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Questions regarding streaming and digital archiving

Hi everyone,

 

I’m in the process of down-sizing my system consolidating my music collection. Records and CDs comprise my collection but due to physical space at a new house in Florida I won’t have room for record and CD storage. In order to have continuous access to music I am considering streaming all music or archiving what I have and what I will want (downloading). Streaming seems to be the best way to go and from what I have heard I can get just about anything via streaming. Archiving means I can store anything, catalog it my particular way and make life easy for myself. Please note that I am talking about digital archiving. Since I really don’t know anything about the pros and cons of streaming and archiving I have many questions:

 

1.       Should I archive my entire music collection and other future music purchases?

2.       If I archive should I buy a dedicated server or should I archive to a laptop?

3.       Is there particular equipment I need to archive music?

4.       Do I need to be concerned with tons of software uploads for streaming or archiving?

5.       Should I stream via Pandora, Spotify, etc.?

6.       If I stream what equipment do I need to stream?

7.       Are there cost considerations between archiving and streaming?

8.       On the ethical side, what considerations should I have via how artists receive payment and how much payment artists receive for my archiving/streaming of future music purchases?

9.       What other initial questions should I ask you, the collective audio community, and myself?

10.   Do the above questions make sense or am I missing something?

 

My down-sized system will be a two channel rig with the latest Sanders amp, the latest Sanders preamp, speakers of unknown make or model (likely Maggie 3.7i replacing 20.1 speakers) and a Marantz SA-8004 SACD player with USB input (this could be a huge benefit considering what I want to do).

 

Your suggestions, comments and ideas are EXTREMELY appreciated.

 

 


rayd

Showing 1 response by kr4

kr4's avatar
kr4
3,648 posts
 
1.  I do so and recommend it.  Others will tell you to just play the discs.
2.  I recommend you archive your recordings on a stand-alone NAS drive.  It needs to outlive any choice of laptop, PC or streamer.
3.  I recommend a PC with a CD drive and dBPowerAmp.
4.  No.  dBPowerAmp will handle the ripping to FLAC files. JRiver Media Center is a good basic and flexible choice for playback but there are many others.
5.  That is a matter of choice.  I prefer ClassicsOnLineHD but you should try them all before committing.
6.  If you go with a NAS, as I suggested, connect it and your PC/Streamer to your home network and connect your DAC (the Marantz SA-8004) to the USB or S/PDIF output of your PC/Streamer.
7.  I do not understand this question.
8.  Not your problem if you purchase from honest, legal vendors, like anything else.
9.  Dunno.  What else do you need to know?
10. Good start.
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