Why Play a Music CD? ‘No Ads, No Privacy Terrors, No Algorithms’ – The New York Times

To be honest, my preferred way to listen to music is on CD, as unfashionable as that might be. You push a button, the music plays, and then it’s over — no ads, no privacy terrors, no algorithms!

If you compare the act of playing a CD to that of allowing a streaming service to choose which music you listen to, then what the author says makes sense.

But, with streaming services:

  • You don’t have ads if you pay for music
  • I’m not sure what privacy terrors he’s talking about; at least with Apple Music
  • And there are no algorithms when you select an album, or create your own playlists

The above was an off-the-cuff comment in an interview, and it was promoted to being the headline, but it’s a bit clueless.

Source: Why Play a Music CD? ‘No Ads, No Privacy Terrors, No Algorithms’™ – The New York Times

0 thoughts on “Why Play a Music CD? ‘No Ads, No Privacy Terrors, No Algorithms’ – The New York Times

  1. I hate being looked over the shoulder while playing music, abandoned iphone and use only my Sony NW-ZX300 with a full 400GB microSD card with my music. A new Highres Album gets added here and there and the sound of this thing with good iem’s is just awesome. No wlan, no crappy streaming, no playlists, just me, my music and great sound.

  2. Ditto. @Kirk, I think you are being too dismissive of the real concerns behind the original comment. The digital world is becoming more and more invasive IMHO and I don’t like it at all.

    • I understand the concerns. But pay for your streaming subscription, and you won’t have ads. Choose your music, and you won’t have random music. Use Apple Music, and you won’t be tracked.

      There’s nothing wrong with CDs; I still listen to them at times, I like the nostalgia of putting a CD into my player.

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