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Posted by: Catherine91 28th March 2016, 08:54 PM

Over the last couple of years, I have bought several albums I probably wouldn't have bought if I hadn't been able to listen to them via streaming first. Streaming has also allowed me to rediscover songs I had forgotten about, and I often end up buying these songs. So I think I'm buying more music now than before I began using streaming. I would probably be buying less music if I had a paid streaming subscription, but I have stuck with Spotify Free as I don't spend £10 a month on music.

Posted by: sammy01 28th March 2016, 09:06 PM

I think I'm like most other people, I buy less music because of streaming. I can listen to albums I like and not have to shell out for them. I really like Markus Feehily's album and back a couple of years ago would have probably purchased a copy but don't feel the need now.

I guess if they are quality albums and I keep listening to them over the year they should get their £9 worth and the sale I would have given them.

Posted by: JoeyJeppssonWall 28th March 2016, 09:17 PM

My music buying habits haven't changed at all, I like keeping my iTunes library up to date and owning physical albums too, so I rarely use streaming services.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 28th March 2016, 09:40 PM

Not really, I still buy around the same number of albums - though these have always been on CD or vinyl.

I still download singles, especially the ones in my chart as I like to have them on my playlist on my home sound system and on my iPod. I used to buy all of my personal chart number 1s on CD single or vinyl (as available) but that has been increasingly difficult/impossible. I think the last one I actually bought was All Under One Roof Raving by Jamie xx which was on 12” vinyl.

Because this is a music site you are likely to find that our habits are not representative of the wider general public, who I'd assume are downloading/buying considerably less looking at the sales figures.

Posted by: Red. 28th March 2016, 09:40 PM

I used to buy songs quite regularly on iTunes. Then I got Spotify and haven't bought a song since September last year. I just add any new song I like to a playlist

I don't listen to music when I am out anyway so the fact you need Internet to listen to Spotify doesn't bother me

Posted by: ▲Rob▲ 28th March 2016, 09:49 PM

Never streamed a thing. Can't see the point.

Posted by: Cowboystyle 28th March 2016, 09:57 PM

QUOTE(Red. @ Mar 28 2016, 09:40 PM)

I used to buy songs quite regularly on iTunes. Then I got Spotify and haven't bought a song since September last year. I just add any new song I like to a playlist

I don't listen to music when I am out anyway so the fact you need Internet to listen to Spotify doesn't bother me

Posted by: ___∆___ 28th March 2016, 10:31 PM

I used to be a heavy downloader, I at least spent £20 a week on new releases and back catalogue. So far in 2016 Iv spent about £3 and have used free trials with Apple and Spotify.

Posted by: Qween 28th March 2016, 11:02 PM

Not really, I only ever buy songs I really LOVE and given I almost never use streaming services anyway that hasn't altered my purchasing habits in any way.

Posted by: Jake. 28th March 2016, 11:07 PM

The only time I stream anything is if I'm unsure whether to purchase an album or not, a bit like a modern substitute for those headphone stands they used to have in record stores years ago (some independent stores still have them though), or if it's a back catalogue title that's too expensive/hard to find a physical copy of.

I still buy CDs fairly often actually, though if it's back catalogue stuff I'm quick to hunt for cheap second-hand copies that are obtainable rather cheaply on Amazon/eBay (unless it's those examples above, obviously).

I buy vinyl occasionally, particularly if it's some sort of special edition (such as the faux-velvet sleeve of Beach House's Depression Cherry album, for example) or if it's cheap. A few particular titles I've spotted on vinyl recently are slightly overpriced in my opinion; whilst my own mother has said how expensive they are compared to when she was my age.

I very rarely download anything - only digital-only singles and EPs by artists I like, in additional to a couple of albums not released physically (Drake and Future's What a Time to Be Alive is one notable example).

Posted by: Envoirment 28th March 2016, 11:17 PM

I would say I buy less music now due to streaming. I usually just stream songs or an album I like on spotify. I also stream an album before deciding to buy it and that has stopped me buying some albums.

Posted by: slowdown73 28th March 2016, 11:21 PM

No impact at all. I don't stream at all. I listen to clips on iTunes and if I like something then I'll buy the physical product.

Posted by: Dircadirca 29th March 2016, 04:21 AM

I'm actually buying more music than ever but I don't think streaming has anything to do with it (or at least, it breaks about even) so I picked the middle option. The odd impact streaming has had is that my favourite songs no longer reach the same heights in playcounts as they once did, generally because there's so much more music to pick from, and I often like to chuck on an album I've never heard before on Spotify.

Posted by: 360Jupiter 29th March 2016, 04:42 AM

Definitiely buy more here. It also reminds me when artists I actually like and want to support release something new, so I can listen it and decide if I want to buy it then.

