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Saturday Morning Qs

When I was a kid, it was a special treat to go to the used CD store. There were a couple in town, and I remember spending hours browsing through the shelves. Usually, I was only going by what the packaging could tell me: a CD that was several dollars cheaper than others by the same artist hinted that it wouldn't be quite as good, maybe an EP or bootleg instead of a major work. A full-length album with only 5 or 6 songs on it was a beckoning mystery: where did those long songs go? And of course there was the album cover, which told you about where the album was going to take you. Staple albums for me like Dark Side of the Moon, Who's Next, Revolver, Instant Replay (The Monkees), and American Idiot came from my CD-hunting days.

Things I'm wondering:

What are your music-buying or music-listening rituals that happen outside of the streaming world?

Why do you buy music? Is it just to support the artist, or is there added value outside of that?

Do you buy albums based on album art alone?

How do you decide which albums to listen to?

Post your answers here, I'm curious.

-Will

Comments

What are your music-buying or music-listening rituals that happen outside of the streaming world? Non-existent now Why do you buy music? Is it just to support the artist, or is there added value outside of that? JUST to support the artist. I don't actually play cd's or use download links as all my listening is on streaming now as it's just the most convenient. Do you buy albums based on album art alone? I stream albums based on art alone but I only ever buy albums from the handful of artists I want to support financially because they've changed my life (this includes approximately 30-50 artists). How do you decide which albums to listen to? Mostly recommendations from subreddits of other bands I like (this is a sure bet to find music I'll like) and NPR Tiny Desk has brought a lot of new artists to my attention.

Sanjer Sahid

Sometimes album art catches my eye because it's really aesthetically pleasing, but if anything that makes me not want to listen to it. I think there's definitely a sweet spot for cover art where if it looks really bad it makes the album seem half-assed but if it looks really graphic designed it just seems like a commercial product that won't be interesting.

Cailyn Calder

i love physical music so much i kind of got into collecting records and cds because my dad and uncle gave me their collections but i usually go to like resale places or just like record shops

Elle!!

What are your music-buying or music-listening rituals that happen outside of the streaming world? -The cd stores here in the Philippines are not very good so i end up buying from collectors online instead and secondhand shops bc they always have the good stuff in pretty decent condition and even underprice them sometimes too Why do you buy music? Is it just to support the artist, or is there added value outside of that? -Apart from the support i like the genuine feeling of being able to hold something tangible and corporeal in my hands, it feels like mine, and i can play it in in my car, 3 cd players of mine have broken so its pretty much my only option left. Do you buy albums based on album art alone? -Rarely but sometimes I do, or if i have money to support my local acts too How do you decide which albums to listen to? -Honestly it depends on the mood and vibes for the day

peter gee chuck

I am a huge CD-monger. I love to browse frequently, always in the bargain bins, and never solely based on one genre. Usually I insta-buy artists I know, even if only their name. I definitely get excited seeing artists I enjoy. I also buy CD’s of artists with either band, song, or album names that make me curious. I can’t help that I am so inquisitive, I’ve found former garage bands who make metal about vampires and zombies before by doing this. I highly recommend.

Danne Scott

the CDs i have that have interesting or cool art on the covers i like to display with my collection on my wall ! though i have tons of stacks of them floating around my room.

junosjunkdrawer

i like going to cd/record stores and buying cds with cool or interesting albums for sure, but i usually like to stick with cds from artists i love. something about having a tangible Thing to actually Own myself is one of my favorite parts of buying cds from my fav artists :) getting to choose and play the CD individually feels much more personal, and it's really comforting to listen to music (usually as a form of support or emotional regulation/release) in this way because of the physical contact. i also love burning cds to make playlists of all my favorites and moods :)

junosjunkdrawer

All of the music I consumed from my literal birth up until I was around 6 years old was purely played on CD's or vinyl records. I was born in 2002 and my days as a toddler were filled with dancing to CD's and my dad's vinyl records. I was gifted a plastic suitcase record player that only played 45's and I would steal my dad's singles and play them in my room. I even had a show-and-tell event at my school in 2nd grade and I brought my little record player and blew all of my 8-year-old peers minds. My parents were HUGE users of Bandcamp and Limewire at the time too and downloaded so many viruses on our old desktop computer trying to stream music or burn CD's. Eventually Spotify emerged as a free way of streaming music online and my family and I indulged immediately. Before it became subscription-based, it was like a portal had opened into a world where you can literally play whatever song you could think of. I still love vinyl and CD's, but they have become so expensive and purchasing them is more like buying myself a gift than just buying a new album. They also hold sentimental value because of my childhood. I feel like I grew up in the middle of the transition of physical music to streaming so I indulge in both. Usually I buy a physical copy of an album if I have listened to it already through streaming. There are a few albums I purchased before listening that turned out to be my now-favorites. Album cover art is always a plus when the album is also good, it makes streaming it more fun when there is a cool cover to look at while you listen :p. Another treat when purchasing vinyl or CD's are art inserts, I have a collection of vinyl inserts and lyric sheets covering my bedroom walls. I find new music through other artists a lot of the time, this Patreon account is a good example. I love when artists share other artists or bands that inspire them; I love being able to hear the influence across artists and songs.

christie

1. I am an arduous short playlist maker. Everything needs to be organized by specific vibe/when i bought it/alignment of the planets and such 2. I buy to support the artist primarily. I was a bandcamp kiddo and everything there goes to my cozy little foobar app. 3. Album art and presentation is important but i’m more interested if you have liner notes. 4. I make a short list on a sticknote every once in a while and buy in bulk based on that. Usually stuff i find floating around on youtube. Semi related of my more cherished mortal possessions is a cd of karma by pharoah sanders. I now work at the shop that sold it to me and request it played on our stereo from time to time.

Maki

I first started collecting CDs by artists I loved already, just as a collecting thing. I would browse around thrift stores, but at first only got stuff that I recognized. I think I got Monster by R.E.M. because of that one lyric on Strangers where you mentioned Michael Stipe, and ended up really liking it. But recently I've started buying stuff that looks like it would be cool, usually emo alt and indie rock. I've learned a lot of emo rock from the late 2000s and 2010s sounds kinda the same lol, but sometimes you find something good and unique. I also love when CDs in thrift stores have "For promotional use only, not for resale" on the back. I almost always buy those, because it just feels so special, a relic from the era when you'd mail a promo CD to the radio station.

