Known ways to stream music in higher resolutions? - Music

rkm

So, there's Tidal, but it's expensive. What else is there?

Basically, I have a large CD collection that I've ripped as Apple Lossless to an iTunes library. I'm also a user of Apple Music. Whenever I play a CD or listen to a lossless file, it sounds noticeably better than an Apple Music stream. However, I keep on using Apple Music for convenience, and because in some environments the difference doesn't matter.

What I'd really love would be if Apple would offer their Music Match service (making your own collection available for streaming) in a higher resolution (lossless CD quality or greater). This probably isn't going to happen. Most consumers are content with what's available.

Are there other solutions I'm not aware of?

Perhaps the answer is to stick with lower res streaming on the go, and make sure I've got a higher res listening environment happening at home...

indieshins

Age: 25

Yeah, I don't know of other options for on the go that offer high quality streaming - except maybe YouTube (which still isn't perfect). I just stick with Spotify myself and then put any albums I own onto my phone when I want to listen in higher quality.

On a side note, Neil Young's archives are pretty cool - all his albums at the quality of the original master. But there's no "on-the-go" option, and of course, it's ONLY Neil Young, so you don't get other music.
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Top 40 Greatest Music Albums by indieshins

RoundTheBend
I miss the comfort in being sad

Location: Ground Control

Google Play allows you to upload 320kbps songs (up to 20k of them) and will play at that rate if your internet connection can handle it.

I left Spotify for Google Play because I felt their streaming services sound better.

I'm interested in testing Apple out now.

But there's no way in hell I'm paying $19.99 for Tidal.

rkm

Apple Music Match is a good deal for someone like me. $34.99 annual fee to stream all of the music I already own. If I were content not to stream any new music. Just wish there was a higher resolution option.

Kool Keith Sweat

rkm wrote:

$34.99 annual fee to stream all of the music I already own

rkm wrote:

a good deal

???

rkm

indieshins wrote:

Yeah, I don't know of other options for on the go that offer high quality streaming - except maybe YouTube (which still isn't perfect). I just stick with Spotify myself and then put any albums I own onto my phone when I want to listen in higher quality.

On a side note, Neil Young's archives are pretty cool - all his albums at the quality of the original master. But there's no "on-the-go" option, and of course, it's ONLY Neil Young, so you don't get other music.

I guess I get so used to the idea of having every possible album at my fingertips, that I forget that I could be pretty happy with my favourite 50 albums at any given time. I could sync my top 50 as Apple Lossless and it would use about 20GB of space on my iPad or phone, which is doable.

rkm

Kool Keith Sweat wrote:

???

Yeah, it's a service, the streaming part.

The alternative is an Apple Music subscription I am currently using, at $119 a year, where I can listen to anything I own or don't own.

I find $34.99 to be reasonable for the ability to stream a collection that I can't reasonably fit on any mobile device.

There are limits to the service. 100,000 songs. Approx. 10,000 albums.

Part of the appeal of this site, and of collecting music, is eliminating the music I know I don't need to ever hear again. My current goal is 30-35 albums a year as keepers, which adds up to about 2,000 albums tops. I don't want every album ever made, just the ones I care about.

Kool Keith Sweat

It costs nothing to stream Google Play, bandcamp, Amazon, soundcloud, etc. purchases that you own. And nothing to download them, usually at a quality of your choice, and put them on your phone. How does Apple justify this?

rkm

Kool Keith Sweat wrote:

It costs nothing to stream Google Play, bandcamp, Amazon, soundcloud, etc. purchases that you own. And nothing to download them, usually at a quality of your choice, and put them on your phone. How does Apple justify this?

I've never used any of those services for listening to music regularly, just to hear the odd recommendation etc.

As far as Apple's justification, beyond selling a streaming service, perhaps what they're offering is ease of use. A lot of that ease of use comes if you're already a part of their Eco-system.

If I wanted to upload my collection to any one of the other services you mentioned, I imagine it would be quite labour intensive, and at the end of the day would be housed in a user interface I'm not sure I really want to use.

$34.99 represents a half hour of work to me. Switching Eco-systems represents a lot more time than that.

rkm

I feel like an Apple salesperson. Thing is, I would switch if there is something better that worked for me long term.