Ditch Your Music Streaming Service In 2021
© Brady Snyder, Spotify, Apple
Music. It's something many of us enjoy and arguably has been a constant throughout human history. What has changed is the way music is stored and played. Previous music formats, such as Vinyl and Compact Discs (CDs), have come, gone, and returned again. Though digital media was always the goal—now hundreds of thousands of songs can be stored in MicroSD chips as small as your fingertip—the process of playing music was always part of the experience. That's why the so-called "obsolete" media formats like Vinyl, CD, and cassette are making a resurgence.
So what about streaming in the Uber-digital age?
Streaming music is peak portability and accessibility without the "process" of playing and listening to music. Accessing services like Apple Music, Spotify, and TIDAL offer tens of thousands of songs within a few taps—as long as you have an internet connection. These services vary in subscription prices and tiers, though Apple Music, Spotify, and TIDAL both have a $9.99/mo tier. Despite the clear benefits of streaming services, there are a few problems with streaming services that can be detrimental to music-lovers, and they might not even realize them.
Problem 1: Streaming music relegates listening to a "background" task
© Brady Snyder
Most people streaming music on smartphones, including myself for many years, lose track of music due to the distractions of a smartphone. Music listening in the days of iPods, CDs, cassettes, and records was one experience, not a barrage of smartphone tasks and notifications. When streaming music on your phone, do you remain on your app, listen closely to the sounds, observe the album art, and read the lyrics?
© Brady Snyder
It is far more likely that your music experience is closer to the picture above. You're scrolling on social media, texting, maybe even reading this blog—and your music is banished to the control center. Do you really enjoy your music consumption while streaming on your phone, or is it just something that 'exists' while doing other things?
If you are someone that appreciates music and would like to change your habits, the best way is to find another media source. Smartphones set listeners up for failure because they have the entire world at their fingertips. Try investing in other formats, like CDs, Vinyl, or a dedicated music player—like an iPod or MP3 player. You might even have some of these formats lying around your house, and if not, the entry prices are far lower than that of a streaming service that costs close to $150 per year.
Problem 2: Price
© Apple, Spotify
Many people have simply accepted the monthly fees of subscription streaming services due to the plethora of options they offer. But are they really a good deal? Both Apple and Spotify's unlimited streaming plans start at $9.99/mo., or about $120 per year before regional taxes are added. That's a steep price to pay for music that can generally be heard on sites like YouTube free of charge.
What's more is that digital music is coming down in price to own every day. Award-winning albums that used to cost north of $15 to own can now be had for as low as $5. Individual songs used to be standardized at $1.29 per song, but now many can be owned for just 69 cents per song. That's enticing, as you can own about 8-12 songs per month, or select entire albums per month, for the same price as your streaming service.
A song that was released a month ago today, 34+35 Remix, is priced at just 69 cents despite currently holding the #4 spot on the Billboard Hot 100
Taylor Swift's evermore (deluxe version) is priced at just $7.99 while including 17 tracks and debuting just over a month ago.
Considering that your access to music ends as soon as you end your subscription, you have two choices: Commit to spending $120 per year for the rest of your life or own your music.
Own your music.
Music should be something we enjoy, cherish, and experience fully. It shouldn't be something experienced in the background.
Streaming music is like leasing a car to drive through scenic routes. You have to keep leasing the car in order to keep driving through the scenic routes, and soon enough, you've made so many payments that you could have owned the car outright. Moreover, you're not "experiencing" driving the car, you're experiencing the scenery.
Owning the music you enjoy on Vinyl, CDs, or MP3s can form a deeper connection with your music, and might even save you money.