# Where Do You Go for Most of Your Listening?



## BradPiano (Dec 22, 2011)

So the purpose of this thread is to get ideas from different members on where to go on the web to listen to classical music. There is, of course, the obvious one: *YouTube*. But besides that, where do you go to listen/download classical tunes?

For Downloading, *Classic Cat* is a great site with a large library of composers and pieces. Note, however, that the members of Classic Cat are the ones who post the links, which lead to other websites that contain the music, and the *majority* of the time you can simply right-click it and save it to your computer.

What do you guys use?


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Pandora is a pretty good site.


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## BradPiano (Dec 22, 2011)

violadude said:


> Pandora is a pretty good site.


Indeed. I forgot about that.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I use the Naxos Music Library. It's not cheap, but I do love the huge number of works available.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

I almost always go to my livingroom, where my #1 system and most of my CD/CD-R's are.

Different strokes for different folks.


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## opus55 (Nov 9, 2010)

My study upstairs where I have my stereo set and CD collection. I also use Naxos Music Library and Spotify.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Last.fm Type in my favorite Composer or Subgenre. It is psychic almost. Very much recommended for specific taste of classical music.


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## BradPiano (Dec 22, 2011)

neoshredder said:


> Last.fm Type in my favorite Composer or Subgenre. It is psychic almost. Very much recommended for specific taste of classical music.


Sounds a lot like Pandora O.O


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

I use my university subscription to Naxos Music Online and youtube. I might have to switch though, I don't think alumni get the subscription...


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

BradPiano said:


> Sounds a lot like Pandora O.O


 I like it better than pandora. It basis things on what other people prefer when listening to that composer. The less popular the composer is, the better chance you get of a specific genre you are interested. So instead of looking up Bach, better to look up Telemann for that sound. Bach will bring you to the best of classical music while Telemann will bring you to the best of Bach sounding Baroque.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

I rip music from CDs available at my public library, my college library, and my music teacher's collection.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

In addition to *YouTube*, I find mtself going to and utilizing *Spotify* more and more frequently because of its superior audio quality.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

I usually just use my cd player/radio thingy, my record player or YouTube.


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## agoukass (Dec 1, 2008)

I subscribed to the Naxos Classical Music streaming service earlier this year. I also use my CD player or computer to play CDs.


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## ElQ (Sep 12, 2011)

Rhapsody has a huge library (though with a miserable search feature) for not too much money.


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## opus55 (Nov 9, 2010)

Do people notice the sound quality difference between streaming music service and CD/lossless rip? I think I do. Nevertheless, I'm still grateful to people who make Spotify and Naxos Music Library possible!


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

I feel quite spoiled being in college and having access to a good music library. I will miss that when I graduate. That's where I go for music.


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

I have all my CD's ripped to my iTunes Library and listen through my iPod.


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## hespdelk (Mar 19, 2011)

Mostly listen to cds and sacds, and, sadly, mostly in my car these days... I need more free time...  The only consolation is that its a well insulated car with a decent system.

I use youtube mostly for research purposes, and find it a great resource for that though I rarely listen to it purely for pleasure.. the sound quality leaves something to be desired.

I haven't really gotten into the online streaming services - most of them are not very friendly to classical music in terms of categorization and searching.. and there is the sound quality issue.. plus I hate having a roaring computer on nearby when doing any kind of concentrated listening.. road noise in the car is grating enough.. :lol:
On the other hand I do see the advantage of them - the range of pieces and composers available is astonishing, and the sound quality is certainly better than youtube.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

I, too, like to visit www.livingroom.com


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## EarthBoundRules (Sep 25, 2011)

Medici.tv has a lot of great performances on it, and documentaries too. I used to use Classic Cat, but now I mostly use YouTube.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

I wonder how many of our members came to classical from rock, where sound quality is pretty much irrelevant, as long as the mid-bass works.


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## Rasa (Apr 23, 2009)

Usually go sit behind the piano.


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## EarthBoundRules (Sep 25, 2011)

Hilltroll72 said:


> I wonder how many of our members came to classical from rock, where sound quality is pretty much irrelevant, as long as the mid-bass works.


