Spotify - is it worth it and sync with ipods

[davek_964]

I have Amazon Prime and do use the music service sometimes. However, even if I find something on there that I like, I generally buy the CD because :

- I prefer high quality rips (flac) for my home hi-fi
- I have old iPods connected permanently in my cars

However, I bought an Amazon Echo Dot at the weekend and since it can't play music from my NAS - but can link to Spotify premium - I'm tempted to try that.

My understanding is that I can download stuff from Spotify and sync this with my IPods - but that replaces the ITunes sync. I don't purchase stuff from iTunes so that's fine - but will Spotify also sync the CD rips on my NAS? This is obviously a must have.
I believe Spotify has a high quality setting so hopefully that would be OK for the hi-fi - although that might cause issues with the mobile devices / iPods since they'd get a bit full. Can I download two different qualities, one for the home hi-fi and one for phones / ipods? That's basically what I do when I rip CDs.

I'm assuming Spotify has pretty much everything in its library and therefore could basically replace CDs?

[Bullett]

You can use Amazon Music with the Dot/Echo.

Spotify is only through the app or enabled devices. So you can download to an iphone or ipod touch and access/control the tracks in the app. They don't appear as part of your itune library at least I've never found a way to do that.
Spotify only uses it's internal library not your ripped CD.

Spotify is really about streaming.

Amazon music allows you to add your cd's to the library but I think only in mp3, it didn't support flac when I tried that. And it only adds stuff it doesn't have already, if you upload music it has it really only adds the track without actually uploading.

[davek_964]

Bullett said:

You can use Amazon Music with the Dot/Echo.

Spotify is only through the app or enabled devices. So you can download to an iphone or ipod touch and access/control the tracks in the app. They don't appear as part of your itune library at least I've never found a way to do that.
Spotify only uses it's internal library not your ripped CD.

Spotify is really about streaming.

Amazon music allows you to add your cd's to the library but I think only in mp3, it didn't support flac when I tried that. And it only adds stuff it doesn't have already, if you upload music it has it really only adds the track without actually uploading.

OK thanks.

I know the Dot can use Amazon Music, but the they have a limited selection. I think I read somewhere about uploading CDs to Amazon music, but there was a limit in size unless paying for some premium service - although I suppose that might still be a better solution than paying for Spotify.

It sounds like Spotify wouldn't give me what I want - being able to stream isn't something I need, but being able to download stuff to listen to on my hi-fi / ipods etc. is.

I'll continue buying CDs, and check the details of uploading CDs to Amazon.

ETA : Just looked it up - they do support flac now apparently :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display....

So, something else I was unaware of is Amazon Music Unlimited which massively increases the available songs. I'll try the 30 day free trial of that - although that obviously doesn't help with the Ipods. However I do find Prime Music complements me buying CDs pretty well so a bigger library and still buying CDs might work well.

Edited by davek_964 on Tuesday 28th March 13:08

Edited by davek_964 on Tuesday 28th March 13:33

[anonymous-user]

As above, Spotify is for streaming and whilst you can download the music, you don't own it and you have to go into the app every 30 days or less otherwise the music you've downloaded disappears. I have a family/premium subscription for the family (my kids don't buy music ) and whilst it's good for the gym and discovering music, I still buy the CD to rip to my library if I find something I like. Think of it as somewhere between your music collection and listening to the radio.

Also, with premium you get 320 kb/s which is OK but doesn't sound as good as the real thing if you have a quality hifi to play it through.

Only lossless streaming option I know is Tidal which does sound amazing but the library was a bit limited the last time I looked.

Edit: beware, don't upload your lossless music to Amazon or iTunes match or you'll end up with compressed music when you play it back. Best to rip and store locally.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 28th March 14:21

[Bullett]

I was at a friends the other night and they had Tidal and I thought the selection was pretty good. It had everything I searched for.