Spotify - high quality, legal, free, streaming music.

[DavidRoss]

Yes, very odd. I wonder how that happens.

I suspect the record company licenses only a sample for free distribution.  That seems to be the case with even paid dl services where only certain tracks are available to dl on a per-track basis, but others are available only if you buy the complete album.  Gielen's DLVDE, for instance, which doesn't permit purchase only of Der Abschied.

[DavidW]

I suspect the record company licenses only a sample for free distribution.  That seems to be the case with even paid dl services where only certain tracks are available to dl on a per-track basis, but others are available only if you buy the complete album.  Gielen's DLVDE, for instance, which doesn't permit purchase only of Der Abschied.

It might be only spotify though, there is no such problem on mog:

http://mog.com/albums/mn53148763/michael-gielen/mahler:-das-lied-von-der-erde

I had already checked the ones that Leon mentioned and they are available in completion on mog as well.  Maybe later I'll check if that's also the case on rhapsody and napster.

[DavidRoss]

It might be only spotify though, there is no such problem on mog:

http://mog.com/albums/mn53148763/michael-gielen/mahler:-das-lied-von-der-erde

I had already checked the ones that Leon mentioned and they are available in completion on mog as well.  Maybe later I'll check if that's also the case on rhapsody and napster.

I tried to scope out mog but had to register in order to get any real info.  I trust you're using the service, Dave?  How's the selection? And the quality?  $5/mo is a bargain to test drive "new" recordings if it's decent.

[DavidW]

I tried to scope out mog but had to register in order to get any real info.  I trust you're using the service, Dave?  How's the selection? And the quality?  $5/mo is a bargain to test drive "new" recordings if it's decent.

It has the smallest selection out of the streaming services with only 11 million tracks.  In comparison I believe spotify and rhapsody have around 15 million tracks each.  Sad but true.  If you look at the top right corner you'll see the search engine and you'll be able to search for things without needing to register.  I think the biggest hit is in esoteric music.  Say you want to hear the complete works of Norgard, I found that nml had pretty much everything, and mog had only a select handful (last year I was listening to a bit of Norgard). But if you look at more mainstream classical, it's pretty good.

The sound quality at 64k is awful, but the 320k option on pc streaming, and mobile downloads is awesome.  You don't have to pay extra for bitrate if I remember, I think $10 is just for mobile access... don't need it then use the $5 plan.

[DavidRoss]

It has the smallest selection out of the streaming services with only 11 million tracks.  In comparison I believe spotify and rhapsody have around 15 million tracks each.  Sad but true.  If you look at the top right corner you'll see the search engine and you'll be able to search for things without needing to register.  I think the biggest hit is in esoteric music.  Say you want to hear the complete works of Norgard, I found that nml had pretty much everything, and mog had only a select handful (last year I was listening to a bit of Norgard). But if you look at more mainstream classical, it's pretty good.

The sound quality at 64k is awful, but the 320k option on pc streaming, and mobile downloads is awesome.  You don't have to pay extra for bitrate if I remember, I think $10 is just for mobile access... don't need it then use the $5 plan.

Well I suppose it's worth a try, just to hear the full Gielen DLVDE if for nothing else.  I found him variable--extraordinary when he's good but either nothing special or just weird (the 7th) when he's not.  What I've heard of DLVDE sounds worth getting, but the test is Kallisch in the last movement and I want to hear that before springing for the CD.  Thanks for the tip!

[DavidW]

His approach is pretty eccentric.  I connected with it, but many don't.  He was my favorite for awhile, but the more moderate Bertini replaced him for me.

Now that pandora has only 40 hrs per month and last.fm maybe not far behind paying for streaming might be the future...

[Ataraxia]

http://www.spotifyclassical.com/

[Ataraxia]

Say, does anyone who uses Spotify know how to tag an album for future listening other than starring it (where it ends up lumped in with a bunch of other crap)?

[Tsaraslondon]

Say, does anyone who uses Spotify know how to tag an album for future listening other than starring it (where it ends up lumped in with a bunch of other crap)?

You could create a playlist - call it something like "Albums for future listening". Once the play list is created you can add or delete tracks whenever you want.

[Ataraxia]

You could create a playlist - call it something like "Albums for future listening". Once the play list is created you can add or delete tracks whenever you want.

Thanks.

[MishaK]

Yo!

Any Spotify users out there? What do you think of the service? I've been using it now for a month and have been enjoying it quite a bit. Due to a toddler at home with a restrictive sleep schedule I now do most of my listening at work through Spotify. I find sound quality very good and the service eliminates the need for cumbersome loading of music onto iPhone from CD onto laptop via iTunes. The selection is pretty good, apart from the annoying habit of Universal of not making all tracks if an album available. Otherwise I'm enjoying listening to lots of CDs I've been considering buying but hadn't so far. I now know I need Skrowaczewski's Bruckner but can easily live without Vänskä's Beethoven.

