curious about mp3 players

[forgotten_aria]

This actually applies to anyone who has their music collection in a big clump such that there is flexible access.

So the question of curiosity is:

How do you listen to your music collection?

For example, my answer is: I make a big list of everything and play it all completely randomly. I have a few play lists, which a rarely listen to, but when I do, it's also completely random.

Comments

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

With iTunes, I can rate my songs on a scale of 0 stars to 5. Some days I listen completely randomly; other days I go to 'Play Favorites' and listen to every five-star song.

[coraline]

it varies a lot.
sometimes i randomize over the whole thing.
sometimes i randomize over a playlist which contains mostly "angry" or "soothing" or "boppy" and sometimes i listen to albums specifically, and sometimes i randomize over an artist...

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

sometimes I listen to my entire collection randomized, sometimes I listed to all of a given artist randomized or load several similar artists all randomized. occasionally I listen to albums in order. unfortunately I think the way a bunch of my music got ripped track numbers weren't saved so they play in alphabetical order. this annoys me since I know it sounds wrong but I don't know the albums quite well enough to put it in the right order.

[oonh.livejournal.com]

I've been very bad about this. For the last few months I've been listening to the same k<10 songs over and over again, and then I remembered how aurally crazy my head was after BM2003, so I started listening to other stuff, though listening to the music collection completely randomized would risk having audio comedy or spoken word podcasts come up, and there's no option on the ipod for (be random, but exclude certain genres).

Also, not having a mac makes things a bit tricky.

[fraterrisus]

iTunes exists for windows; if you're on linux, check out the GTKPod project.

[fraterrisus]

i seem to be part of the small minorty of iPod users who almost always listens to music one album at a time, start to finish, in order.

for this reason, the sometimes-two-second gap between songs on the iPod DRIVES ME !%#@ BALLISTIC.

the odd exception is when i've put together playlists, which are either mix discs that i've made, or the "best of" somebody when i have a really large collection of their stuff (like, Steely Dan or R.E.M.).

[jencallisto]

i usually pick albums to listen to in order. sometimes i'll listen to 2 or more of one artist's albums in a row. what can i say, i like albums, both conceptually and in practice.

[dmaze]

I have an iRiver player (not an iPod) and have been playing with RockBox, an alternative firmware for it. This lets you build up playlists as things are going, which is approximately the greatest thing since sliced bread. So my usual pattern these days is to get a song stuck in my head, play it, and then add in a couple of other things that sound like it. Either that, or I'll throw in several things from the same album instead.

[visage.livejournal.com]

I generally use Launchcast, actually.

When I'm listening to my collection, I'll usually do random across the whole set, but it's not uncommon for me to play whole albums.

[nathanjw]

I used to listen on all-random, but that caused me to get tired of the music I have, so I don't really listen to music much at all any more.

[dcltdw]

I listen to albums.
There are a few playlists I've made, which I also listen to.

I know, boring. :)