MaeveDX

my cd buying experience (as a UK dweller) is a pretty simple track around every charity shop with a music section in town, making sure to detour to get to HMV (the actual music store) to check for newer releases. Around once a month (on one of these tours) i pick a handful of CDS (usually at like 50p a pop) entirely by album cover, and i take them home and give them a listen. You find some really interesting stuff in second hand stores in the UK, not nearly as interesting as some of the stuff in the US though

Alice

it's so weird bc when i backtrack how i found most music i listen to now, it's mainly just hearing one song from the artist and playing the shit out of it until i tire of repeating that one track, and then i listen to the rest of the album/EP that that song is from (or i just put the artist on shuffle). when i was a kid tho my parents had a few CDs that they gave to me to play in my dinky magenta CD player, so when i was young it wasn't super my choice which albums to listen to, but to my parents' credit, i enjoyed all of them (the mamma mia soundtrack, James Taylor, the blessed unrest by Sara Bareilles, probably some kidz bop in there too lol)

jess

I mostly buy music cause I like the physicality of cds and records and as i bonus i can support artists. I feel that when I stream music it's further away in a sense, I'm borrowing it from a multi billion corporation and I don't like that too much.

Grey

1. It's still a treat for me to go to the record store for CDs. I like the process of sifting through all the racks in order. They mostly get listened to in my car CD player and on road trips, which is kind of nice - I end up focusing on them more. I am also very fond of album art/lyric booklets. They're like a secret extra part of the experience that you can pull out and flip through 2. I mostly buy music to support the artist, but I think there's inherent value in having your own copy, too. No one can take it from you! Also, physical media has personality. CDs are friends. It's not something I can afford to do for every album, but it's nice to collect my favorites 3. I've bought cheap used CDs specifically based on album art (or band/album name) alone, like from a $1 bin, for the fun of putting them in my car CD player and seeing what they're like 4. For albums I'm going to purchase, I'm either collecting old favorites or trying things from the bargain bin based completely on vibes. For streaming, I'm more intentional about trying new albums based on recommendations from other people/things I've read

Hannah

my personal hobby is buying vinyls, and then using the digital downloads that usually come with by uploading them onto my ipod. I have a small ipod nano from when I went to summer camp that I now use for plane rides, since im a bit paranoid about draining my phone's battery. I also love going to local shows. Live music just has more personality i think

Sophie Bonn

1. i would have my dads old records but he gave them to my sister who lives elsewhere before i really got into buying physical stuff. my parents still have all their cds except a ben folds five cd that was lost somewhere along the way. i buy them myself either on ebay or at record stores usually. i dont get to go to the record store very often but i get stuff on ebay relatively commonly 2. apart from supporting the artist i also buy physical stuff because that sort of cements it in my brain as a favorite that im paying respects to by owning it 3. i have once or twice. my favorite thing ive found that way was an album by a nigerian brass band called obadikah. very cool 4. if it has a certain vibe that makes my brain tingle

nora

1. i’ve got a massive cd/record collection i “inherited” from my family over the years. when they got spotify and stopped listening to music “the old fashioned way”, they were happy to hand me their old CDs and vinyls. 2. buying physical copies of albums is expensive, so i have to limit myself to my “favorite” albums, but i love the extra features that come with a physical release such as art, lyrics, bonus tracks, and posters. 3. no, because again, albums are expensive, but i do stream music based on the album art sometimes. 4. multiple factors, artists i like, artists my favorite artists like, peer recommendations, or simply exploring new genres.

gumby

1: i buy all my favs on vinyl,i feel like it brings me closer to the music. listening to joji's glimpse of us on vinyl at midnight just has a unique feel i couldnt get on streaming 2:I buy music mainly to support the artists, but i love the physical feeling of owning something 3: I don't but the cover art definitely persuedes me on which album (i got in rainbows over the bends recently cuz the record is prettier) 4: my emotions solely!

maeseatheadrest

1. I will occasionally purchase vinyls from either second-hand stores, local record shops or from the artists themselves. I collect vinyls because they are a physical embodiment of the artist and their music. Because of the physicalness of the record I feel like it is so much easier to connect with the artist and enjoy the art to the fullest and the way it was intended. I also enjoy choosing new music at random, that is why second-hand records are so much fun, you spend little to no money on physical music that you may or may not enjoy, it is just apart of the musical journey. I enjoy trying to connect to the artist as much as I can by collecting and purchasing vinyl(s). 2. I purchase music in order to create an exchange with the artist themselves. I give some of myself in order to receive some of the artist. There could be added value based on the selection chosen however, it is mainly to create that bond. 3. Occasionally, I will buy albums solely based on album art. I have a wall full of album cover art as a represention of my love for music. It's not always about cover art though. 4. I listen to albums based on my mood usually or what mood I would like to be in. I also enjoy listening to albums based on the weather it is that day or what season it is/approaching. I'm very excited for fall to arrive so at the moment I've been listening to some more "fall-ish" genres like: post-punk, midwest emo, and goth.

Blaine

1) i collect vinyls as an (expensive :'( ) hobby so i usually go to a local record store once or twice a month and get an album or 2 i like. i don't play them as often as i want to but its mostly bc i got an old record player off of facebook marketplace that has a few issues i haven't gotten around to fixing lol 2) now i buy physical copies of albums just to give extra support to artists i like, but starting out i just got albums with personal significance to me. i also just like getting them to put in my room so people can know how cool i am by looking at my records 3) for physical copies i just get albums i know so not really, but sometimes if i'm in a record store and i see an album with cool art i'll give it a listen later on by streaming it. i definitely judge albums by their cover art when streaming too though 4) just however i'm feeling, or i'll listen to the ones i've bought most recently to kind of 'catch up' on my music collection, it really just depends

liam s

Growing up my mom introduced me to a lot of music. As I got older I couldn’t quite remember what different songs or artists were called so when I go out to buy physical music I usually look for familiarity for songs and artist I forgot throughout the years. Or even music I’ve been recommended. When all else is irrelevant to what I’m looking for I just look for the vibes of an album which can come from the cover art or artist or album name. I can’t really explain it outside of that.

