Piracy.
this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2025
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Privacy
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Surprised I haven't seen this suggested h're yet: Pirate the music and anonymously mail money to the artists directly.
Or merch and concert tickets.
if you are really asking for new music..
Bandcamp
Piracy...
I use 7Digital and HDTracks to purchase DRM free music. Neither require KYC or block VPNs. At least one uses PayPal but allows guest checkout. I use Privacy.com cards to purchase too
I've never made an attempt at an anonymous checkout there, but Beatport.com offers a lot of lossless music I couldn't find anywhere else on-line.
CDs, high quality, portable (after ripped), cheap
Buy CDs. Fun and affordable if your music tastes can be found in thrift stores.
See if your local record store will order in new releases or otherwise for you on CD. Mine does and it's not a very large store.
From there, rip to a computer where you either copy it to a mobile device for listening or self host your own streaming service such as Navidrome or Jellyfin.
The streaming service is easy to self host and I'd love to give more details. You can also "borrow your friend's CDs to rip them" and stream content that you didn't necessarily pay for.
+1
In case you don't have an optical drive, new ones cost only slightly more than a CD these days.
Here's some guidance on which models are especially good at audio ripping:
https://pilabor.com/blog/2022/10/audio-cd-ripping-hardware/
(Note that the best ones cost a bit more and don't come with a USB enclosure, but could be mounted in one.)
rip to a computer
99% of new PCs lack a CD drive.
If someone wants to put together a physical CD collection then <$50 is a small investment for a external CD drive. Thrift store CDs are cheap but it still has its costs. Streaming service subscriptions add up as well.
You can buy a USB CD drive for relatively little cash
Your local library may even lend one or have a machine with a drive. Probably intended for digitising stuff and writing discs from them, but if there's software, it'll work in reverse as well.
You don't have to buy an entire new pc for that.
you can buy and install one yourself, or get a usb one for ~$20
It is highly impractical and arbitrary to tie a digital download to a physical piece of media, especially if you have no plans to use it after ripping. Waiting until it arrives or going to a now-rare disk store, and then almost immediately either throwing into the trash or bothering to resell - neither feels good.
Physical copies paid in cash. Get a walkman or a recordplayer lol, they go hard.
Edit: this does make newer music impossible yeah my bad. Bandcamp maybe?
Privacy from whom?
I ask because the easiest way to do what you’re asking is to have your local record store sell you shit and pay in cash (that you’ve laundered so the serial numbers don’t match the atm). You can even be like “I’m trying to get away from computers man, can you order me this off eBay?” And guaranteed if you spent a hundred bucks or so on used releases they’ll say “absolutely!”
Of course, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb and have a lie to keep up with, so you’ll not have any real measure of anonymity.
yeah that's a good advice. curious, where would the "lie" be?
You’re posting in the internet right now. I suggested that you tell people you are trying to get away from computers
ahh yeah. I do spend most of my time off line and that's one reason I don't want to use streaming services
You’ll fit right in.
What do you like to listen to and what do you like to listen on?
really into freestyle polka on my portable cassette player these days. you?
If you’re mechanically inclined and can work with small parts, the old Sony branded walkmans are generally good quality and have a decent supply of replacement parts. Some of the new portables have awful wow and flutter that will make it seem like that two step is a polyrhythm!
I listen on my phone in the world, cd and tape when I’m driving and on whatever at home. Today it was goat and escape-ism.
totally, thanks for tip on Sony. I find the older stuff to be built better so I don't mind repairing them
Ideally one wouldn't need to pay to experience a form of art
Rather, one should first experience the art, and then if they want they could make a donation
I think that buying a CD directly from the musician at their concert or event is the only truly direct way that doesn't end up giving most of the money to monopolistic intermediary
Ideally one wouldn’t need to pay to experience a form of art
Sure.. music instruments and the electricity to feed a stage are free.
Absolutely not, I did not implying that, the post is about digital reproduction/ownership of music (if I haven't misunderstood it)
And that is, basically, free, a very "low" cost of copying bytes. What we pay on Spotify and Apple Music are not the artists, not their instruments or recording hardware or mastering software.
We pay the intermediaries.
Concerts, museums, theatres, etc, have high costs so I'm completely fine for them to cost money to the visitors.
(Oh and I believe Bandcamp is a close second)