That reminds me of when I first started listening to Classical music, and I had the bass turned way up on my mp3 player so it ruined the voicing of every piece. Then when I turned the bass boost off I had to re-adjust myself to every work I thought I knew.


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## pluhagr (Jan 2, 2012)

I enjoy the youtube, cds, and groovshark. I like to listen at my desk, or if I'm feeling extra lazy that day, my bed.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

Has anyone subscribed to this service at Classical Archives?

http://www.classicalarchives.com/index.html

At $5.99 a month that seems reasonable and appears to have much of what Naxos has available and maybe more. I'm just wondering about sound quality? Naxos wants $30.00 a month and if you subscribed to Spotify for $4.99 and Classical Archive for $5.99 a month you could likely have as much music or more for a whole lot less.

Kevin


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

Conor71 said:


> I have all my CD's ripped to my iTunes Library and listen through my iPod.


I was given a new *iPod* (more than one actually lol) for *Christmas* and I'm transfering my music to *iTunes* as we speak I'd love to see a picture of your *iTunes* library.

I'm having trouble organizing my library, same goes to anyone else who uses *iTunes* if you'd be so kind.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

I do not have much money, never have, so usually the library.


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)

Grooveshark is good. It lets up upload your collection and search others music.

Pandora is not available in a lot of countries. It has an apology and some writing.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Crudblud said:


> I do not have much money, never have, so usually the library.


I'm going to the library today. I hope to find Zappa's "The Yellow Shark" there. If not I'll probably borrow all the Ligeti I can get my hands on.


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

I noticed the difference I moved to lossless after hearing my other-halfs rips of the same CD they were significantly better than mine lossy rips. I did use *FLAC* but as I mentioned before I got a new *iPod* and I am moving over to *Apple* lossless as the *iPod* is locked to *Apple's* format. I do most of my listening via the computer but sometimes use our CD player or cinema system hooked up to a *Mac* "mini" if we have people over.

Between us *Surreal* and I have about 15TB of storage this gets used up quickly though. He keeps our *Blu-rays* films and music discs on the computer as well. If I'm usining an *iPod* if find lossly formats ok and only use them as I'm told lossless drains the battery faster than lossly, I'm not sure if this is true though.

We tried *Spotify* for a few days but found it too intrusive, the quality of files even with paid membership is still quite low. Combine this with the fact it forces you to have a *Facebook* it all was enough to send me running back to CDs with open arms.

I would not mind maybe buying music digitally if it was sold in WAV, FLAC or other lossless files that then could be converted into a file, the size and qaulity of which was determined by the buyer. Rather than the current system of paying £8 for an mp3 copy of a CD that's on *Amazon* for £2.99.

The only thing that would move me away from the computer would be if we bought an SACD player but they are too confusing.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

Lenfer said:


> We tried *Spotify* for a few days but found it too intrusive, the quality of rips even with paid membership is still quite low. Combine this with the fact it forces you to have a *Facebook* it all was enough to send me running back to CDs with open arms.
> .


This actually is not true. I do not use my Facebook account with Spotify. And as for the intrusiveness I think most people can afford $4.99 a month to turn off the advertisements. I mean you probably spend way more than that in a week on coffee! Priorities I always say! 

Kevin


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

Kevin Pearson said:


> This actually is not true. I do not use my Facebook account with Spotify. And as for the intrusiveness I think most people can afford $4.99 a month to turn off the advertisements. I mean you probably spend way more than that in a week on coffee! Priorities I always say!
> 
> Kevin


You most likely had an account before this new rule was implemented. Old uers were allowed to keep their old *Spotfiy* account but new users do not have the choice and are required to join *Facebook*. They integrated the log in system but I don't think they made a big deal about it so it's not surprising old members don't know. 

It's £9.99 a month here, I think and it's not so much the advertisements I would pay to get rid of them. It scanned my computer and my boyfriends without telling us, it broadcasts what you listen to or buy to people on *Facebook *etc. Yes you can turn it off but I still don't like being watched in this way.

It's a good system though for people who don't mind that or are really into "social networking". I would use it to try before I buy but sadly it's too annoying for me anyway.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

What coffee?


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> What coffee?


Most likely *Starbucks* etc.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

They serve coffee at Starbucks?


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

Crudblud said:


> They serve coffee at Starbucks?