Lex

I like to collect vinyl because I love having a huge, physical representation of the music I love. Also, owning rare albums like The Smile Sessions or the recalled version of TOD is a special feeling you can't get from listening to digital files. I usually listen to music on streaming first, and if I like it a lot, I'll buy it physically. It's mostly vinyl, however for select artists I also buy CDs - like Car Seat for example

Scrade Cottontail

I usually don’t buy based on cover but few things turn me off more than an uninteresting or bad cover tbh

BirthdayPrincess

i love owning physical media - mostly get my cds from charity shops or this one tiny shop in the market in my small town its so fun discovering artists ive heard my friends mention off hand this way

ro

I was not a big buyer of physical CDs or records until pretty recently! So …. There are only a small handful of artists I love enough to buy any kind of music/merch/tickets for and one of them is Taylor Swift. I remember in 2012 when Red came out and my best friend and I bought it after school on THE day! It was the first CD I ever bought for myself and the most beautiful thing I’d heard at that point in my life ❤️ at the time the lyrics books also had secret messages which I spent an evening with my best friend trying to piece together 🥺then I remember the same excitement and joy when buying 1989 a year later and getting the special edition with the Polaroid pictures and voice memos at the end, and forcing everyone to listen to it on the family radio/CD player with me lol. So flash forward to when the Red re-release came out and I of course had to relive the joy and experience of buying Red again! And since then I’ve started collecting anything and everything TS releases! I hadn’t bought any previous album of hers bc I’m like “this lady is rich enough she does not need my money…” but the pure nostalgia of owning TS CD’s , and also how pretty all of them are …. I could not resist! I’ve since collected the Midnights and Speak Now vinyls and CDs. And might go back and acquire other albums I didn’t get the first time. Coincidentally, I remember being up a few days ago when she announced the 1989 re release and at 2am trying to decide which of the 4 color versions I wanted (went with the pink one! But the other ones were so tempting …) She did the same with Midnights where there was the original and then “special edition” color versions to collect. I am not a collect them all person bc they’re all the more or less the same … but I will try to pick one special edition 💕but I have already preordered the Vinyl and one of the special edition CDs for 1989. (Although those target exclusive editions have also gotten me to get more than one version of Midnights…) I guess for me I will only purchase physical music for artists I really really love and at the moment that’s Taylor Swift and Car Seat Headrest 😆(I bought MADLO on CD a couple years ago bc I really liked it and I think I found out that there were different song versions … so I got the CD for that reason lol, then my sister gifted it to me on vinyl for my birthday and it was the first vinyl I ever owned!) and I bought the new The National album on vinyl for being Taylor Swift adjacent ahhhh (though I do like them a lot now too!) With Taylor Swift the aesthetics (if it’s pink or lavender or sparkly I am much more likely to buy it haha and actually why I did not like Reputation when it came out! I love the songs on it but I hated the darker album look…) and nostalgia 100% plays into it! The other CDs and vinyls I own are CSH lol , and at this point I need to buy a record player …. and maybe expand the kind of music I own in physical forms. Bc there are other artists I would like to collect music from ~ Also CSH has been promoted from #2 favorite artist to #1 favorite artist bc I could not get Eras tour tickets 😂 (I’m kidding kidding!) I got my artists I am loyal to and am starting to realise that I am the kind of person they make multiple editions for … so if y’all have an album in multiple versions … I will probably collect a couple of them! 🙌🏼

Carmen✨

1. What are your music-buying or music-listening rituals that happen outside of the streaming world? When a new album comes out that I'm highly anticipating I give it different styles of listening from the vinyl. First listen is just a casual one to get it into my head. Next, I do a more serious listen through my krk's. After that, I smoke some weed, get into a creative world, and throw on my beyerdynamic dt 990's. Lastly, I repeat that last one, but I read along with the lyrics and focus more on what I'm reading. 2. Why do you buy music? Is it just to support the artist, or is there added value outside of that? I do it to support the artist, but I moreso do it for the quality and to collect. I understand FLAC's are, in theory, still higher quality, but I like the sound stage you get from vinyls. Something else I like about them is the need to flip. It allows you to process what youve just listened to while you go to flip or change the record. 3. Do you buy albums based on album art alone? I never have, though I have bought multiple copies of vinyls before: one to actually play, and the other to display. 4. How do you decide which albums to listen to? This really comes down to my mood. I like to emotionally connect with music so I have select albums for different moods I'm in. An example is "How to Leave Town" is my go to for when I'm pretty depressed and just need something more drowny. Biggest reason I wish there was a vinyl for it lol.

Sean Singiser

It is sad now that physical music isn’t really a big thing anymore. I grew up with my dad who always had hundreds of CDs and records, and I think because of that and as adult now I like to have my own little personal collection of music stuff. I don’t go out as much I should to music shops anymore, but I would still pickup a vinyl or cd that has a really cool cover or if it’s a band I like. But it’s more of a collection thing now because streaming is just so much easier to listen to music that way

Enoch

1. I will buy CDs from artists or albums I really like. And I will buy tapes from artists I see live (because most local artists near me sell tapes). 2. I buy the CDs because its a really fun way to catalog my collection of music (I love collecting in general). I buy tapes to support the artist and remember who I have seen live! 3. It depends, at thrift stores and $1 CDs from record stores I will just go by the album art if I don't recognize the artist. 4. Sometimes I will see a band live without knowing them at all and I will listen to their albums afterwards. A lot of times people will play music for me and show me what they are listening to (participating in college radio helps with this). And both spotify and last.fm do a pretty decent job of recommending similar artists and songs to what I typically listen to. EDIT: I also listen to your monthly playlists when I have the time! Always stuff on there that I have never heard!

Cameron Parker

1. I typically only purchase albums I already enjoy a lot, but whenever I go to a record store I usually dig around their shitbox of super cheap and usually damaged records and grab a couple that look interesting. 2. I buy physical copies of music pretty much entirely based on the visual aspect of it. Ik that makes like no sense but i do like having my favorite LPs on my wall. Supporting the artist isn't the main reason I buy music, but its definitely an added bonus. 3. No but if im torn between two ill choose the one that would look better on my wall. 4. Spotify algorithm and friends recs. I'm also way more inclined to listen to a band if they are involved in the music scene in my city/college

Drew Benke

hi will!! ^_^ hope your day is going wonderfully ❤️ i like to collect cds of my favorite albums, but i’ve been recently thinking about heading to goodwill and buying cds i don’t recognize to try something new. i usually decide what albums to listen to usually from interesting titles, long tracks, genres i haven’t explored yet, and definitely album covers. i find album covers to be so interesting, as you have to pick one image to describe a piece of art you’ve been working on for ages and putting your whole heart into. it’s a very interesting topic! love you!!

diya !

