I sympathize with this experience, but I’m not quite sure why you “need” to quit your streaming services in order to achieve the desired effect. I almost exclusively use Spotify, but I use it to listen to new releases from artists I like, listen to way more albums then I could afford to buy physically, and check out music my friends recommend to me. You don’t have to use streaming services as a playlist aggregator, there’s nothing stopping you from actively enjoying music on there.

For Krawczeniuk, the move away from Spotify after eight years was partly inspired by the realisation that by using open source software, a home server and a VPN on his phone, he could build something similar himself.

I did this as well. Very happy with it. Using Nextcloud Music and Subsonic.

He sees moving away from Big Streaming as connected to a broader movement towards small-scale tech projects and open-source services that are not resource- or energy-intensive.

Not sure if it is less resource intensive though, if everyone has their own storage?

Very interesting article. I think it’s true they that streaming music services tend to make passive listening to easy. I remember the days of getting a new album, playing it while I read the liner notes, checked out the cover art and listening intently to the lyrics. Now it’s too easy to play something, anything while I cook dinner, get ready for work…

I do like SiriusXM. I appreciate the curated approach. DJs that spin the music, adding their own take on a particular track and comments. It tends to break up the passive listening and listen more closely.

Yeah I moved away from Spotify as well. There’s just honestly so much that seems nice but isn’t.

Spotify’s shuffle is not random, it is an algorithm. They want to keep showing you popular tracks. If I shuffle on an artist’s page there’s like 0% chance the first song will be an unpopular one from years ago.

Plus they don’t even pay the artists what they’re worth so why should I pay Spotify?