Buying music becomes then, a thing you do deliberately as a gift to the artist, rather than you being held to ransom. That's the feel I get from it.

To me, streaming has just replaced the radio. It's a method of marketing themselves for artists and bands, rather than an income stream on par with selling singles or albums. I think it works very well as that kind of medium. Its advertising which also pays artists and bands a little bit of money coming in every month.

For an example, I only found out that The Feeling, Clare Maguire and Birdy were releasing new music this year because of Spotify. The ability to search out music and listen to leaves music fans better off than when they were at the mercy of radio stations' choice of what we got to hear or what got played.

I don't know what it was like in the past because I wasn't a music buyer then, but I like things the way they are now. I feel the consumer has the power to find what they want to listen to and make a choice to buy it or not - whether its new or old, as well.

Posted by: vidcapper 29th March 2016, 05:17 AM

It's made no difference to me - I still buy music I really like, as it just doesn't feel like mine if I only stream it.

Posted by: SKOB 29th March 2016, 07:21 AM

I "buy" less but pay Spotify 10 a month so probably buying the same as before.

Posted by: richie 29th March 2016, 07:35 AM

I only buy MP3s if its an artist who (bizarrely) can't seem to get on Spotify. Usually that's through Bandcamp so more money goes to the artist.

Otherwise I buy records from merchandise stalls at gigs.

Can't remember the last time I bought a CD in a shop and it's been at least ten years since I bought anything on a major label.

Until I got a Premium account with Spotify I used to "try before I bought" quite a lot through various means. If I really liked an album ahead of release I would go buy it on LP when it came out, but then Aberdeen's record shop closed. Another has opened since, but I've also moved out to the Shire so streaming (even with our crap rural connection) is the way to go.

Posted by: Bjork 29th March 2016, 08:59 AM

I use Spotify 24/7 but still buy albums (on vinyl or CD) of all my favourites, so nothing has changed for me cos I never bought a download. I used to have itunes but used only to store the files ripped off my CDs or illegal downloads but now haven't opened itunes in like 6 months.

Posted by: popchartfreak 30th March 2016, 09:30 AM

I buy more downloads than ever on principle. My lifestyle doesn't allow me to stream, I'm too busy so I flick through itunes, radio playlists and buzzjack personal charts etc and try anything I like the sound of, if I like it I buy it and put it on a cd to play in the car which is where I listen to music the most. My chart is currently Top 100 and I've bought or will be buying every track in it.

I buy CD albums but don't have time to play them so they are stacked up ready for when I retire! I cherry pick album tracks these days except for must-buys (Pet Shop Boys, Coldplay, Adele etc) and I buy a lot of 100 Hits compilations cos it's cheaper than downloading 5 oldies and there are discoveries on them.

The sales chart is still where avid music fans have their tastes recognised, the streaming chart is a passive ongoing listening experience full of repeating favourites, no different from radio except it's a bit more selective and reinforcing rather than hearing new stuff you might not otherwise choose to hear. As I've said ad nauseum it doesn't reflect absolute popularity of music in general, it reflects the re-play habits of the mostly younger generation who have the time to browse, and as such it reflects what some people quite like rather than what a wide range of people love enough to buy. Total download sales still reflect the most-popular tracks so I don't buy into the argument that streaming is more accurate - it isn't, they just hang around longer as their fans continue to play the same tracks to the detriment of new releases.

Posted by: Colm 30th March 2016, 03:16 PM

No. I still buy none.

Posted by: *Ben* 30th March 2016, 04:11 PM

Streaming hasn't affected me much. Still buy around the same amount of songs I like on iTunes, or sometimes some physical albums.

But I also use streaming, Spotify in first place (I tried also Apple Music), to listen to some new tracks and sometimes I just let the Spotify chart run

Posted by: Steve201 30th March 2016, 08:19 PM

I don't stream just download albums and buy vinyl!

Posted by: Graham A 31st March 2016, 07:21 PM

I used to use streaming services to record the tracks to keep. But it was so time consuming, they also jumped, plus the adverts were annoying too. In the end I switched to downloading. And have stayed doing that.
I would buy Music Videos, but you can't really do that in the UK. iTunes does have something on those lines, but it's a small scale operation and restricted in what you can do with them. So it's a none starter. Therefore the only option is to use a YouTube downloader and get them that way.
The inability to download Music Videos and the industry's lack of support for setting up download sites, or letting other retailers sell them, is plain stupidity on the record companies part. Music Videos cost a great deal of money to make and not to sell them on a wide scale operation is sheer madness.
£2 for a music video is not an unreasonable price to offer, so why is the Music Industry not selling them?