It is fair to say that the predominant method of listening to music is streaming services such as Spotify or YouTube. In the present time, this may seem like the obvious “best” way to listen to music. I, however, disagree.
There are many other ways to enjoy music, but the two I will be recommending are MP3 players and CDs (I can’t reasonably argue that cassette tapes or vinyl records are more practical than an app on your cell phone. Good luck taking your record player to school).
MP3 players
Here’s an absolutely bone-chilling situation for you to ponder: imagine if you didn’t have internet access for an entire day. If you wished to listen to music offline using a streaming platform, you would have to use the “Downloads” tab, which is typically locked behind a paywall, and generally isn’t reliable.
If you were to use an MP3 player instead, WiFi would never be an issue.
An MP3 player is a very small device to which you can download songs from your computer.
These devices do not require WiFi, which also means: no ads, no buffering during songs, and no loading times… overall, MP3 players are the perfect weapon against Shorewood’s painfully awful internet quality.
Another great thing about MP3 players is that they are a one-time investment, unlike Spotify Premium and other such services which require subscriptions. I got my MP3 player for $50, and it has lasted me five years.
Paying for Spotify Premium for five years would amount to a total of $720 for an “Individual Plan,” and $1,200 for a “Family Plan.”
Personally, I’d like to be able to listen to music and have food on the table.
CDs
This option is less practical than an MP3 player, but much more fun. There is nothing like holding your favorite albums physically in your hands.
Buying a CD and admiring the case artwork, the lyric booklet, the disc artwork… I think that beats looking at a singular album cover displayed on a cell phone screen.
While it’s admittedly not as practical as a cell phone, portable CD players are available, and can easily be used at school. You will get compliments from teachers, I assure you.
If you feel a genuine connection to the music you listen to, or you consider yourself a lover of music, then CDs will make you much happier than your boring old cell phone.
I encourage you to try out these less mundane, more charming methods of listening to music. They are certainly outdated, but with how scary today’s world can be, why not go a little retro?