I don't really stream music and mainly listen to physicals My music buying habits very wildly. If I'm really into an artist, then I'll try and collect all their releases and rare things. For example, I paid $150 for a Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) cassette this morning haha. Hoping I can find the Mirror to Mirror cassette soon :) As for my less "collector" habits, I buy CDs of albums I already like and occasionally blind buy if something has interesting art and track names. My faviorite physical format is cassette, but a lot of modern cassettes aren't too high quality or have lazy designs so I typically go for CDs and occasionally vinyl. I also really like mini discs (speaking of which, it would be cool if you released some of ur music on that format)

CatOnVenus

- Outside of streaming music(which is where I largely consume and introduce myself to new music), the only times where I listen to music is when I sometimes use my record player to listen to the few records that I have. I rarely do this, as it became sort of a ritual reserved only for the instances where I am about to be in a stressful situation or high-pressure environment. For music-buying in person, I just finger through the various records in the chain bookstores that I go to(Books-a-Million, Barnes & Noble, etc.) as I'm in the equivalent of a food desert for locally-owned record stores. For online-buying, the vinyls and CDs that I buy are ones that I've repeatedly listened to on streaming platforms. - It isn't really just to support the artist, but it's a big reason why I buy music. Outside of that, I feel like owning a physical copy of music solidifies my love for it. It's a physical manifestation of my appreciation for the art, something that I can look at and go "yea, I loved this album enough to buy a physical copy that I can look at and play whenever!" - I've almost caved to buying albums because of their art alone, but I'm always scared off by the possibility of wasting money on an album that I will hate. I'm also chronically low on money that I can comfortably spend on vinyls, so that's another factor as well. - I'm the type of person to stick with one song of an album, but for the times where I've listened to and enjoyed entire albums there are a few things I like. I listen to albums based on how solid it is as a whole(if there are one or two songs I don't particularly enjoy I'll just tune them out) and if they have a comprehensive narrative. If there aren't any underlying or overt themes or connections, I'll listen to the songs separately.

Katzenbi

Usually, I listen to new music through Spotify as it's undeniably a good deal for a broke student. But, when I do browse physical music in person, I tend to frequent charity/vintage shops in my area, as they more often than not have a CD/vinyl section near the books. The stuff I've found there in the past is amazing, some in better shape than others, but mostly everything is completely unique and I'd never see them anywhere else. I once found a great condition vinyl with a vibrant cover of the Andes, with birds flying over. From what I could gather, it was traditional music using instruments from that area, but I unfortunately didn't have a bag with me to carry it home. Great tool for discovering new music though!

kysa99

i (23 for context) remember buying songs and albums on itunes before i had a job and bank account, and the pricing definitely made me feel like i was supporting the artist. but nowadays streaming makes the most sense as a consumer on a budget (even though i know artists get majorly screwed). i grew up using CDs to play music in the car, but bluetooth compatibility killed that idea. i sometimes buy CDs at goodwill, mostly as a meme. the cost is so low that i don't mind spending $3 on jimmy buffet's greatest hits or dolphin noise remixes or things with interesting/angsty/graphic-design-is-my-passion type covers. [there's only been one that surprised me because i ended up really enjoying it-- smash mouth's astro lounge]. in the earlier days when i spent a lot of time on my family computer, i didn't mind using that for music listening (and burning CDs). but nowadays i'm more on my phone, and most laptops don't even have a port for CDs/DVDs anymore. for vinyl, i have a few movie soundtracks and record store day picks from artists i'm semi familiar with, but the vast majority are albums that i've listened to all or most of. there's something special in owning physical copies of music you like, especially specific albums that mean a lot to you. i didn't realize that most records now have posters and lyric books and a whole bunch of art -- which is great, because i liked seeing that with CDs, and now you get more content because the packaging is bigger. plus the multimedia format (and honestly the tangibility) make listening to/enjoying/appreciating music a lot more interesting and engaging. i'm always trying to find new music. i take some recommendations from friends but very few from reviews (either in magazines or on sites like reddit). streaming apps have a ton of features that help a LOT (i.e. recommendations based on what it sees you listening to, vibes-based playlists, letting artists have playlists on their page, friend blends, etc). these plus personalization and convenience (portability, offline play, both app and desktop formats, etc) are some reasons why i use spotify, but mainly i want to get the most out of what i'm able to pay for on a limited budget. i can go to shows only occasionally, and i can't afford to buy every song and album individually or on vinyl. i want to support artists as much as i can, but it's corporate greed and capitalism at the end of the day that screw over musicians (at any level of popularity) and put consumers in a position where there's only an illusion of choice.

ronan

I buy CDs not only to collect and have that physical relic but also for my CD player and Walkman!

beachdruggs

I buy albums to display the art and to play with the album itself lol. I love checking out the inserts and what’s inside of it. Also, Salzer’s is a magical place

reid

I love collecting cds not only to support the artist, but also because there's something special about being able to listen to a good album physically. plus, I love seeing physical copies of albums in my collection, and its special to be able to listen to a good album for the first album on cd.

Tal

I go to a record store like a once a month to shop for CDs of my favorites but also maybe music I had just been listening to and really liked. I also try to get a variety of music so I have a CD ready for any mood or season (finally picked up some more classical and jazz albums I really like). I try to not go over 30$ in one run and like to spend about 20$. I want to support the artists but I also buy a lot of used cds which i assume doesnt support the artist. Then it’s just having a physical manifestation of my hobby. Like a playlist is meaningless, everyone has those for anything, having a cd is real connection and love, and the appeal for an album increases a lot when i have a cd of it. I use rateyourmusic.com to find music that is interesting, challenging, different for the most part. I dont care much about the ranking but just using its different systems to find genres I havent heard of and more music from the genres I already love. The album art definitely gets me to listen to albums sometimes and if i love the album art i tend to like the album a lot more. I also find cds more accessible than streaming some times but that’s just me. I think it’s stupid for people not to understand why someone buys a cd like why would someone buy a movie poster when you can see it online, it’s just a creative product (I like looking through the little booklets and other stuff that comes apart of the CD; like just staring at the drawings in the TF CDs or reading through all your thank yous) that’s expressive of your interests and personal identity.

Brett Koehn

I’ve been working at a used CD/record store for the last few years, most of the CDs i’ve bought there have been albums i couldn’t find on streaming, like any of The Birthday Party or The Horrors - Strange House. We get gift cards for the store every now & then, which i’ll generally use to buy vinyl, the last LP i bought was a full record of just sound effects. Outside of work i’ll buy some stuff off bandcamp, mostly from friends. The last CD i bought just for the cover was all in polish but the cover was very cute, a band of dinosaurs in sunglasses called dinozaury.

gardenhead

definitely buy music for a couple of reasons; the primary driver is feeling anxious and worried that the music will possibly disappear from the face of the earth and i’ll have my own copy for when that happens 😂 the other reasons are,,, supporting the artist (obv), album art,, bargain bins,, and pure curiosity. i used to only buy vinyls, cds, and cassettes, but that can get expensive (when searching for certain albums) and most of the time i don’t see what i’m looking for (esp with smaller artists), so in that case i’ll buy it digitally, usually on bandcamp. i also keep my huge collection of cd’s in my car,,, bc it’s (as you know !) the best place to jam out

everette

I've been collecting records for about 2 years now, with a collection spanning 112 albums (including the entire Car Seat Discography, Quad Dub included). A lot of these are albums I've listened to through Streaming and liked enough to purchase in a physical form. A collect records for the novelty, but also the fact that they exist through a medium that isn't digital. Something analog that has existed for decades and only keeps getting better. The few records I have that I hadn't listened to before hand are usually from artists that I have listened to previously. These records include Patti Smith's Wave, Thunderbitch's self titled record, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's KG. Most artists I enjoy come through word of mouth, with friends recommending me them or the occasional album review.