I think they mostly sell tea but may sell coffee.


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## Chrythes (Oct 13, 2011)

They serve black water. 
But seriously, I was amazed how cheaply you can buy your good quality coffee at small stores that specialises in tea and coffee. 
I pay about 3 Pounds for 100grams of strong, fine grained on spot, along with 100 grams of Young Hyson green tea. 
It's been ages since I bought my tea or coffee from a supermarket (except for camomile tea, which I drink with honey - aside of it's great taste it actually helps during the unpleasant times when the digestive system starts to hate you").


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## brianwalker (Dec 9, 2011)

I never had much spending money from my parents, so I learned to pirate early on. I made a separate post about this earlier, but I'll reiterate. Virtually every single important (read: major labels - DG, DECCA, EMI, Naxos, Testament) performance out there is available somewhere on the web in lossless quality (which is overrated, I use v0 for most and 295vbr for the heavy stuff like Wagner, Mahler, or Beethoven Quartets, and I own 100$ earbuds). Once in a blue moon will I find a performance that I desire but cannot find. I can count all of those instances on one hand.

This is one of them.

http://www.amazon.com/Donizetti-Lam...=sr_1_7?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1325724711&sr=1-7

This is another (keep in mind I would have never purchased this if I hadn't listened to THIS  through piracy FIRST.

http://www.amazon.com/Haydn-String-...r_1_12?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1325724766&sr=1-12

and another

http://www.amazon.com/Haydn-String-...SJHU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325724914&sr=8-1

no4.

http://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-C...=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1325724939&sr=1-2

no5.

http://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-Petrushka-Pulcinella-Igor/dp/B00000424Q

I've lost interest over the years in no.4 and no.5, and bought no 2 and 3 (starved myself or a week, totally worth it). Will probably never buy no.1 unless I become a millionaire or fall in love with Donizetti.

PM me if you have no "conscience", so to speak.


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## pluhagr (Jan 2, 2012)

Chrythes said:


> They serve black water.
> But seriously, I was amazed how cheaply you can buy your good quality coffee at small stores that specialises in tea and coffee.
> I pay about 3 Pounds for 100grams of strong, fine grained on spot, along with 100 grams of Young Hyson green tea.
> It's been ages since I bought my tea or coffee from a supermarket (except for camomile tea, which I drink with honey - aside of it's great taste it actually helps during the unpleasant times when the digestive system starts to hate you").


 Try Intelligentsia, if you can find it. It's a small independent coffee roasting store. They have cafe's around the US.


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## pluhagr (Jan 2, 2012)

Lenfer said:


> I was given a new *iPod* (more than one actually lol) for *Christmas* and I'm transfering my music to *iTunes* as we speak I'd love to see a picture of your *iTunes* library.
> 
> I'm having trouble organizing my library, same goes to anyone else who uses *iTunes* if you'd be so kind.


I could take a screenshot of my library. I usually meticulously organize my music into separate playlists.


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

Lenfer said:


> I was given a new *iPod* (more than one actually lol) for *Christmas* and I'm transfering my music to *iTunes* as we speak I'd love to see a picture of your *iTunes* library.
> 
> I'm having trouble organizing my library, same goes to anyone else who uses *iTunes* if you'd be so kind.


Happy to oblige  - heres a couple of screenshots (of a sample of) my iTunes library. I have classical and non-classical mixed in together and sort by Album.
You can get an idea here of how I organize my collection - it works for me! :tiphat:


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Conor71 said:


> Happy to oblige  - heres a couple of screenshots (of a sample of) my iTunes library. I have classical and non-classical mixed in together and sort by Album.
> You can get an idea here of how I organize my collection - it works for me! :tiphat:


Excellent choice of operating system (even if you have a PC)


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

I go to my CDs or use Spotify. 5 euros a month and no advertisements, it's a bargain.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

Kevin Pearson said:


> Has anyone subscribed to this service at Classical Archives?
> 
> http://www.classicalarchives.com/index.html
> 
> ...


Still trying to find a member who has tried this service as to whether it's any good or not. Anyone?

Kevin


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## AidanTrumpet (Jan 8, 2012)

Most of my music comes from Youtube, Itunes, TheClassicalArchives, an assortment of other miscellaneous sites.


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