Cranky ol’ techie opinion: the model where you buy the music, download the music, and own the data was — and still is — the best model for creating a personal music library.
Not streaming. Not LPs. Downloadable high-quality digital.
PSA: The iTunes Store still exists. As does Bandcamp…for now. And they’re lossless and DRM-free.
(Re this from @48kRAM:)
https://oldbytes.space/@48kRAM/111247925740746509
@inthehands @48kRAM My preferred way is to buy the CD, then rip it myself at my preferred bitrate. That way I have an archival copy, liner notes, and a top-quality digital product.
@ossobuffo @48kRAM
There’s a lot to be said for that. The downsides are (1) physical waste and (2) a lot of downloadable audio these days is better than CD quality, and sometimes better mastered to boot. But I do love liner notes.