what IS "streaming music" and why can't I figure it out?

[vivariumvivariumsvivaria]

I like CDs. I know where I am with a CD.

The kids have music on their phones, using up storage and then their phones don't work and I can't get hold of them and it drives me mad because what use is a phone that you can't phone on? What they need is a walkman AND a phone - but they refuse to see the sense in this.

I hear that you can get spotify for a family - an then play it though a speaker and keep playlist on your phone. I have some music (like 6 songs I needed for work stuff) stored on my phone and don't like the apple music app because it's not a CD.

I need to have music on my C25K app or I'll give it up.

I've honestly tried to understand - but, as far as I can tell, as soon as I think I've got it figured out there's a new system.

So, what do you, and will you please tell me so I can copy you?
TIA

Ok, I don't know much about it all, but this is what I know:

I got a free Echo Dot last week, and i have since fallen in love with it.
I have Amazon music with my Prime membership. I can't do as much as I could with a paid account, but it's all ok for now, while I'm easing into this new world.

I downloaded an app on my phone, and then synced the dot to it. It was pretty easy, but my kids helped a bit.

Now, I can say " Alexa, play Bruce Springsteen". And it does!! It sounds good.
And if a song I don't like comes on, I can say " Alexa, play next song" and it does.

Apparently if you have a student union account, or an academic email, you can get a discount. I can't verify this as I still haven't gone the next step.

I think it's the way forward, and it could be good

oh yes, I was studying in the evening for a while and in those days, Spotify was £5 a month!

I’m old, 61 and play my old person music through my Apple EarPods on my watch at work.

If you've got a computer with a CD drive, you can just use a program to get the songs off your CD into MP3s so that they can be stored on your phone and used with your running app.

Regarding your question about how to play music at home, it depends on how good your WiFi is. Ours is absolutely awful - we have to disable the WiFi connection on everything else every time we want to watch something on I-player, so WiFi speakers don't work in our house, we have a Bluetooth speaker. If you've got fibre broadband, WiFi speakers will be fine.

OP, my parents are 70 and both stream their music.

The massive online jukebox is a good description. I honestly can't believe you still use CDs. Did you never have an I pod? Have you really been using CDs for the last 15 years?!

Op, I feel your pain, although compared to me you are positively modern, I don't have any cds and all my music is on vinyl!
I do have the free Spotify app for running purposes, but have no downloaded music at all. To be fair, I don't need it, if I like something, I go buy an actual album with a lovely cover and enjoy changing sides half way through :)

I use the watch as it is more discreet than the phone and isn’t going to suddenly blare out like I worry the phone might when I am at my desk

Thing is, all these subscription services really add up to £££ per year. Does everyone now just allocate £30/40pcm on music/TV etc? Seems a lot

Can someone tell me about WiFi speakers? I’ve been listening to music over my iPhone but a speaker sounds a great idea. Any recommendations for something pretty basic? I guess I might want to get more than one for different rooms.

So glad you started this thread!

Very true GetRid. It does all add up, It costs loads for all the telly and music nowadays

Echo Dot from Amazon are a cheaper option for speakers, I think they are on offer at £29.99 at the moment. You can stream most if not all the streaming services through them

Generally a lighthearted thread, I understand, but it's concerning that you think/believed the kids on your not being able to call then because of music/data storage.

How old are these kids? I'm concerned because if you believed that I'm wondering if you're also struggling with monitoring their phone/tech usage?

It's important to keep on top of this.

Back to thread

I use Spotify free but mainly I just listen to radio (mainly absolute 80's) via my phone or tablet which is played through a cheapy Bluetooth speaker I got from Argos in a sale.

It's tiny and not very loud to be honest, I'm thinking as I read this I should get a better one, but it's fine for now.

They're easy enough to use.

"and got patronised by a child with a beard" 😂😂😂

This thread has inspired me to pop on my Spotify app, just added a load more cheesy 80's soft rock ballads - judge away I don't care

"How do the musicians make money, then? They get a royalty from spotify/others when their music is streamed/downloaded?" I think so, or either the streaming service pays a set fee to be allowed to play their music for a set amount of time?

"So which one streaming apps are best everyone? And what is it that makes it good?" I'm absolutely not an expert but Spotify free (few ads no biggie), dead easy to use, huge catalogue (I like all sorts from classical to folk, jazz, Motown, rock...)

"Ours is absolutely awful - we have to disable the WiFi connection on everything else every time we want to watch something on I-player" what?! Who are you with and how much are you paying? That's terrible service

I'm 46 had Spotify for years, mum's in her 70's and uses Amazon music.

"Thing is, all these subscription services really add up to £££ per year." Many are free you just have a few ads to tolerate.

"Can someone tell me about WiFi speakers? I’ve been listening to music over my iPhone but a speaker sounds a great idea. Any recommendations for something pretty basic?" I'd be interested in answers to this too.

GetRid

no, I have Spotify and that's it. I sometimes have Now TV when it's on offer, which can work out about £3 a month, if that. I don't have anything else.

I'd never have spent £10 a month on music in terms of buying albums, so I probably count as part of the group who have contributed to more music sharing.

What does a CD cost now... £5?
Say a CD has 12 songs on it... and lots of those I won't especially like. Plus I can't shuffle between different artists.
I have 480 songs in my favourites.
So that's 40 CDs if I loved every song on those 40 CDs.
40*5 = £200.

In reality I quite like typically max. 4 songs on any specific album.
So I need 3 x £200 = £600 worth of CDs.
But can't shuffle 120 CDs simultaneously.

Plus there's no CD player at work (99% of my listening is at work, it's a noisy office to drown out).
I don't want to lug a CD player between my different office jobs & home.

DD listens while out & about using just her phone.

I’m a bit freaked out by speakers that pick up your voice. If I just want a speaker to play music can I get an Echo Dot and disable the listening bit?

I don't have to store them, they can't get scratched or broken, the player has low risk of getting broken, I don't have so spend ages shopping for each one...

DD has 1200 tracks on her faves list.

Can someone tell me about WiFi speakers? I’ve been listening to music over my iPhone but a speaker sounds a great idea. Any recommendations for something pretty basic?

I bought an Anker one from Amazon for £30. You connect it via Bluetooth - the sound is brilliant and the battery life is incredible.

If I just want a speaker to play music can I get an Echo Dot and disable the listening bit?

Just buy a wireless speaker!

Streaming is like playing any song from a jukebox of infinity music but without having to put money in each time. You just pay monthly for as much access to a jukebox you carry around with you in your pocket.

I have google play, it's great. We pay £15 and me and DH, plus his dad and two brothers use it. One of them shares their amazon prime with us, one gives us their Netflix password and another their sky log in, mainly for watching sport.

OP, I’m the same as you. I prefer CDs or listening to the radio! I have a CD player (with a cassette deck) that is over 20 years old. When it dies I might think about a more modern approach but until then...!

HerBigChance Thanks!

This thread made me go and look at our Amazon music which I don't use often and I found dd has a playlist called Get with it boii 😂
I always get confused if I can listen to Amazon music when I am out as I only have a limited amount of data. Can I download a whole playlist at home and listen to it without using up my data?

DH hasn’t embraced streaming, he still rips his CDs onto his laptop then onto his ancient MP3 player. He has loads of CDs still as well cluttering up the house