Avery Johnson

1.) some of my music rituals outside of the streaming world is occasionally buying vinyls. I tend to go through phases where I get really into a particular artist or band, so that I can work on getting the entirety of their discography. For that to happen I have to feel somewhat emotionally tied to the art work, which makes my indulging in physical media sparse. But when I do, it’s a pay off like no other, it’s a beautiful thing to have a physical embodiment of an art piece that is prevalent in a certain period of your life. It’s tailored to me and will forever be as I intend to keep them and possibly pass them down when the times right. 2.) with that being said, I also like to buy music to support the artist as well, it’s a way of communicating a thank you. 3.) I am very much a visual/design and word person. If a cover or song/album title catches my eye I will go out of my way to hear a couple of tracks and if I like the sound of it I will then do a deep dive. It’s rare I hear something recommended to me, although I do pay attention to the interviews some of my favorite artists do and they usually mention their influences and if I don’t already know their work I tend to make a rabbit hole of doing so. It’s a big domino effect for me. Not to mention that buying physical media contributes to one of the most important aspects of what art is; keeping ideas alive as time passes.

con

-i have a cd player so sometimes when i go thrifting with friends i will pick up a CD or 2 with cool art that catches my eye or if its from an artist I have heard of. I'm 21 though and i feel like most people from my generation don't mainly listen to music on physical media since we grew up with the radio and then streaming when we got old enough to develop our own taste -I buy music digitally, like on bandcamp sometimes. Its usually because the artist doesn't have their music on spotify. If it's a relatively smaller artist though, and I like their stuff, I might pay a bit more to support them and then stream their music so they still get royalties outside of it. I don't really buy physical music outside of CDs at goodwill. -No, I don't tend to buy music based on art alone, though the art could sometimes intrigue me enough to give the album a listen if I see it online. -I see what my friends are listening to and sometimes I will check stuff out that they have on repeat. I like to watch TND sometimes haha. And i'm pretty into discovering new music so I get good recommendations from music tiktok sometimes.

Ingenious Celsius

i like buying CDs to support the artist but also because i feel like having the physical media makes the music more... Real?? Like, more tangible or solid. I'd buy vynils if i couls, but its a bit of an expensive hobby here in brazil. Before every car had bluetooth, we used to have a lot of CDs to listen to music in the car, and when me and my brotheres were teenagers we learned how to burn CDs for the same reason. Sometimes, when i really want a physical copy of something but cant find it here anywhere (or maybe it doesnt exist), i like to burn a cd and draw a cover and everything. i mostly actually listen to the music on streaming though. And I dont normally buy cds for album art, but i did that with twin fantasy. i wouldnt normally buy it even if i love the album bc i couldnt find it here and it was pretty expensive to get it delivered from the us, but i really really loved how the sleeve looked.

Macaxeiras

Oh God it’s been way over a decade, almost two actually. I forget how old I am and tend to think I’m still 19 or something.

Raíssa Leão

Sadly the physical music purchases have fizzled out to new releases only to support my favorite bands. Also like any included physical goodies. Last two were MADLO and Modest Mouse’s The Golden Casket. Very occasionally I’ll hit the local used record store to see what they have. It’s mostly a nostalgic exercise. My actual listening has morphed nearly 100% to streaming. Mostly Spotify. I don’t miss switching out CD’s or Cassettes as much as I used to. Find them to be a pain actually. I make a real effort to support bands such as CSH buy supporting the merch store. Stickers, shirts etc… getting those stickers from your store in a hand addressed envelope is a thrill for me.

Jim Kennedy

I have been collecting CDs for a long time now, over 10 years, and they hold a very special place in my heart. Owning physical media is almost sacred to me: it’s so much more intimate to have a physical piece of art, something to touch and see and listen to. In my case, unfortunately, they are, however, mere collectibles, so I choose rather carefully the ones I do buy (favorite bands or albums that have meaning or that are historically and culturally acclaimed or soundtracks of movies I adore etc). I do own three vinyl records lol they are waaaaay too expensive here in Brazil and as of now I am yet to buy a record player (also extremely overpriced over here). I’m definitely saving to buy one though, and I know I’ll start collecting vinyls afterwards! Streaming is something I dreamed of as a kid, the easy access and the search tools; but I do miss accidentally downloading the wrong songs or albums (I remember when I was 11, looking for Beyoncé’s Sweet Dreams on Ares, and accidentally downloaded THE Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)! Also, my laptop’s Windows Media Player came with Weezer’s (If you’re Wondering If…) lmao). I miss the adventure of finding and downloading songs! Furthermore, since I live in a rather small town, there used to be way more CD stores to buy from, not so much now… I miss being able to buy a new CD every week! God, I could go on about this. Physical media is so significant to me for some reason. I miss that sort of sacred bond and intimacy.

Raíssa Leão

1.I love to browse the CD section every time I go thrift shopping, to a pawn shop, etc. I usually end up coming home with one or two every weekend. Sometimes it’s an artist I want to get into, other times it’s an album I already love. Vinyl buying, well, I usually buy them new unless I find one I really want that’s used. Listening wise, I don’t have a proper CD player (haha), so I use either my dvd player or old Xbox 360 to spin my CDs. I’ve got a cheap record player, it does the job to an extent, but I get too afraid to spin some of my more meaningful records on it since the needle is cheap. 2.I thrift albums I have never listened to, just to force myself to get out of my comfort zone. But, I think the real reason I buy physical music to to display the album art, or even the posters or pictures that come inside some vinyls. 3.Sometimes! When I’m thrifting, definitely. I like to display CD cases and vinyl cases up in my room and in the media room. The other day I went through all my dad’s CDs to look at all the album art. If the album has good art, I’m more inclined to listen to it all the way through if I haven’t before. 4.My media room is filled with my dad’s CD and vinyl collections. I usually opt for my old Beatles CDs, or some bootleg mixes I made back in 2012 with my mom. If I’m feeling ready, I’ll listen to some CDs I’ve never listened to before. After realizing I have a ton of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd in my dad’s collection, I’ll probably start listening through all those vinyls and CDs next.

