[poll] -> what music format do you listen to lately

[negative1]

just wondering what format
people listen to their music
nowadays..


for my projects, i usually just
have mp3 files as the result.
(which is what the final format will be)

i will have the files, artwork, and a
playlists included.
------------------------------------------

i've stopped burning cds and listening
to them a long time ago. in fact if i
get any now, i just rip them to mp3
and don't play them again.

any other thoughts?

which is the predominant format
that you listen to music in?
-------------------------------------
1 mp3/mp4 files
2 cd only
3 cd and mp3 combination
4 wav files
5 vinyl, cassette, etc
6 other (explain)

i figure most people listen on their phones
nowadays.. i used to have a zune music player,
but it died, so i now i have a windows phone
which is about the same. i figure some people
still have ipods too, or tablets.

thanks for the comments.

later
-1

[dubnobasswithme]

The vast majority of the time, it's mp3s on my laptop or mp3 player. My CDs and vinyl still get some love on weekends when I'm at home though :)

[industri_studios]

I'm vinyl/MP3 combination.

If I'm not doing the laptop/iPod thing, I tend towards vinyl (better sound, but less convenient).

[BrotherLovesDub]

exactly the same as industri_studios. mp3 on my phone to and from work, vinyl at home.

[jetpig]

I do lossless FLAC CD rips at home and v8 OGG and 320kbps on my portable player.

I like having CDs, but don't want to damage them so I rip to FLAC for digital archival. As it's a 1:1 copy of what's on the disc, I won't run into quality loss from transcoding in lossy formats (averages of averages of averages). I can't even begin to hear a difference between lossless and a direct MP3 or OGG conversion so I go with the smaller file size provided by the compressed formats when on the go.
As for OGG vs MP3? I like to use open source when I can, but I can't hear a difference.

[stimpee]

Other: streaming.

[TheBang]

If you're wondering what formats for the compilation, I'd suggest both an MP3 and a FLAC version, so people can choose.

[jetpig]

I'm vinyl/MP3 combination.

If I'm not doing the laptop/iPod thing, I tend towards vinyl (better sound, but less convenient).

If comparing CD (or MP3 properly compressed at 320Kbps from CD) and Vinyl, that isn't true:

http://www.magneticmag.com/2012/07/the-myth-of-vinyl-digital-vs-analog-are-we-imagining-things-ben-watt-interviews-buzzin-fly-mastering-engineer-miles-showell/

http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=Myths_%28Vinyl%29

The very first time you play a vinyl, the grooves are no longer pristine (and thus the audio image is no longer true to the mater recording). The more you play it, the worse it gets. How quickly that happens depends on your needle

What really sucks, though, is some albums will get two completely different masterings. One for CD that is compressed to all hell for the laymen car listener and looses all detail and one for vinyl that isn't, but is then put on a medium that inherently looses quality and detail over time.

I'm fairly positive that the UW discs aren't ones that are compressed (see discussion over volume of dubno, STitI, BF). For a great example of the difference between a compressed mastering and a not compressed mastering read up on Metallica's Death Magnetic. Fans were aghast when the version released on Guitar Hero (!!!) was mastered and sounded quite a bit better than the CD version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRyIACDCc1I

All that said, I'm currently in the market for a turntable. It definitely has a pleasing aesthetic and there's albums and specific masterings of albums you can't get on CD or digitally. When I get a turntable, though, it'll be a single play to make a lossless rip and then shelving for archival (just like my CDs!).

[jetpig]

If you're wondering what formats for the compilation, I'd suggest both an MP3 and a FLAC version, so people can choose.

This. 100x over.

[negative1]

This. 100x over.

i'm leaning towards just 256k/or 320k mp3 for now, as that seems
to be the predominant format of choice.

however, if anyone wants to help volunteer with the audio
mastering (which of course is done with WAV). please
let me know by PM. we can discuss it further there.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

yes, i posted this to get a small idea about what has happened
in the 10 years since i've done anything like this.

i've noticed i'm going to change a few things..
================================================== ===
1) remove references to discs, i know it's useful for logistics...
but as i said, i don't use them anymore..

i know it removes the 80 minute restriction too, but i will keep that for now,
because i don't want this project to get all out of hand... i know i've tweaked
the tracklisting 6 times already. i don't want to keep doing that. i should be
final now (barring any major issues).. i have all the originals in the highest
quality format (and the really rare ones from matt v also).

