By
March 14, 2019
If you’re thinking of packing away the CDs, you’re not alone. New Zealanders have embraced online music with gusto. According to Recorded Music New Zealand, our growing use of online music has led to wholesale revenue for streaming music increasing 200 percent since 2014 to $27.5 million. If you’re toying with what music streaming can do for your music collection, here are some options to look at.
Subscribe to an online service
No longer do you have to change the CD at your next dinner party or run out of music halfway through the vacuuming. Online services such as Spotify, Google Play and Apple Music offer subscription-based services that give you access to millions of songs and albums. You can compile your own playlists or listen to others’. Most offer a free and a premium service, and you can try before you buy using the services’ free trial period.
Pandora takes technology to the next level with “personalised internet radio”. It plays music based on your past selections. You can widen your playlist by entering an artist, track, comedian or genre. Pandora is free of charge but does offer paid upgrade options if you don’t want to listen to the ads.
Go high definition
If you’ve invested in a high definition sound system, take a look at Tidal, another subscription service. Tidal’s premium option at $19.99 per month offers “high fidelity, lossless audio”. There’s also a cheaper subscription for US$9.99 per month. It’s similar to the difference between streaming low and high definition television.
Access online radio
If you like the element of surprise, or simply want to tune into your favourite DJ, take a look at online radio. iHeartRadio is a free digital radio station with more than 1,900 stations to choose from. Just download the app to your device or listen through your computer.
To support home-grown talent tune into AllTracks which plays exclusively Kiwi music. It’s a great way to discover up-and-coming talent so if you want to be ahead of the game this is a must listen. Most radio stations also have a streaming function so you can listen to your favourite radio stations online as well.
Put your home WiFi to work
Listen to your new playlists out in the garden or in the bath with the massive selection of wireless speakers and systems available. They can range from $100 into the thousands but using your smartphone as a remote you can be playing your favourite tunes all over the house. Check out some of the options available here.
Check your plan
Spotify has reported that its users spend an average of 148 minutes every day listening to music through their service. That adds up to approximately an extra 5GB of data per person living at your place every month.
If your service offers it, download albums and playlists at home so you can listen to your favourite tunes on the move without chewing through your mobile data. And to make sure the music doesn’t stop halfway through dinner, we recommend an uncapped data plan for your home broadband.
To see how much data you’re chewing through at your place, check out our data usage calculator and then take a look at what broadband options are available at your place to ensure you’re on the best possible connection.
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