Emy Head

i typically buy CDs of artists i know i already like at concerts n such. i’m thinking about getting a CD or two of car seat with birthday money

finniwoof

I basically exclusively buy records on account of not having a CD player. I do buy cassettes as well, but those are few & far between. I buy music because I just want to say “hey I own this!” In a world of subscriptions it feels like some fun little protest to physically own music. I also love the way a record & the sleeve turn into their own art pieces. I bought a Queens of the Stone Age record that came with 14 prints. It’s a double LP and the sleeve is completely covered in art. I just love art :)

Ana Ng

Whenever I go into a record store I usually go straight to my favourite artists. I buy whatever they have on the shelf from them that I don't have even if I dont like the album much. Usually because I want to see the liner notes or so I can play it in the car and see the song title and artist on the head unit which spotify and other streaming services dont show for whatever reason. When it comes to picking what albums I listen to, i listen to whatever album pops up in front of me. Whether that be a youtube recommendation, a year end list, a random persons tshirt, or artists that my favourite artists like. Albums with unique eye catching covers or something unusual about the album like a super long 6 hour track list, or a unique genre draws me in too.

roi

I only listened to music on CD up until i was about 11. I had this pink CD player in my room where I would play mostly country tapes given to me by family, mainly early Taylor Swift. When I eventually went digital I would purchase albums I listened to on YouTube on Apple Music, which was crazy expensive considering my widening taste. Although having to pay 12 dollars for a digital album was absurd, I think those albums shaped most of my music taste. Today I still don’t see the point of purchasing anything physical, as bandcamp and spotify are much cheaper and convenient options for me.

Isaiah

I always make it a point to buy CDs i find interesting or of bands i hadn’t yet streamed but have been curious about because I find physical media more convenient to stream when I’m at school. My first experience with CSH was the teens of denial cd i bought at Amoeba on Hollywood Blvd. Also my father gave me all his old cds from which i discovered decades of music i probably would’ve never acknowledged otherwise

roxylynn

the whole process of buying vinyl just generally brings me a lot of joy, and it feels good to know that i'm supporting artists more directly than streams. i remember when i bought new moon by elliott smith a few years ago and i wasn't expecting much other than the black vinyl, but it came with pictures of him that i had never seen before and also had an insert with stories about him from people who loved him. lyric explanations too!! similar to the hand-drawn lyric booklet that phoebe bridgers includes in the punisher vinyl as well. i think fun surprises like that just make the whole music-buying process so much fun as a consumer. unwrapping a vinyl can feel like christmas again :))

Lia Arakal

I don't usually buy music if I don't already love it because I already have a bad habit of buying a million books because the cover is nice or they seem interesting and then either never reading them or not liking them much. I only recently started buying music that I love, but it's actually taken me a long time to find multiple artists/albums that I really like. I've only bought CDs so far since they're more nostalgic, less stressful to use and easier to store. I did by the Sing 2 soundtrack and Twin Fantasy Mirror to Mirror on vinyl lol but a friend has those. I'm always tempted to buy more but manage to convince myself not to spend the money. I think I should start more of a collection though, it's just nice to have a physical representation of such an important part of my life. I tend to just wander around the music stores whenever I'm in town since it's one of the first things I really did when I moved to the city and it feels nice to just be around music I guess.

Cailyn Calder

Recently I've been buying a lot of CDs, they seem to be more easier to ship and cheaper to buy than vinyl, but I do still grab some vinyl from time to time. I like listening to music by myself so I tend to gravitate towards my portable CD player rather than playing a vinyl record out loud. Sometimes I buy physical music it's to support an artist, or the local record stores/second hand stores. But I also like having something physical to show off the bands I like, plus I get to listen to them. I haven't bought any albums only because of the art, I tend to buy CDs based on names that sound familiar, regardless on how familiar I actually am with their music. I find music to listen to based on if a band I like talks about them or has collaborated with them in some way or if my friends or people I like have talked highly about a band or album. Spotify recommendations are also a good jumping off point for getting into new music.

babugz

if I listen to an artist enough I'll buy one or two of my favorite albums from them. sometimes I go to the local record store and if anything pops out at me I'll get it; even if I'd never heard it before. Sometimes you get a pleasant surprise!

thepogobro

I buy CDs because my aux port is broken in my car and I'm too cheap to fix it. Also buying thrift shop CDs is just an exciting and nostalgic experience.

Jonathan Heredia

When my mom and I got home from the csh concert she popped in the MADLO influences CD she bought for me. I was too tired to react at the time but I remember hearing her reactions to all the songs on the album, songs from her childhood and how surprised she was to hear them from you guys. I always make sure to play influences in the car for her, I just like to see music connect us to eachother

poppy

1. I don’t “collect” CDs, I simply just prefer them over anything else and buy them the most. It’s the easiest way to listen to music I like with my mom. I don’t have an aux cord but the car has a cd player. 2. I buy music to A. Support the artist and B. So I can access their music in my car. It’s the only way I can listen to it. Besides that, having an actual copy of the music on hand is nice. There’s things like bonus tracks, lyrics, art, and other fun stuff you don’t get from streaming. 3. No. I would if I could, but I don’t have the money to spend on CDs I may not like. 4. Usually it pops into my head, or I look at the cd and think “yeah, that’s my soundtrack for today”. It also depends on the scenario or if I’m with other people. For example, my moms a huge fan of MADLO, I decide to listen to MADLO if I spend time with her today because it reminds me of her.

poppy

i buy vinyls and cds because i like having physical copies of the music i like. and it’s nice to get some extra things with the albums, like lyric sheets and stuff. i also feel like listening to physical media is a more special experience than just listening to music on a streaming service.

minttu

I buy everything that I can on Bandcamp. It's always lossless, they keep your purchases forever, and if you do it on Bandcamp Friday, 100% goes to the artist (or so I'm told). I use both Apple Music and Spotify but for different reasons. Spotify is exclusively for finding new music. Discover Weekly is very good IMO. It has a consistently high signal-to-noise ratio. The music that I think is good enough to potentially lead to something, I save to a playlist titled "Keepers." If nothing else, I have a great playlist. Some songs on there lead me to listen to more from a particular artist. If I like them enough, I start buying albums, and I can't think of anything that I care less about than the album art. I use Apple Music strictly for archiving. Apple does a decent job these days of suggesting new music, but their algorithm doesn't work as well for me as Spotify, nor does it seem to suggest "smaller" bands with few listeners like Spotify will. Archiving music is great, and Spotify just can't do it as well or as cleanly as Apple. Having a music library allows you to rediscover albums you may not have even thought of in a decade, or it allows an album to be a slow burn, where you think it's good or OK but then really come to love it.

