What do you all use to buy music these days?

I've been slowly trying to stop my spotify usage and replace it with owned audio files.

Mostly I try to use Bandcamp but many artists are not there. Sometimes I just rip the audio from youtube but would prefer a way to buy that gives most of the money to the artist.

I've found that it's actually surprisingly difficult to find a lot of music I like for purchase. Bandcamp is good but there is also 7Digital (both owned by Songtradr), Bleep and Qobuz. 7Digital usually has stuff that won't be on Bandcamp. There are also a few newer alternatives popping up like Ampwall, Subvert, and Mirlo.

A bigger question.

How do you all GIFT music these days?

My brother recently sent me a new album for my birthday. Very kind. But, it's on vinyl. And I don't have a player.

But it just reinforces thoughts I had before. I had wanted to gift him some music too, but, how? He has a phone. He has a computer. He's not particularly tech savvy. I know I can't ship him a CD, he has nothing that can rip it.

I know you buy an album on Amazon, they let you download the MP3s right away. But, how do I even gift that? Can you even download MP3 to an iPhone? From someplace not Apple? I honestly have no idea.

And it just highlights, to me, the entire (seemingly) difficulty of gifting music today.

Me, I still buy CDs and rip them.

Saving everything until Bandcamp Fridays for the ones on Bandcamp, otherwise pretty much Beatport or not buying it at all. Some labels I've listened to for a long time (like Liquicity) I buy the music straight from their store, figure the artist/label gets the most then.

I don't stream and buy all my music (aside from radio etc), I get music from:

- Bandcamp (for new music)

- Second hand CDs for charity shops and discogs (for older music)

- Quoboz / Amazon (for new music not on bandcamp or something specific I can't find elsewhere)

After discovering music I like on YouTube or whatever, I buy albums on Bandcamp and Qobuz if possible, and Amazon as a last resort. Then I host them on my personal Navidrome server to enjoy without involving any big tech.

Bandcamp, and I have on several occasions emailed the band directly and asked if I could purchase directly from them.

Are compact discs no longer available? I used to rip from those - every album I've ever downloaded and kept I have the CD for. Some bought before the download, many bought after.

But it's been a long time since I've heard anything good enough to purchase.

My personal tier list is:

- Bandcamp

- CD

- 7digital

I host the media on a Jellyfin server and use offline playlists on my phone with Finamp for Android, works quite well for me!

I go to the weekly flea market and sometimes find something that interests me

i also prefer bandcamp but since nobody has mentioned it yet, there is also beatport

Fuck it! I sail away under the flag of jolly rogers...harrrrrr!!!

[dead]