Yes, I still download as well as stream and, in extremis, buy and rip CDs. Some of the music I enjoy is not available to stream: the whole Hyperion catalogue, for example, and a good deal of folk music is not on Qobuz, so I frequently buy downloads from Bandcamp.
And, if I find I keep listening to a piece on Qobuz a lot, I’ll buy a download.
Roger
I agree with this - i set my self a rule if i stream an album more than 3 times, i will buy it - vinyl if i really love it , CD otherwise.
I do have some HRES downloads too - but only really listen to them on my music player when travelling.
Streaming is such a wonderful tool to me for music exploration and listening.
On the other hand, I just took out of the graveyard my old NAS with my ± 400 ripped CDs and a few HR download on it. Somehow, what a great comfort to scroll only the music that I like and bought instead of trying to swim in the endless music sea from Tidal or other similar.
With time I will for sure continue to buy the HR downloads of my classics go to.
In parallel I’m very slowly shopping LP for my new P3. I just love this old school technology.
Long story short, I guess I use and buy a little of everything to fit my need of the moment. And I love this flexibility!
Nope - streaming only here. I like the music not the medium.
I usually buy CDs but download (usually Bandcamp or artist website) if I can’t buy the CD at a reasonable price. All CDs and downloads are then stored on my Core. I also download from Tidal for listening in the car or garden, in preference to using mobile data.
I casually stream (internet radio), but I prefer to have physical media in case there is no internet, subscriptions get too costly, or any number of factors that could prevent me from having the music I like available. Plus, some internet radio stations I really liked disappeared.
That way, as long as I have electricity, I have music. And I work so many hours these days I don’t get to enjoy much of anything, so a streaming service would be a poor ROI.
My preference is for physical CDs, but I download albums that are hard to find on CD as well.
Don’t really stream - although I have given Spotify a shot via redemption gift cards. Found it ok for trying out new music but much prefer having the physical (and ripping it to my NAS).
As a preference I buy vinyl or CD (which I rip to NAS). I am lucky to have an excellent local record store and like to support them as well as giving the artist a better deal. Also buy physical media direct from favourite artists. I do occasionaly buy a download from bandcamp or hiresaudio. No streaming for me, except the odd listen to Radio Paradise.
I download because I don’t only play music on the main systems. It gets copied to the car and some mobile devices.
I stream music via Qobuz. My fallback option is aproximately 7k cds and sacds, many of which I have ripped to my Unitiserve. I haven’t bought any vinyl apart from the those included in boxes sets for many years.
Yes I do download new music after checking it out on Tidal (which I much prefer to Qobuz). If I can I buy from the artists web site. Classical from Presto. I have nearly ripped all my CDs over the last 10 years and still buy them. As my avatar would suggest I have a few CDs. A big fan of box sets, which force me to relisten to classical works I wouldn’t normally bother with. Scheherazade and the like. And I still buy LPs from artists I love. Last purchase the new Rodney Crowell from his own site.
Me too. I enjoy the music on my CDs.
I do
I have a Tidal account (No Qobuz in Canada) that I use a lot for listening to stuff that is new (or at least new to me). If I really like an album I may look at a vinyl purchase (although these days prices are getting a little out of hand) or there is a good chance I will buy the download from Bandcamp. I no longer have a CD player, and to be honest I don’t miss it.
It may seem a bit dumb to pay to download something from Bandcamp that is available on Tidal but somehow I can’t live with myself only paying $10 a month for access to a world of digital music, when I have spent a decent amount of money on the actual hifi equipment. How can that be sustainable for the artists?
Most of the artists I listen to are probably barely making a living as it is, so the least I can do is give them some direct support through Bandcamp.
GraemeBC:
Just to let you know Qobuz is available in Canada now. I continue to use Tidal.
That must be recent, the last time I looked it wasn’t available.
Do you know if it is possible to transfer playlists from Tidal to Qobuz?
Yes, the notice I read from Quobus regarding Canada was dated April 19, 2023. I don 't have Quobus so I can’t answer your playlist transfer question from personal experience, but have read that there are apps top do so.
I am addicted to buy CDs and LP. That’s it, I said it 
. I use Tidal and, now that it’s available in my country, start moving to Qobuz, for new music, but If I like something, I buy it in CD and/or vinyl. Then, I rip the CDs into my NAS and use Roon to play them on every day basis, but listen the CD/vinyl when want to pay attention. Currently, I’m discovering SACD and DSD and start downloading some albumbs in DSD
I have never downloaded, and was purchasing CDs and then ripping them to my PCs hard drive. Since subscribing to Tidal, I have always said that I would purchase Cd’s that are not available to stream but have not so far done so. I now find myself in the habit of creating large playlists (Naim limit 499 tracks per playlist). I work on making the playlists as diverse as possible within my tastes, and not overloading with any single artist. I am now on the second playlist and playing either playlist on shuffle, so that I don’t know what is coming up, gives me enormous pleasure.
I used soundiiz.