Adam Williams

1. I collect vinyl outside of the streaming world, i wish to start collecting CDs aswell because i actually grew up with that so it's nostalgic and its very portable etc 2. supporting artists is a big reason to it, but i think there's something about watching ur collection of albums you love enough to pay about $25 for grow and remembering a time when those albums where most important to you, they sort of mark eras in your life and as time goes on i think i would be more fond of my own collection, also because i think colored vinyl is really pretty too 3. not based on the art ALONE. i think it plays a great part in conveying the mood of the album and what to expect but an album may have amazing cover art and yet the music doesn't really connect to me, while on the other hand an album may have a seemingly "boring" cover and have the best music i've heard. i like to look at the track list, album name, and a description if its written on the sleeve. 4. i think first, i check the artist, usually if i play it safe i go with an artist that is usually associated with another i like. then i guess the rest of it is what personally feels right to me. i just listen to my gut on what i think i'd like. im very open with music so i like a lot of things so its rare that i hate an album i like these saturday morning Qs and hope to see more of them !!!

parker

i mainly prefer buying CDs from an artist i heavily enjoy their work from and if there’s an album i really enjoy but never had a physical release or it only came out on vinyl i try to make a bootleg of it and it’s really fun doing so but buying a CD is always my main go to that’s not just streaming i do really enjoy CDs i just wish i had the opportunity to go to record stores and buy some lol

Bobby

i started listening music with more awareness from spotify when i was like 10 but now before i listen to any album i am excited about, i get it on vinyl and listen to it that way. i like albums as albums as well as specific songs. i think there is something very special about telling an entire story like that. i also sometimes buy vinyls of artists i have listened to once or twice to explore their discography better. i do that way less on spotify.

Naz Kaynakcioglu

I buy music because I enjoy having physical reminders of the music I love. I don't shop for records that much anymore, but when I did I would go on very long walks with my friend (who had introduced me to CSH) and eventually end up at a record store.

addison

1. apart from spotify, i use records and cassettes to listen to music. mainly records due to the lack of artists that create cassettes. but i prefer cassettes and wish they were more common. 2. i buy music for many reasons. to support the artist, to have physical copies of music, for the extras that come with most records (posters, lyrics), etc. 3. i dont buy albums based on album art alone. im honestly a very picky music listener and like very few artists. im only interested in purchasing what i actually enjoy and ill occasionally purchase a record or cassette even if i only like one song if i find it really good. but i typically ignore album art and stick to what i know and love. id buy a plain album for an artist i enjoy over a super cool looking album from an artist i dont know. 4. i spend a lottt of time on spotify shuffling music ive never heard and if i like a song that comes up, ill likely check out the whole album. or if i already know the artist and they release a new one, ill check that out. like i mentioned in my last answer, i dont pay much attention to album art so the only way id check one out is if i accidentally came across a song i thought was interesting, so in person if i come across an album ive never heard of, i probably wont think twice about it.

J

- i collect kpop albums, and i recently started to venture into vinyl for all my other music interests. my sister thrifted a hello kitty cd player so i play my kpop albums off of there from time to time, especially if i'm able to be alone. - i buy music not only to support the artist, but especially when pertaining to kpop, their albums have a lot of extra parts to them, like photobooks, photocards, stickers, etc. being able to physically look through photo shoots that accompany the music and its concept is something i heavily treasure. one of my favorite photobooks is for the middle note version of red velvet irene & seulgi's "monster" mini album -- its use of color is so creative to me. - i can't lie and be like "oh album art doesn't matter to me" because it does play a significant role in me wanting to buy the physical album... and kpop album covers can either be the most stunning covers you've ever seen in your life.. or the most horrendous. my favorite album cover right now is red velvet's reve festival day 2... it's so beautiful and detailed, plays into the concepts of red velvet as a group, and connects to their reve fest day 1 album cover as well!! - a lot of the time, i need to return to albums that i've only listened to a few of their songs, so i can get the full picture of the album's concept. that is a heavy factor, but i also.. admittedly, seek out recommendations through tiktok as well. it's such an accessible way to find new music.

hallie hushion

When I buy physical copies of music, usually on vinyl because that's the hip thing we do nowadays I guess, I do go to those record stores that usually are second hand, sometimes I get new ones. I think there is first of all always a value to things that we can touch and see, instead of this digital immaterial thing that we just hear. I think that has to do with the fact that no matter how much we digitalise everything in this world, we will always have the need to own material things, it feels more satisfying, more of a ritual, more of an appreciation. When I get something on vinyl that means I really respect that particular album and artist because it just simply feels more special. I think it's an expression of admiration for music, something you want to treasure, instead of just putting on your headphones when you're walking around a grocery shop.

Nina

I buy vinyl because I realized a while ago that we’re only leasing our music (and other media) with streaming. We’re at the mercy of licensing and how long indie bands feel like paying for their distrokid membership. So when I see a small band I like and they’re selling vinyl, I’ll get one because I know I’ll have that forever, no matter what happens to the band or their Spotify profile. I also like the realness of physical music and the process that’s mandatory for putting on a record or CD or tape. So much of our lives happen on a screen with minimal bodily interaction outside of a few finger taps, it feels more human to listen to something that’s entirely in the physical world. I have so much love for what streaming has done to democratize the music industry and make music more discoverable, but I love being able to have a real piece of art that I love

Julia Blatz

i’m not big on vinyls but i love cds. usually i’ll only buy cd if i find them “out in the wild”. there this used book and cd store that i love to visit. i think there is something cool about being able to physically hold music that i love listening to which i would assume is a byproduct of the streaming era. in my case, cds is more of a collection thing but i do play them often.

staticman

I tend to only buy CDs these days of my absolute favourite albums, but when I was younger I used to buy them because I was incredibly against spending money on streaming. I wanted a physical copy of the music that I could also upload to somewhere like itunes so that I could have a physical collection to display in my room. Living in a smaller apartment now I find myself buying less CDs but still being drawn to buy them nonetheless. Occasionally I’ll buy strange or interesting looking second hand CDs from thrift stores, especially when I can’t find any record of them online. Usually they end up being from small local projects that never made it out of the city and broke up decades ago, but it’s interesting finding the remnants of them on the shelves. I mostly choose what to listen to based on recommendations from my friends, old albums belonging to my parents, or artists that inspired some of my current favourite artists. Sometimes I’ll go through a chain of recommended artists on spotify until I find myself with someone I’ve never heard of, and I’ll find a single song that ends up living in my playlists for years to come.

Ezra

Hmmm whenever I go to a CD/Vinyl shop I look for my favorite artists first, and I try to pick an album I haven’t collected yet. I remember when I was a huge Tool-head and just had to purchase Undertow. I was 13 and stupid, I ended up losing the album case somewhere in my messy room😢

Finnish

maybe this is pretentious of me, but i'm really big into vinyl. i got my first record player when i was 13 and since then i've gotten a good collection going (i have an embarrassing amount of josh groban on vinyl). i like buying music because i like having things. i like knowing that i have directly impacted another person's life by my purchases—no matter how small they may be. i love album art, but i feel like i have to get a good listen in before making any commitments. i can be picky. usually, if i find an artist that i like i'll listen to their entire discography chronologically from first release to most recent and then i'll find artists that are similar to them and pick and choose from there.

