Recently decided to unsubscribe to the streaming platform we were using - which was Qobuz - with no particular complaints. Far from it, really enjoyed the ability to explore new music and albums and stream Hi-Res file. All good.
But, after about 2 yrs of subscribing to this great source of music, discovered maybe wasn’t using it very much.
We also use Roon, which we value much more highly. Amongst many other things, Roon tells you what you are listening to. Well, we found we were listening to our 1000+ CD collection maybe 85% of the time. To be fair, when we find something new and like, we are buying the CD and adding it to the server based collection. So, maybe we’re doing this whole “access to a streaming platform” all wrong?
We unsubscribed - as a bit of an experiment - to see if we missed anything or if we could do without it. So, currently about three weeks in and doing cold turkey.
Anyone else “unsubscribed” from a streaming service and maybe share your own story why?
I unsubscribed from qobuz I loved it but I don’t want to be dependent on a service and it doesn’t have everything so you can’t have all your music in one place. I’m also pretty boring in that I listen to a lot of the same stuff. I already had cds from my pre-subscription days and I began adding to my collection.
I will admit I have a slight cheat in that I subscribe to YouTube premium because I watch it a lot and pc adds can be insane. This gives me YouTube music free, so I’m using that to test music before purchasing either digital downloads or cds (often second hand). This means that I’ll always have access to my favourite music. I just worry that the music streaming services may one day follow the tv ones whose prices are rapidly becoming insane and still aren’t making enough profit.
And for some years now, we’ve enjoyed streaming music and music video via Apple devices ( such as iPad’s & iPhone’s) and into the front fascia USB socket on our nDAC. Works okay.
Yes, I also unsubscribed from Qobuz. I wasn’t finding much new music through that service. I tend to find new artists or new albums from artists I already know through FM radio (BBC) or internet radio. From that start I would search on Qobuz for the artist or album and if I liked it I would buy the CD from a high street store. Due to recent retirement and consequent desire to reduce spending caused me to stop paying for Qobuz. There are a couple of albums I haven’t found since leaving Qobuz, but in the main I haven’t missed it.
Since getting into streaming, maybe two and an half year ago - adding an Innous ZM and then a ND5 XS2 - at various times, we’ve used and enjoyed Qobuz a lot.
It could just be we are just going through a busy patch ( with work) and falling back on just the familiar, when we do get a moment to listen and relax.
When Roon starts to do its own things and select things for you, ( from Qobuz), which can get quite interesting. It plays new material, not known, which is always enjoyable and sometimes brilliant if it shares something you really really like.
We’ve always like Go Go Penguins. But, as a result of Roon exploring same or similar, ( from Qobuz) we’ve now got into Mammal Hands and also Portico Quartet.
BW
R
p.s. thanks for all those kind words and bits of advice, along the way, with Innous ZM.
