Spotify fans threaten to return to piracy as music streamer introduces new face-scanning age checks in the UK
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A VPN is a must if you wanna go down this route
Soulseek (and I recommend the Nicotine+ client over the official one) is a fantastic source for all music in all formats, and particularly obscure off-label shit you won't get anywhere else. You'll even have some success finding audiobooks there, although this is very hit-and-miss. I wish audiobook pirates would use it more heavily. It's P2P, like Napster used to be. You'll have to share something or you'll get auto-ignored by most users.
RuTracker is a great non-private/non-ratio-monitoring torrent site for music (does require a free account though). I've never had a single torrent from there that wasn't seemingly seeded by a Godzilla's dick. Obviously it's in Russian, but there's really no difficulty navigating around. The only thing you might struggle with is signing up for an account, but just have your favourite translation tool open in another tab
If you don't mind slow download speeds (from the likes of RapidGator), I enjoy Exystence. It's a blog that shares link to the latest albums and offers both lossy and lossless versions. Nice RSS subscription to have.
If you do find yourself using RapidGator a lot, don't waste money buying a sub directly from them, it's insanely pricey. Instead, get a reseller like Real Debrid, which costs like 10% as much and also covers you for about two-dozen other file hosters. I highly recommend putting as much distance between your credit card and the company as possible, just for safety reasons. Using PaySafeCard is fine, as Real Debrid will never see your details in that case. I don't have any specific reason to be weary of them, I just don't trust random/small/hitherto unheard of companies as a rule.
I've been using RuTracker for years and it usually has all the music I need. And it has more than music, great site.
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Back to Piracy!
️Really though? It isn't necessary. Use Bandcamp, you probably have half your artists covered. The rest - one of those Spotify alternatives: Tidal? Qobuz?
Personally I do selfhost btw. Jellyfin, though I heard of a better alternative specifically for music recently - and forgot the name again
Something lowercase, like a verb... "normalize" or some such.Navidrome! Thanks @[email protected]I have Jellyfin for movies/tv, and gonic for music!
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I’m confused. Is every app in the UK requiring face scanning? I thought it was just adult content.
Bluesky app also seems to require this for some features.
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Back to Piracy!
️Really though? It isn't necessary. Use Bandcamp, you probably have half your artists covered. The rest - one of those Spotify alternatives: Tidal? Qobuz?
Personally I do selfhost btw. Jellyfin, though I heard of a better alternative specifically for music recently - and forgot the name again
Something lowercase, like a verb... "normalize" or some such.Navidrome! Thanks @[email protected]Thanks for recommending Navidrome. It looks really interesting.
I was using Spotify, but switched to Spotube. After Spotube was crippled, I was kind of aimless. I really liked having my music available on my cellphone and desktop. It looks like Navidrome will fill the gap perfectly.
You'd mentioned ripping CDs. Would you have some software, you'd recommend (Windows or Linux)? Preferably in FLAC.
I haven't looked at ripping software in a few years, but it was kind of tedious to set up and very manual to get the proper metadata, genres, and cover art. I've got a hundred CDs and that'll take awhile....
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I know so many people who are so ride-or-die for never having to manage the file space for their own music library and they don't seem particularly less stressed.
I think they just cannot live without an algorithm to recommend new music to them
they just cannot live without an algorithm to recommend new music to them
They might want to try LMS and its https://github.com/epoupon/lms?tab=readme-ov-file#music-discovery
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Most people can't tell the difference between 128 kbit MP3 and high quality recordings.
Can't confirm, I can't tell.
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A VPN is a must if you wanna go down this route
Soulseek (and I recommend the Nicotine+ client over the official one) is a fantastic source for all music in all formats, and particularly obscure off-label shit you won't get anywhere else. You'll even have some success finding audiobooks there, although this is very hit-and-miss. I wish audiobook pirates would use it more heavily. It's P2P, like Napster used to be. You'll have to share something or you'll get auto-ignored by most users.
RuTracker is a great non-private/non-ratio-monitoring torrent site for music (does require a free account though). I've never had a single torrent from there that wasn't seemingly seeded by a Godzilla's dick. Obviously it's in Russian, but there's really no difficulty navigating around. The only thing you might struggle with is signing up for an account, but just have your favourite translation tool open in another tab
If you don't mind slow download speeds (from the likes of RapidGator), I enjoy Exystence. It's a blog that shares link to the latest albums and offers both lossy and lossless versions. Nice RSS subscription to have.