Rosa Gutierrez

1. vinyls mostly but i do buy cds and cassettes occasionally. 2. i buy music because i enjoy having physical copies of it. it feels more special and with streaming i often put it on in the background and zone out while doing other things. with vinyl you flip or switch records which makes me feel more connected to it. 3. both, i love having physical copies but sometimes records i like arent sold by the original band and i get them second hand or online. all of my csh records were bought second hand themselves. 4. i usually just buy albums i already like.

cai

Whenever I’m about I always check the second hand stores for cds buying just about anything which peaks my interest even slightly for a couple buckswhich over the years has turned about many surprises to find, I also find myself searching any music stores for copies of albums by artists I like, for a few reasons. I want to distance myself from streaming platforms, and want to better support artists outside of them. I also find there to be a better connection to the artist, being able to read any notes in the booklet, the names of everyone involved or extra detaild on the packaging that you just don’t get on streaming.

Lori

I only buy albums from artists I already enjoy. Buying a physical copy of art I love makes it feel really cool, physically owning something I’ve only experienced online. When buying an album on band camp, I like supporting the artist well saying I own a copy of there work. And being able to download a high quality version is really cool.

It’s Rammy

this comes just as i came back from a trip to washington full of record and video stores buying cds records (and more recently, tapes) is so euphoric to me. i love being able to hold music in my hand. all the art that goes into the packaging, the names of everyone working on the album, and (if ur lucky) writing or messages that can only be found on the physical media i’ve rarely bought stuff by album cover alone, but i’ve tried to do so more often. i just found a local band from oregon called “dark soft” because i liked the shade of color that the tape cover was. it turned out to be a nice dream pop album that accompanied me as i drove home when it comes to records, i only buy new records that i KNOW i like, because i’ll know i’ll appreciate it and listen to it frequently. when their used ($5 or below) i’ll buy whatever looks interesting

Izzy

I go to hub city vinyl (local record store w lots of indie artists for some reason) and buy records from there. Haven't really taken a chance on buying albums I've never heard before just incase I end up not liking the album, but i do buy to support the artists and the store itself. Perks of the place: pretty sure its the largest one in western Maryland, found a '78 issue of The Beatles' Revolver there, they have a dog in the shop that often jumps up on me to get me to pet it. They have merch for the dog.

Lakin

in all honesty i don't own anything decent to actually play the physical music i have, and the stuff i DO have is in need of replacing. but i still buy music because it's just nice to be able to hold something i love in my hands. there's also something about having music on a shelf to display yourself and say "THIS IS WHAT I LIKE" to anyone who looks at the shelf

Knives

at used cd/record or thrift stores i’ll buy albums from artists i’ve listened to even if i haven’t heard that album, or i’ll go through the dollar bins and get something based on album art alone!

rebekah

I like to buy records, but usually only albums I already know that mean a lot to me. Supporting the artists is a big part of it, but there is a certain allure to physical media, especially the mystery of it: Will the tracklist be the same as on streaming? What did the artist write down for this lyric I can’t quite make out, and the answer on Genius doesn’t quite make sense? Is there really a locked groove at the end of Twin Fantasy? I’m often tempted to buy things based solely on the album art, but unless it’s very cheap I probably won’t.

qtf0x

I usually buy physical music second hand, so it’s not really supporting the artist but I buy it to show appreciation for that artist. I don’t really buy it based on art, usually I just buy it based off if I like the album or artist. If I’m in a store and see cool album art, usually I’ll just take a picture of it and listen to it on streaming to determine if I like it or not before buying to prevent spending money on something I don’t know if I will like. Usually i will always have a song stuck in my head, so that’s what I use to determine what album I want to listen to.

mello

I buy vinyls just because I like having a physical collection of the music I love, it makes it feel more real/tangible, I also like the cool art. I’ve never bought a physical album that I hadn’t already streamed at least a few songs from online.

chloe s

i buy music physically mainly to support the artist but i love having the actual album physically on vinyl or any other form of media

surfjerk

it’s rare that i get to go to record stores these days (they’re very few and far between here) but i’ll either have a list of albums i love already that i want to preserve forever on physical, or i’ll see something that i’ve either vaguely heard about or that someone else i know likes and i’ll buy it if it isn’t super expensive. i got really into the songs: ohia album “didn’t it rain” because i already knew magnolia & lioness but those two weren’t on the shelves. it’s now my favourite by him.

Jake

I buy albums on Bandcamp once I find I like an artist's work, since Spotify for the most part doesn't pay very well. This especially for smaller artists who put their work on streaming services.

eddie

Interesting topic! I often swap album recommendations with friends. Use streaming to see what I like. Then I’ll usually get the vinyl from the local record store if I’m a fan. Go to the tour if I can also

Charlie Stalker

Purple Rain always stood out to me personally.

Christian Maxson

I love buying CDs and listening to them while I work on stuff, I don’t like being tied down to headphones while I’m at my desk

Timbs

1. Vinyl, occasionally cassette or CD if they're the only other options. Minidisc, too, though unusual to appear! 2. Supporting the artist, but also for higher audio fidelity with vinyl and a nicer experience. Large artwork is another plus! It's nice to hold something you love tangibly. 3. Not likely, but sometimes they can be interesting enough to get me looking. 4. Recommendations from friends 99% of the time.

Cate Golding

If I really like an artist I’m open to buying any of their albums and listening to it in one sitting

Edenzworld

i think i buy music to support the artist but also just to have a whole new way of experiencing music. it's like an extension of the sounds i love into a new sensory experience, holding it psychically in my hands (:

neil

My friends love talking about music and discussing shows they go to with me which is where I found a lot, but I listened to Twin Fantasy for the first time purely bc of the album artwork lol

Noah Hoyt

i shop at my local record shop “Spin Records” they have CDs and cassettes, and of course records, i usually go in with a specific thing in mind but alwyas end up finding more, it’s usually based on what i’ve heard of that work or of the band ect.

Taiga

every time i go into the city centre i go to the two music shops and peruse. i buy them for all the extra things in the album! lyric books, photos, etc. i generally only buy cds of albums i’ve already listened to and know i like in order to support the artist. i think the people working there are sick of me asking when twin fantasy will be back in stock😅

jay

i just buy used cds of artists i like even if i've never heard the album before🙀

rey


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