# How did you manage your transition from physical recordings to only digital?



## skateartguy (Aug 3, 2017)

Hi all,

When I moved to London 3 months ago I was packing my stuff and after filling more than 40 boxes of CDs and books I took the decision to move to a digital-only world.

My rationale for doing that:
- reduce physical ties to a place, getting more freedom
- reduce space, I won't need a big apartment full of shelves anymore
- being more environmental friendly
- reduce costs

I knew that the process and outcome would have some downsides:
- losing a little bit of quality (either reading from ereader or tablet of listening to mp3/ogg formats)
- missing some not so popular cds, comics or books I had on my collection that could not be available online
- paying again for stuff I already own

However, my biggest problem so far is what I call the "music choice paradox". When I was physical I just took a look at my cd shelves having in mind that if I was feeling jazzy I should look at the left ones, if I was feeling more romantic those composers were on the right side. Just spending ten/twenty seconds looking at the CDs I was able to pick what I was in the mood for listening at that very moment.

But with digital solutions like amazon music, google play music or spotify I just have a unbrowsable giant list of saved albums and empty search box and I totally block. I don't know what to search on it. I know that I can find almost anything, even much more recordings than those I had... but I cannot start looking for anything. Probably this is because of how my brain works, linking spaces and images with musics and moods.

In conclusion, so far, music listening experience at home has degraded *a lot*. On the other side I have to say that I kinda compensate this by listening to much more live music thanks to the London cultural offer.

Anyway, I am really curious if anyone else has had the same similar issues and how are you managing this transition.

Thanks and regards!


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

By not doing it. :tiphat:


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

About 75% of my collection is now digital. Like you said, skateartguy, the downside of this is that I go less to my digital music than I do to my CD collection but that has started to change a little over the past 6 months. The physical CD still holds precedent to a small degree, for me. I hope, when I finally switch to a digital-only collection, this will change but for the near future I cant see me selling off my CDs. We are, after all, physical creatures who seek comfort in familiarity. It's hard to change, especially when you're from a generation that coveted its vinyl.


----------



## skateartguy (Aug 3, 2017)

I think there is also a problem with current music applications UIs.

They are mostly designed for mainstream music listeners that usually have only a bunch of artists/albums they use to listen. The typical classical music listener is quite different.

As an example I find the spotify UI showing info about a "track" totally broken for classical music, as the do not properly differentiate between composer and performers or work/movement. Everying is a bunch of clickable text.

Also, we classical lovers, tend to be very into classification. For example mi mind works like this:
- I want to listen to Schumman -> Go to Schumann
- ok, Schumann chamber music -> Go to chamber music
- Trios, I want the piano trios -> Go to trios
- Let see which versions do we have

Or:

- I'm in belcanto mood
- Ok, Donizetti
- The non most common operas
- Shutherland maybe?

Following this pattern in the physical world was quite easy but with the current music app UIs is quite difficult and you end up doing it from your memory, that is always more limited.


----------

