The Joy of Being Deliberate

I have now used an offline music player for about three weeks. And so far the experience has been wonderful.

One of the things I did not expect was the joy of deliberately deciding what music I want to hear.

I’ve long enjoyed the curated playlists and auto discovery features from services like Spotify and YouTube Music. It has helped me find lots of good music.

But I now also realize this curation isn’t without downsides. I lose something when the app decides for me. Open up and click play, no thinking required.

With an offline player I’m much more intentional about my music. First or all: I have to actually get the music before I can listen to it. If I don’t have it right now, I can’t listen to it. End of story. But even if I have it I also have to decide what music I want to hear. I used to mostly just listen to a random stream of songs. But now I find myself listening to albums. Looking up records of artists I like and listening to all their songs. Not just the 2 “best” ones.

Another interesting finding is that I find myself caring more about my music “collection”. The music I have available matters to me. The curation is something I now care about. This is what happens when you are in control.

I still think Spotify and YouTube Music are great services. I have used them for years and I may go back again in the future. But for now I’m content with my new approach. It is not strictly better or worse. It is just a different experience.