Spotify fans threaten to return to piracy as music streamer introduces new face-scanning age checks in the UK
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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?))
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
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.
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The thing is, UK has had age restrictions for years on its mobile platforms. So if you want to look at porn on your phone, you have to unlock it on your subscription. And to do this, they use youre credit card. The thing that they already have. Its easy and swift. And more to the point, only one company has your data. As it stands now, you are supposed to give your personal details to every single company in the world.
Over the past 20 years, how many massive hacks have we seen that leak email addresses and passwords? Are how about all those woman that get their iclouds hacked and their nude photos uploaded? I can think of at least 10 instances in the past 10 years. And now its going to be all of our driving licences, passports, other photo IDs? And the law also requires that they scan ALL private messages. Thats end to end encryption fucked. And god forbid your girlfriend calls you "Daddy" in a sext, you get the cops knocking on your door treating you like Jimmy Saville.
The shit is insane, and people arent anywhere near outraged enough. Its coming to Europe next, if reports are to be believed. So you lot should ALL start kicking up fuck about it now.
My point is you shouldn't present any id to a random site, it should exists a government app that does it for you.
Same as the passport you show at the border and it should not even show name or picture, is should just say if you are over 18 or not.
People shouldn't be in the need to show a credit card to watch porn.
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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.
woah woah woah, chill bro goddamn. let's sit and think about this. Record labels take pretty much all of the cut for streaming. Here is the chart showing what each service pays artists per song played. I used to think Napster was the best and subscribed to them for years, which is ironic considering their history
obviously the payout is going to vary widely but it's common knowledge that for even the most played artists, the pay from this avenue sucks. they simply use these services to get their music to potential concert goers since that's the income that record labels actually let artists keep. vinyls, merch, and usually tickets unless they REALLY get fucked over like child musician groups tend to.
If You have an interest in discovering just how shady that industry is, you should watch this essay about payola and how it's literally more profitable for a musician to die than it is to release a certain number of future albums. I'm going to stick to pirating albums and using my cash to actually see the artists I love
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It's super trustworthy bro I swear
Do you prefer to give your personal id to any site in the world instead of using the same app which you pay your taxes with?
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woah woah woah, chill bro goddamn. let's sit and think about this. Record labels take pretty much all of the cut for streaming. Here is the chart showing what each service pays artists per song played. I used to think Napster was the best and subscribed to them for years, which is ironic considering their history
obviously the payout is going to vary widely but it's common knowledge that for even the most played artists, the pay from this avenue sucks. they simply use these services to get their music to potential concert goers since that's the income that record labels actually let artists keep. vinyls, merch, and usually tickets unless they REALLY get fucked over like child musician groups tend to.
If You have an interest in discovering just how shady that industry is, you should watch this essay about payola and how it's literally more profitable for a musician to die than it is to release a certain number of future albums. I'm going to stick to pirating albums and using my cash to actually see the artists I love
It's still giving them SOMETHING, isn't it?
Of course I'd prefer to buy directly from the artist (hence: Bandcamp), but that's not the world we live in. Flat out piracy is just the worst of all the available options.
woah woah woah, chill bro goddamn
Then stop saying stupid shit like "they just cannot live without an algorithm" when talking about people who use streaming services.
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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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