I prefer a good old CD. I have never downloaded digital music, unless it is a ring tone on my phone. Therefore, I prefer to buy CDs that I want something tangible for my money and I like to read the subtitles while listening to music.

I get my music from other producers, a lot of them I have known for many years.

I run a couple of labels and have a radio show, so I am never starved for fresh unreleased music.

if I purchase music, I buy from digital-tunes.net because they offer wav files for the same price as mp3's

i buy CD's. i refuse to pay for less than 16bit 44.1khz quality unless it's 1 song that i know i won't buy the full album. with a good DAC and nice headphones, it's still worth it for a good listen. can't afford to re-buy everything in vinyl.

lately i buy all my CD's off Amazon. if hip indie music stores were friendlier i'd still buy the discs in person, but sadly not so.

Do you mean like downloading from iTunes or from *ahem* "less costly" sites?

I for one refuse to pay the Apple Tax on music, and I do buy my music from legal but dirt-cheap overseas shops.

If it is legal and ethical for a USA company to manufacture their product overseas at lower labor costs, then nobody can tell me I don't have a right to legally purchase music from a foreign website at prices that reflect the cost of music in that country.

I was referring with to PirateBay and other p2p sites. Hoho.

Since Spotify came along I've focused my music purchases there. When I find music I really like, I buy it as a download even I don't have any concrete reason to since I have Spotify with me where ever I go. I just make sure the artists I like get bigger share from the music because even I have premium subscription the royalties from Spotify plays are lousy. Too much "freeloaders" I guess. All Twisted Records related purchases I buy from their own webshop.

I need to try Spotify one of these days. Right now my music collection of past stuff is pretty extensive. To hear new stuff (emerging electronic music) sometimes I will just download an entire compilation set (the ones that have like 50 tracks on them that would cost $35US if bought onshore), then listen to it at the gym on the treadmill with the ipod nano. Oddly enough its during these runs / music listening sessions that I think musical ideas/inspiration hit me the hardest (maybe endorphins and what not?). I think to run Spotify at the gym I'd have to use my phone and that would be klunkier than the tiny nano (not to mention I would sweat all over it and probably break it).

Spotify is the greatest comercial music distribution innovation, hands down. I can't even count the new bands and artists that I have found via Spotify. The "Related Artists" feature is awesome. Just pick one of your favourite artists and then check the "Related Artists" list and give alisten to ones you don't know yet. One other awesome thing in Spotify is that it contains even the most obscure records. I've dug up loads of old italian progressive rock and all kinds of traditional folk music from there that can't even be found from YouTube. If you have a chance to give it a shot, do not hesitate!

I wish I could pay more for that service. Now it costs 9.90€ per month for the most expensive Premium subscription but I'd gladly pay twice as much just to keep this service alive. Spotify is apparently struggling to keep going due to low financial income since most of the users are on the Spotify free that has ads like comercial radio. The ads don't apparently generate very much income and the whole business relies more-or-less on the subscribers. It would be huge loss if Spotify would go bankrupt.

I can hand on heart say...I don't think I've ever downloaded music illegally.

I'm a music lover and collector....and there is no pride of ownership or enjoyment out of acquiring something for nothing. I just like having something tangible...preferably vinyl because it sounds better...or CD.

I guess I'm different from most people. I look at others in the street playing with their phones...listning on their iPod...and I just don't get it. What is the appeal listning to crappy compressed audio on a noisy bus/train? Obliterating your ears in the process.

The way forward is high end audio...prefarably turntables and CD. Yeeehaaaw!

grooveshark.com has lots more artists and songs than spotify, and is fee with no annoying audio ads