that music often languishes on those devices, which I don't use much for listening (iPhone, iPad).
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

I listen to my old CDs in the kitchen using an under the counter radio/CD combination. Everything else is digital audio on my computer, my iPhone or one of several old iPods.

If you're asking to get a grasp on how people listen to music nowadays (vs. how steel guitarists listen to music now), Neilsen has a report from 2015 that might be worth reading.
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Ken Mullett · From: Bremen, Indiana, USA and Sarasota, FL

Pandora! Select Justin Trevino and you'll have some of the best classic country music with lots of pedal steel.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Cd's rarely. Some ripped into mp3 files. All my mp3 files are also loaded into my Microsoft Zune Mp3 player. I use the Zune in my truck stereo and with headphones when I have to use public transportation. I use my computer mostly at home. I do have a pretty good stereo setup at home that I sometimes use. I also buy from iTunes and Amazon for mp3 files. I also use my phone, but not that often. The mp3 player is far superior.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

95% Apple Music. Less than the price of a single CD per month and has everything from Kitty Wells (with Bailes Brothers no less) to modern stuff including latest releases. Free for 1st three months and you can download over Wi-Fi and play later from your phone if you need to reduce 3G/4G usage. Sound quality is much better than XM/Sirius and you can pick each and every song or go with a radio station or artist etc.

The rest of my tunes are on MP3's, 4600+ steel and guitar related tunes on a 32GB USB stick.

Mitch Drumm · From: Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake

At home: purely random play from 27,000 individual mp3 files from my PC hard drive, without regard to genre or artist. No "albums", no "CDs", all are just individual songs. I might hear Oscar Aleman followed by Hank Thompson followed by Elvis followed by June Christy or Spade and Joaquin---whatever comes up randomly. Usually over a table radio speaker, occasionally over a standard home stereo with traditional speakers.

I've culled the filler from any and all vinyl or CDs I come across. Rarely do I keep more than 2 or 3 tracks from any release. I'd guess I've auditioned at least 500,000 songs to arrive at the 27,000. I work on acquiring more songs probably 15 or 20 hours a week. A song grabs me in 10 seconds or I hit delete. So, I couldn't easily play "Buddy's black album" or any other CD/LP in their entirety.

In the car: same thing over car speakers, but the source is my "favorite" 1800 songs of the 27,000, loaded onto a USB flash drive. At one time, I had 15,000 songs on the car flash drive, but I found I might go an hour without hearing a song I really liked--so I cut it back to just 1800.

I've got headphones, but have never been able to put up with them for more than a half hour.

I haven't played a full CD in probably 6 or 8 years and not to speak of in at least 10 or 12. Ditto for LPs/45s/78s.

I don't think I could tolerate full CDs anyway--my increasingly short attention span won't tolerate the filler that virtually any CD or LP will have.

The ability to easily access one individual track at a time and never hear the unwanted is the main advantage of digital music for me--I'd hate to have to go back to listening to someone else's radio station.

J Fletcher · From: London,Ont,Canada

In the car , cd's , my current fave is Kentucky Colonels . When washing dishes in the kitchen , cd's also. Currently Bill Wyman's "Blues Odyssey" which is a compilation of pre 1953 or so blues tracks is my kitchen choice.
In my work room I just listened to some Jerry Byrd on LP. "Steel Guitar Favourites" . ..Jerry

Don R Brown · From: Rochester, New York, USA

In the truck, CD's. At home, YouTube, heavy on no-name country groups both US and foreign. Also occasionally internet radio stations such as KTNK (http://pro.stream101.com/player/?ip=2&port=8020&username=crosscro) which was suggested in another thread on SGF.

Butch Mullen · From: North Carolina, USA 28681

Mostly KEQX Dublin TX. Good songs to play along with. Youtube and CD's.

Guy Cundell · From: More idle ramblings from South Australia

Everything ripped/converted/purchased in digital in Ipod Classic 160 gig. In the car, on headphones, connected to stereo or with mobile dock. I was a bit sad when these were discontinued but I have a new spare in the drawer. Having the Itunes cataloging system is a real advantage.

Andrew Roblin · From: Various places

Right now, 90% LPs, 10% CDs.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

You can sometimes tell the age of a listener by whether he listens to just singles or whole albums. Laughing

Oddly enough, I think things are reverting back to that model (singles).

