How do you listen to music?
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Visited by: 268 users
Original post
Posted by corrupt, 02.03.2009 - 21:48
This is about your whole approach to music, known and new.
Say, you are interested in an album, what do you do? Do you buy it and listen to the CD/LP or do you download it and listen to mp3s? Do you really spend time exclusively with an album, reading the booklet while listening or is music just playing all the time in your stereo and whatever is new will just play while you do something else. Or do you not even care about albums but just listen to songs and random playlists? And also, where do you listen to music? At home, in the car, on the move with a portable player, I'm interested in all that.
I often hear from people who buy a CD, put it in the player and then listen to it actively. Tried it many times and I have to say it's not for me. I always need to do something else, not to get bored. The only place where I can actively listen to music is on the move. When I sit on the underground and don't have anything else to do, that's my time for that.
When I get interested in a band I usually check MS for a good album to start with and then download that one. When I was younger I just bought CDs at the prospect of getting good music and was disappointed far too often. If I like an album, I can always buy it later. But buying an album and later finding out that it sucks balls is a horrible experience (not only for the wallet). The important thing is of course to actually buy it later and not just use it as an excuse for downloading.
When I have it, I just play it on my pc until I leave the house next time. I found that listening to music with earphones makes the whole thing much more enjoyable. There are quite a bunch of albums I only started to like because of the earphone experience. So I usually get deeply into music when I sit on the underground doing nothing else than listening. And of course it takes time. Usually, to fully grasp an album I have to give it about a months time to work on me. Sometimes I even longer. Those are mostly the albums that finally end up as my very favourites. Music that might even seem repelling at first slowly starting to make an impression and getting me to appreciate aspects I never realised before. And of course I revisit all those albums in the following months. Sometimes just to check if the experience has changed over time but most often because after starting with something else I find out that I really wasn't finnished with the old one and really just like to listen to it again.
I guess this sounds more algorithmic than it is. It's really a very natural way of getting into new music. And the time it takes sometimes, and the new aspects of music you discover in that time are mostly the best part of it all.
And of course I always have something playing when I'm at home. That is mostly driven by a mood for certain music.
| Overlord_PT Posts: 140  |
First i download every album on the net then i buy the ones i really like. i listen to music everyday and almost everywhere: at home,walking on the street...
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| MetalSpider Posts: 1388  |
Normally I listen to music while just surfing the net. If a new album has been released (or leaked  ) that Ive been wanting or waiting for...I try and give it my full attention...in which case I usually sit in my room alone, in a meditation style position, and naked...wearing only my headphones. Ok so I was just joking, but I do try and just give my full attention by not doing much else on the computer.
----  Thanks to Corrupt for these banners!
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| Archetype Posts: 253  |
I usually listen to music on my computer first while on the internet etc. and then if I like it I put it on my mp3 player or phone so I can take the music with me when I'm out and about.
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835  |
When I listen to music I do just that, I'm not multitasking while I do it. I just focus on that, I can't do it otherwise. The only exception is when I'm listening to my CD player on the subway or travelling. I can't work and listen to music, I can't do anything else at the same time because all my energy goes into listening to the music and digesting all that it gives me. It really is like reading a book for me, nothing else exists. That's why it takes a lot of time and concentration. I like taking the time to do that.
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| Ag Fox Angel No More Elite Posts: 4774  |
I download albums, transfer to ipod and listen to it when I am travelling. I tend to listen to whole albums at least 3 times to make my mind up whether it is my thing or not, then from then on decided whether I would go back to it in the future. But these three times are separated apart so I can feel the music in different mindsets. If I rated something 9 or above here (and sometimes some 8 ones), I put it in a separate playlist so I revisit it from now and again. The ones in that playlist would also mean albums that I intend to buy when I see good offers and can afford.
---- loves 小巫
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| Kimiwind Speed Metal God Posts: 120  |
Well first off i say this is an intresting thread to discuss !! myself i enjoy lisning music when its fucked up it simply cheer me up ...i lisen pretty everytime though whole day sometimes even when im ( supposly ) sleeping ...at home i lisen in headphones in my pc , and out when im in the bus or in the car or wandering streets or the my near forest i mostly lisen in my mp3 player !! but well honestly lately i stoped lisning via earphones and headphones coz i had a severe headache and earache due to the daily use and loud volume i put on everytime !! ...so nowadays unfortunly i lisen only in speakers and in my cell phone !!
---- Wintermoon Calls you, Follow It And You Will Be Proud Forever.