[North Star]

I use it, great for discovering new pieces/recordings/artists - before buying recordings.
Sound quality is good enough for listening on the computer.


http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,11726.msg595280.html#msg595280
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,19051.msg566275.html#msg566275
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,18380.msg539480.html#msg539480

[DavidW]

I'm sure we already have a huge thread on this merge, merge, merge!

I now know I need Skrowaczewski's Bruckner but can easily live without Vänskä's Beethoven.

I agree with this assessment.

[nesf]

Good for auditioning music. Of course some technical trickery is needed to listen to it in Ireland (despite it being available here when the service launched and despite Ireland and the UK being linked for nearly all licencing deals due to British corporations having such strong presence here). They've been "coming soon"/"coming back" for 2 years now. I'll pay for it as soon as they release it officially here, again. This whole geographical boundaries on the Internet annoy me quite a lot, especially when it comes to countries as linked (for better and worse) as the UK and Ireland are. Most of this of course, comes from being in a country that's a tiny media market so it gets messed around a lot with these services. It's almost as if they don't want to take my money from me or something.

[DavidW]

I don't use streaming services for auditioning as much as I do for scratching an itch.  Listen once, twice whatever and then never again.   Sometimes though I do buy... but mostly not.

[Ataraxia]

Yo!

Any Spotify users out there? What do you think of the service? I've been using it now for a month and have been enjoying it quite a bit. Due to a toddler at home with a restrictive sleep schedule I now do most of my listening at work through Spotify. I find sound quality very good and the service eliminates the need for cumbersome loading of music onto iPhone from CD onto laptop via iTunes. The selection is pretty good, apart from the annoying habit of Universal of not making all tracks if an album available. Otherwise I'm enjoying listening to lots of CDs I've been considering buying but hadn't so far. I now know I need Skrowaczewski's Bruckner but can easily live without Vänskä's Beethoven.

I'm very happy with it. $10 a month is nothing for all this music at 320 kbps, which is good enough for my listening habits and good enough for 99% of the music listening population I would guess. I'd pay twice as much or more (don't tell them I said that) for this fine service. 

[nigeld]

Yo!

Any Spotify users out there? What do you think of the service? I've been using it now for a month and have been enjoying it quite a bit. Due to a toddler at home with a restrictive sleep schedule I now do most of my listening at work through Spotify. I find sound quality very good and the service eliminates the need for cumbersome loading of music onto iPhone from CD onto laptop via iTunes. The selection is pretty good, apart from the annoying habit of Universal of not making all tracks if an album available. Otherwise I'm enjoying listening to lots of CDs I've been considering buying but hadn't so far. I now know I need Skrowaczewski's Bruckner but can easily live without Vänskä's Beethoven.

Using the premium service to stream through Squeezebox server at 320kbps through hi-end audio system.  Very impressive indeed.  A bit fiddle to set up but seriously worth it

I have set up a couple of playlists with music from the Gramophone Editors choices for 2012 so far and also the IRR Outstanding recommendations for 2012 so far. Between a half and two thirds of the recommended discs are available.  10 IRR discs and 13 Gramophone recommendations

This is the future.  Really

[flyingdutchman]

I love it.  I can listen to music I would have bought before and then later regretted because I found the music not to my liking.  Also found some things I must have now on SACD or even RBCD.  It is the future, but they will need to get to a higher rez...320 kbs is not good enough for decent quality listening.

[nigeld]

It is the future, but they will need to get to a higher rez...320 kbs is not good enough for decent quality listening.

Couldn't let this one pass I'm afraid.

I am one of those sad people who read audiophile magazines and have enjoyed building up a pile of audio hardware over recent years that does a decent job in serving my needs.  I have ripped the majority of my cd collection to hard drive (lossless files of course) and use squeezebox server software to stream music through my system.  I do still spin cd's also.

Anyway, I did a blind test at the weekend just for fun streaming a recent Natalie Dessay disk of excerpts from Handels Gulio Cesare from spotify at 320kbps and comparing that to the cd itself.

I was able to switch backward and forward between the two sources as I have my cd player and squeezebox receiver both feeding the same DAC (Benchmark DAC1) which is the source for an Audio Research pre/power amp combo and a pair of Sonus Faber speakers. 

I'm embarassed to say it was pretty well impossible to differentiate.

I would guess that 99% of Spotify users will be listening through a small pair of active speakers attached to pc and that is fine.   However, sound quality here will always be way inferior to even a modestly priced cd/amp/speaker set up.  This is absolutley not comparing like with like though.

Find a way to feed a decent audio system with a 320kbps stream and you will be amazed!

[Ataraxia]

I'm embarassed to say it was pretty well impossible to differentiate.

I would guess that 99% of Spotify users will be listening through a small pair of active speakers attached to pc and that is fine.   However, sound quality here will always be way inferior to even a modestly priced cd/amp/speaker set up.  This is absolutley not comparing like with like though.

Find a way to feed a decent audio system with a 320kbps stream and you will be amazed!

Yeah, most people can't tell the difference I'll wager.