If you do find yourself using RapidGator a lot, don't waste money buying a sub directly from them, it's insanely pricey. Instead, get a reseller like Real Debrid, which costs like 10% as much and also covers you for about two-dozen other file hosters. I highly recommend putting as much distance between your credit card and the company as possible, just for safety reasons. Using PaySafeCard is fine, as Real Debrid will never see your details in that case. I don't have any specific reason to be weary of them, I just don't trust random/small/hitherto unheard of companies as a rule.
It’s P2P, like Napster used to be. You’ll have to share something or you’ll get auto-ignored by most users.
Oh, reminds me, you should also sort your share. I once got march-horny, added some German marches to my download queue (no judging pls), and then got a PM from the guy sharing them that I should keep my collection in order. And yes, the jerk ignored me.
Also not really p2p, there is a central server. The downloads are p2p.
RuTracker is a great non-private/non-ratio-monitoring torrent site for music
It was ratio-monitoring, that's how it became great. Just after being banned in Russia they decided that those who try hard enough to even reach there can be trusted to behave.
It's not only for music, it's for everything.
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I don't mind giving my date of birth to all the services I already pay for with credit card but face scanning? That's just creepy. Fuck off.
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I know so many people who are so ride-or-die for never having to manage the file space for their own music library and they don't seem particularly less stressed.
I think they just cannot live without an algorithm to recommend new music to them
An algorithm for them:
set rand [clock microseconds] set len [mpc_pl_len] set to [expr {$rand%$len}] mpc_pl_jmp $to -
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I showed it something else with cheeks and now I'm on 15 watchlists.
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I know so many people who are so ride-or-die for never having to manage the file space for their own music library and they don't seem particularly less stressed.
I think they just cannot live without an algorithm to recommend new music to them
I think they just cannot live without an algorithm to recommend new music to them
Oh, piss off. I just want to financially support artists for making something beautiful I enjoy. Streaming is the easiest because of space constraints. I still buy the CDs of my most favourite albums, but I cannot stress enough how great it is to NOT have to rip the MP3s every time, make sure the tags are good, etc.
It's convenient.
If you don't like Spotify's new ID check, kill your Spotify account and use an alternative - Tidal and Qobuz are both excellent.
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Most people can't tell the difference between 128 kbit MP3 and high quality recordings.
How about 48 kbit MP3? And more than that, for plenty of recordings that's sufficient.
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I have a non-uk account but at the first sight of age verification I will delete my account.
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Idk man. Show someone some cymbals on a 128kbps track and it sounds like someone crumpling a plastic bag via a tin can connected to a string. In contrast flac is going to sound much more natural.
I'd agree with you regarding 320 and flac - most people are gonna have a hard time differentiating.
most people are gonna have a hard time differentiating.
With the usual psychoacoustic model of MP3 if you can hear the difference between 320 MP3 and FLAC you are either lying or there's something wrong with your speakers. It's certain with long odds.
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I keep getting advice of Flac > MP3 320 kbs.
I can't tell the difference to tell you the truth. Is it really worth it for audiophiles considering how much more space Flac files takes up?
Go to Opus 128 kbps. About the same as MP3 320 or better.
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I switched to Deezer!
I would suggest Qobuz (if available) or Tidal. Deezer's CEO is a hard-core religious nutjob who finances anti-trans orgs and sexual conversion "therapies".
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I don't mind giving my date of birth to all the services I already pay for with credit card but face scanning? That's just creepy. Fuck off.
Date of birth (with some other details) is kind of a sensitive information in the right hands
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Never stopped. Get your own mp3s kids.
Why mp3?
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They will be blown away by the quality increase they get🤭
(Pirate tend to share/prefere best quality content, while Spotify offers only 256kbit mp3 as far as I remember (or is it 320kbi now?))
wrote last edited by [email protected]Spotify uses vorbis if I'm not mistaken, not mp3. Mp3 sounds like absolute ass, even at 320.
Edit: why the downvotes? Spotify does use vorbis. Mp3 has weird artefacts, even at 320.
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Date of birth (with some other details) is kind of a sensitive information in the right hands
wrote last edited by [email protected]given that governments are now starting to make certain protests illegal, definitely not as bad as having your face in a database and your behaviour being mapped for suspicious illegal activity like criticising genocide.