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| Night Sight Posts: 260  |
First of all i have to say that i always download music form net.first i search the net and read reviews and by the rating i decide what albums to download then i have to say that i don't listen to music everywhere.because if u are not in good position u can't enjoy the music and can not focus on it.for example in the noisy street i never listen to music. i always sit on the table in my room and then just listen to music and do not think about anything but music another way for me is to sit by the computer and reading and searching reviews and also listen to music
---- Alone in birth Alone in the darkness Alone in death Alone in the daylight
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| MétalNoir Fils du Lys Posts: 847  |
With my ears. 
---- Notre destinée n'est pas encore tracée....
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| Cassian Posts: 159  |
It's absolutely hard for me to buy the physical CD of metal bands I love in my country, so I purchase them on iTunes or Amazon then sync with my iPod. Before that, I download the new album or the album I'm interested in or just a few songs in that album illegally to make a brief preview of the whole LP. I listen to music when I'm studying, before I go to bed, or whenever I feel stressed or annoyed or depressed. My mood decides which genre of music I want to hear.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Depends what I'm listening to. Regardless, it's always 320kbps .mp3 format on my PC or Zune - even if I own the CD. I listen while writing at home or outside, reading in bed or on the couch, walking to/from work or in the forest in my back yard, laying down (before bed or not), lurking online (virtually all my spare time), on break at work, the few occasions I "game"...you name it. I catch on to albums very quickly - meaning I don't usually need to give something 10 complete listens to "get it" and I rarely need to give my undivided attention to anything. This isn't meant to sound like I'm bragging, it's just the way it is for me. People often call me out for not being a "true listener", as in I "judge" albums as early as a single listen, but that's the way I listen and I don't care if others don't agree with my methods. I think the only album I ever really needed to listen to repeatedly in order to "get" was Burzum's self-titled album, and that was because it was one of the first black metal albums I had ever heard. After that, black metal became as digestible as pop (and I guess nowadays, even more digestible).
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| BattleAxe Posts: 15  |
When I first started listening to music during the 80's, I bought tapes listening to the music as I read the lyrics. Enter the 90's and I started buying CD's again listening while I read the lyrics. These days I might get a recommendation or discover a new band and download the whole discography. I'll play it on my lap top starting with the first album playing all albums consecutively so I can hear how the band has aged. I rate all songs adding my favourites to a my mp3 player. If I like all of the albums I will add them to my mp3 player and their whole discography as a random play list. Gone are the days of reading the booklets or lyrics. I generally have music playing constantly while at home be it an individual artist or a favourites compilation. I also listen to music while I drive especially, on my way to work which is an 80km round trip. Commercial radio in Australia is pretty lame focusing on what's popular, mainly pop, hip-hop, rock. I like to hear music played with ample volume through a decent set of speakers. 
---- "Metal for life"
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| Wintersun616 Posts: 34  |
When I find something new I usually sit down and really listen to it, preferably with lyrics to read at the same time. Sometimes I like it right away, but usually it takes a bit of time and a few listens to really get me into it. I don't have much time for that nowadays, so I haven't discovered much new music in a couple of years. I also take advantage of any longish trips on a bus or train. Every time I know one is coming I load up my mp3 player with mostly new music. And every now and then when I have the time to go on a nice bike trip or jogging, I always take my mp3 player with me. And of course I listen to music while surfing the web and sometimes when I'm reading too. And if I can't sleep I listen to music from my mp3 player too.
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| BrokenKnuckles Posts: 105  |
I use to just look for cool album covers at music stores, and like you it was more bad than good. Now iv'e noticed they have machines that scan the CD and you can listen to it, so thats pretty cool. But mostly ill sure MS and go download it on itunes or somehting.
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| Coté Posts: 138  |
On iTunes? But doesn't that cost money? I usually take advice from my younger brother (Mr.Doctor) since he has a very good taste in music, otherwise I'd just look through the bands in this page and check their profile, later on I'd listen to some song and eventually download the cd from Piratbay 8). If the cd or band really get me going I'll buy it ^^
---- ::...Am I awake? Am I asleep? I am only sure of one thing. I am a monster ...::
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| wormdrink414 Elite Posts: 1295  |
I approach my music library (on my computer) in the same manner as, I assume, most of my generation do. I listen to an album in its entirety, then pick out singles that I like and play the fuck out of them. One benefit to listening via CD or vinyl (especially vinyl) is that you are encouraged to listen to albums all the way through. That's a practice that seems to be on the decline. Don't know if that is a good thing, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's necessarily bad--most band's can't write 45+ minutes of good music for their albums anyway. With regard to atmospheric/melancholic black metal albums, I always try to listen to them from beginning to end. The catch is that I rarely have the patience or am in the right mood for an album-length swim through some Drudkh. Mostly because when I'm off work and done with class, I'm in the process of getting drunk or already am drunk and want my Decapitated fix. The only time I have some hours to spare in which the tunes are turned off, really, is when I'm in a conversation (though not always) or reading a book. Side note: If the book your reading is worth reading (I exclude, of course, most textbooks), do your favorite authors a favor and turn the Agalloch off. Let the authors do the mood-controlling.