2) if people do want to help out with the mastering, they will definitely
get priority for helping me check out the final masters before general
release

3) there's some legal issues i'm dancing around here, i think you can
understand the vagueness for now.

later
-1

[jetpig]

I'm literally BEGGING for a lossless version of this project. WAV is fine, just something that preserves this art in it's most pristine condition for long term storage. Having the raw or losslessly compressed files, while large, would be the best way to put these out and keep their original quality for decades to come and to allow each of us to transcode it as we see fit without the worry of introducing distortion. If distribution is the issue, we have a torrent tracker for that, and hence the dual format release for users with data caps.

[negative1]

just as an aside.. but still related

i've been working on several similar projects for
other bands.

currently ongoing:
===============
new order - recycle 2 -> collection of all singles after 'world in motion' to now.

http://forums.neworderonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=1699

a person called 50pound and others, created a blog (the recycle blog),
and put out artwork, and remastered versions of all the early singles
in MP4 format.

----------------------------
i've done remix projects for:
----------------------------
human league - dare 2013 (extended versions of album)
http://dare2013remix.wordpress.com/

a couple of simple minds remix albums
- new gold dream
- once upon a time

most of these projects only had streaming options,
and an mp3 file as the result.

nothing of higher quality was needed, and they all
got good responses.

later
-1

[jetpig]

I'm not trying to make a case that there's an audible difference between lossless and high bitrate mp3. That difference doesn't exist. There's not a human who can tell the difference between a properly done 320k mp3 and a FLAC file. If someone makes that claim they are fooling themselves. I'm trying to make the case for future proofing and archiving. I want to have a true 1:1 recreation of the waveform for archival as opposed to a compressed form. What if in the future mp3 or mp4 aren't favored formats? Then I'd have to transcode from mp3 into whatever format is popular at the time and *that* will introduce added distortion and compression artifacts that transcoding from a lossless format will not. I'm not aiming for better sound today, I want to maintain fantastic sound into the future.

More than anything, I don't see a reason NOT to release in dual format. It's nothing more than exporting twice at the very last step, right?

Any case, I'm super appreciative of the work going into this and I wish I had the collection or the mastering know-how to contribute. Instead I'm just a poor wanna-be audiophile.

[negative1]

just to throw this out there.
(not saying it would happen)..

but check out this boxset by bt:
----------------------------------------------
http://www.borndirty.org/forums/showpost.php?p=152062&postcount=42

http://www.btmusic.com/music/these-re-imagined-machines-2011/#collectors

basically, you put all the mixes onto a DVD, in both mp3 and WAV
format. excellent idea.

later
-1

[crank]

Careful with NO negative1- Hooky is vengeful. Ask those guys over at 50lb note. They shut him down. say with analogue loyalist and the power of independant trucking.

[negative1]

Careful with NO negative1- Hooky is vengeful. Ask those guys over at 50lb note. They shut him down. say with analogue loyalist and the power of independant trucking.

they had a public blog, anyone could see them putting out their work.

this is a private blog, kinda like a small version of rtsr.

also, several years back, did a project called 'international 2',
which was a 4 cd set of new order tracks, didn't have a single
issue with it either.

later
-1

[joethelion]

When I'm listening to music, more often than not - it'll be either a FLAC or ALAC (apple lossless) file

If / when I buy cd's they pretty much go straight to the computer, get ripped - then put on a shelf
(I'm probably more likely to buy a 12" than a cd these days though)

but I guess, in all reality - I listen to a combination of lossless and mp3, but really try and get 320 kbps mp3's

[ultradave]

All my old CD's are in my garage collecting dust... Most of my library is AAC or ALAC. I stream via BT to my car stereo for the commute. At work - I stream Spotify. Seems to be that I'm actually leaning more toward streaming as I'm getting older.

btw - I did pull out my old Record Player which I've been playing some of my rare items on currently.