Growing up in the late 60s and 70s, I became a fan of the long-play record and a student of the creation of an album of music. I sill listen to full albums or CDs, I rarely randomize my selections unless I am trail running.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Don R Brown · From: Rochester, New York, USA

Interesting, Mike. I seldom listen to an album or whole CD all the way through, because invariably there are a few songs I like less or more than others.

Two exceptions come to mind, ones I have no problem listening to the whole thing. "Days Of Future Past" by the Moody Blues, and the Bakersfield CD by Paul Franklin and Vince Gill.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I listen to CDs, LPs, and cassettes at home. I also listen to CDs and radio in the car, and my car has a hard disc with a lot of my favorites on it. Sometimes I use an iPod when I go on long trips.
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Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

What I'd like is Bruce Curry's record changer that sat on the tunnel of his Plymouth. The Stones sounded great.

I think Mike N. might be right about things reverting to a singles model, the computer making it possible.
The best experience, IMO, is vinyl LP.

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

I have a cassette player in the car, which actually sounds pretty good. The only cassette that's ever got played there is a John Prine compilation.
At home it's LP's, CD's and yes singles.
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Mike Neer · From: NJ

I listen to a lot of music at home via my computer, which is in my studio. My audio interface is an Audient ID4 and I run it out to a good power amp and my old reliable Paradigm speakers. Sounds fantastic.

I also have a FiiO X1 high def portable music player which comes everywhere with me. I've got a card with about 100 GBs of music, mostly high def (flac and wav). Mp3s don't bug me unless they are a low bitrate.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

UTube comes out via the laptop thru my Tetras, built from guitar top blanks.

Jim Robbins · From: Ontario, Canada

Vinyl through tube pre & power amps if I'm really listening. Cd's for stuff I don't have on vinyl, especially cleaned up reissues of 78s from the 20s-40s, or if it's on in the other room. Streamed / mp3s / itunes / youtubes (through a mydac DAC) for songs I want to learn or am curious about or all the live stuff available on youtube & nowhere else.

Rant alert: Digital could have been a good medium if they kept the sampling frequencies high but the history of audio reproduction from the days of acoustically recorded wax cylinders to the present day has been a trade off of signal for cheapness and convenience.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Jim, even with the sampling rates the way they are now, home made CD's of my vinyl collection still have that full warm sound that exceeds todays commercial CD's of even commercial CD's of of old vinyl's. Even more so if listening through a tube stereo!

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I also use an old Califone record player, like the kind they used in classrooms, to listen to my 78s and also some LPs. I have a Dual CS5000 turntable that also plays 78s and I have a nice Grado cartridge for them, but don't have that kind of set up available right now.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Bill L. Wilson · From: Oklahoma, USA

I have my own little house behind our main house with a Sony amp, CD changer, big end table McIntosh speakers, and (2) home built speakers with a 15" and a horn in each one. This system will absolutely blow the walls out of the dump. And I can play as loud as I want, at any time of day. Living on a (2)acre lot helps buffer the sound. Lately, I've been listening to CD's of Aly Bain the Scottish fiddler and Jerry Douglas that I recorded off of U-Tube on a Tascam CD burner. Boy, trying to play those fiddle tunes on steel and guitar drives me crazy, but it keeps me on my toes, and forces me into a different way of playing.

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

I have a job where I go into about 200 homes per week, & I noticed a disturbing trend...virtually NO ONE has a home stereo anymore. Earbuds & iPODS AIN'T the way to listen to Pink Floyd or Zeppelin!

But, since you asked, here's how I listen to music:

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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

Roger Palmer · From: Rossendale, UK

After years of CD's and MP3's Ive just gone back to an old Garrard record deck, Arena amp and some Sony speakers which are all circa 1971.......sounds great

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

In my studio where my work bench is I listen to CD's and have duel CD deck mounted in my rack mount with my PA gear. Collected so many CD's over the years it's the only logical thing to do and have them in a relatively organized order. The PA rack has a Stewart World 1.2 power amp and Mackie 14 channel mixer/ EQ with a BBE Sonic rack device into a pair of Bose speakers. Nice vibe.

I have a CD player in my truck but there are no longer putting CD players in many new cars only the MP3 and USB jacks. However, I do have XM satalite radio and often listen to Willies Road House and also a big fan of the Outlaw channel #60 that has a new wave of Americana artists as well as old Outlaw music. Some of the hosts on the Outlaw channel are Steve Earl, Shooter Jennings (Waylon's Son) Jim Lauderdale and Johnny Knoxville with his big ass family all telling stories, jokes and playing music with a country color you don't often hear. Very enjoyable!

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