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| 3rdWorldFuckface Account deleted |
3rdWorldFuckface
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At initial stages it took me more than a month to digest an entire album.Now i am speeding up the process.I try to finish the album like within a week.But i know how slow it still is.But maybe It is because i try to take in every element of the album very clearly. 
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by [user id=103388] on 04.03.2011 at 06:25 Someone who rates Black Sabbath's s/t and Paranoid a 1 and spends so much time taking in every element of an album is obviously doing something wrong in my opinion.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| 3rdWorldFuckface Account deleted |
3rdWorldFuckface
Account deleted Written by Troy Killjoy on 04.03.2011 at 07:55 Mistake Notified 
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| 3rdWorldFuckface Account deleted |
3rdWorldFuckface
Account deleted Written by [user id=35732] on 04.03.2011 at 17:57 thats bcoz I was very frustrated with the drums on that album.I mean i was like WTF is that clicking sound btw the riffs??????????? And i have to wonder how hopeless a human being has to be if he gives an album like ayreon's 01011001 a 1 rating. 
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| Dani5050 Posts: 76  |
I download everything from the genres I like, listen to the whole album, and then rate them, this way I know I like it the first time and will listen to it again, I spend 10 hours or more listening to music, insane I know. At work the whole 8 hours (maybe 7) while driving home, at night again on my PC or while gaming. Most of the time with headphones. I buy CDs that I know I like and don't buy before sampling the album.
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| Karolina Posts: 3  |
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| _Andy_ Posts: 18  |
I go nuts if I don't listen to music for at least 2 hours a day. And I mean, I don't do anything else, I just listen to music in my headphones and walk in my room because I can't stay calm in bed, like others tell me to. In my opinion, you can't listen to GOOD music whilst doing something else. Of course, when I'm surfing the net I'm listening on my computer, but as soon as something really good comes in I get up and start headbanging 
---- Strike from behind and knock me to the ground Kick me while I'm down! Stab me in the back, you bastards Tear my heart out of my chest! I'll rise from the ashes, from these ruins of mine A dozen of eyes for an eye - vengeance is mine!
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| Ghostdancer Posts: 196  |
There are so many ways... My wife and I have a cycle we go through. We listen a little differently, but part of the cycle is the same. When we are looking for new music we search the internet and listen intently to potential additions to our collection. We both make a few selections and then acquire the music...downloading or CDs...usually CDs. When I have new music, I usually like to sit down and read the lyrics as the album plays...after that the new stuff gets put into a rotation for a while, until I know the music. Then I revert to listening to it in various other ways. Sometimes it's more casual...like right now at work I'm listening to it more casually...I listen while I'm driving...I listen when I do work around my house (and if it's something like mowing grass, I actually pay more attention because I'm listening through earphones)...I listen when I'm playing mindless video games. Sometimes I like to put it all into one massive list...more like multiple lists, and listen to it chronologically. I make the lists in my media player and add them to my Zune as well. I love to listen to the evolution...and when I'm doing this I try not to be as casual about it. There is something about listening to this progression that I can't put into words. The way the styles progress, change and split into so many directions is mindblowing. If I really, really love a particular album, I'll purchase it on vinyl. When I listen to vinyl...it's an extremely religious ritual for me. There's something about taking the record out of the sleeve and putting it on the turntable that makes it feel like a religious event. When I do that, I usually lay back, close my eyes and listen.
---- "Bullshit! You didn't convince me!"
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Ghostdancer on 27.04.2011 at 22:10  100% the same for me. But seeing how old you are that could actually be a generational thing as well 
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Ghostdancer Posts: 196 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.04.2011 at 00:09 You're probably right! It's still really difficult for me to get it through my head just how much time has passed. Damn, I still don't feel like an old-timer, but I guess I am getting there. It's good for old guys to keep some of the old rituals! 
---- "Bullshit! You didn't convince me!"
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