How do you listen to music?

[Tiresias]

I'm just wondering where do most people listen to their music? I'm either headphones at a laptop, listening to albums, or slightly shamefully hittling shuffle a bit often. I used to listen driving a lot (yes sometimes I'd extend a drive to finish a CD...) but not really using a car a lot. Listening walking a long is alright but often find it doesn't sink in. I have nowhere near the time I used to dedicate time to listening though, it has rather been backgrounded somewhat.

I am trying to actively make playlists atm, I'm listening to a lot of trip-hoppy stuff atm and trying not to be so scatterbrained. I find that some music works differently on when and how ones listen to it and I wonder how much people's taste in music adapts to the circumstances in which they listen to it, does someone who spends a lot of time on the road listen to the softer end of folk a lot? I know I'd tend to go for more sing-a-long stuff (strictly while no-one else is in the car you understand).

On a side here's current playlist thought I'd post up, I know people who maintain a huge sprawling one, and I do too but trying to put some thought into it atm.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6202/playlist.JPG

[Rotlung]

Double-topic?

As a student in university, I spend a little too much time on the computer, and through these crappy laptop speakers. Back home I listen with better speakers though. Sometimes I run through albums, but most of the time I put everything on shuffle, since I don't intend to devote too much attention to what I listen to when I'm studying (which doesn't work since the music is a little too distracting most of the time).

Otherwise, my most preferred way of listening is either just one particular artist, or one particular album (preferred listening approach for classic rock, personally). I'm a little more flexible when it comes to metal, usually being much more willing to just shuffle all my metal songs.

I don't drive very often, and when I do, I prefer something that isn't distracting, so it's normally just the radio or classic rock. Haven't tried driving with heavier stuff, hopefully I get back in one piece to talk about the experience...

I personally dislike listening using headphones or earphones in general. The best would be a good set of speakers for me. It's also a lot easier on the ears I guess, since you don't stick something very close to your ears to listen to stuff, which is probably very important if you listen to a lot of hard rock or metal.

[CommissarRezail]

I mostly listen to music while playing world of tanks. Mostly for a couple of reasons. World of tanks musics suck, big time, and the type of music alters my mood and thus alters how i play. Fast music, make me mad and angry and wants to run my tank intoa fury ball of fire up the enemy ass. Slow music leaves me being defensive and accurate.

Sadly has no effect on the crew go figure..

Also driving music never hurts, just can't listen to anything to up beat...

[Richter]

I listen to it a lot driving. Mostly because it's the time I'm totally alone and can go apeshit to whatever music I like. Every other time, I listen to it with headphones. I'm really quite shy around real people when it comes to my music tastes.

I use to listen to a lot of music whilst attempting to write fiction, and I've actually got an idea to actively incorporate lyrics into some form of book. That was always in a car, before I could actually drive

Now I listen to music mostly when gaming, driving, or when in guitar mode at my desk.

[Croaxleigh]

Most of the time I listen to the radio or CDs in the car, but I've got about 200+ albums on my computer that I occasionally listen to as well. Don't listen as much at the computer as I used to when I was single and living by myself (like Richter I'm a bit shy about my music since I have some weird tastes, and the girlfriend has VERY different musical tastes than I do), though I listen a bit more now that I've got headphones.

[Kapp'n]

I source most of my music through online methods, so I typically listen to music on my PC. I use services such as Soundcloud and Youtube to build playlists, and I tune into Radio 1 on religiously a Friday night for their '12 hours of dance' feature. My computer is hooked up to my Q Acoustics floorstanding speakers so its a nice little set up to use.

Having recently bought a smart phone, I can now take my online playlists on the go thanks to a 3G connection or wifi hotspots. I commute every day via bus (it has a wifi hotspot on-board) so it's always nice to have such a vast array of music in your pocket for those long travels.

PS. Dj Shadow - Moonlight in a Perfect World. Good choice!

[OhJohnNo]

I mostly listen to albums at a time. Sadly I can only do headphones on my iPod Shuffle (tiny little thing), as my speakers have no plug for 'em - a shame, as I love them, you can pick up so much more detail so much more easily. When doing work, I sometimes like to put on a nice inoffensive album (live albums suit this well) that I'm not likely to become too distracted by.

When playing multiplayer on games, I put my entire 1200+ song library on shuffle. Pink Floyd and other quiet stuff generally suits me best for my shooters, as it makes me more cautious and analytical - heavier stuff fills me with RAAAAAGE and I invariably lose a lot when it comes on too many times.

As for playlists, I sometimes like to group together songs linked in some way into an album-sized playlist, e.g Spess (a pair of them), because I realised I had a lot of songs that related to SPAAAAAACE in some way including Starship Trooper (Yes), Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd), Albedo 0.39 (Vangelis), etc. That's only the tip of thei ceberg though, I have millions of the damn playlists and I've listened to all of them about once before getting bored and forgetting about them.

[LoneWolf666]

Lucky enough to have an audiophile father, so an entire setup in my basement, vinyl or cd (around 2k and counting to choose from, so something for everyone - but a LOT of it is jazz and reggae). This makes listening to music an activity in itself, so not doing anything else while enjoying the sound. Otherwise speakers on PC while doing whatever (playlist depending on mood, shuffled). I have trouble concentrating so anything more engaging than lounge/electronica is a no-go if I'm doing anything important. Singalongs for the car - if alone, obviously. :p Mostly progrock.

Oddly enough I never play my own music while gaming, unless it's a Paradox grand strategy game - the in-game soundtracks are just too repetitve for the long haul.

[Rotlung]

The only time I actually listen to music when gaming is the occasional game on DoW, with heavy metal and other metal variants. But that's once in a while (even for DoW, I play mostly without music). Many games have interesting background music that is meant to add to the experience, and where music is not crucial to the experience, having another source of music is probably distracting at best (eg need to listen to footsteps in Counterstrike, or manage your economy in 4X games).

[Inquisitor Lok]

For me, it all depends on what im doing and where im doing said activity. If im driving ill just play whatever im in the mood for (tends to be more vocal music as i like to sing along and dont tend to do that when im home unless no one else is there xD). If im on my computer just doing work or browsing the interwebz, ill stream typically from soundcloud or the odd time from youtube. If im studying, ill listen to (almost always) solely instrumental music as i find i focus much more and my quality of work goes up (during my exams over the last two weeks, i nearly only listened to the soundtracks from the Pacific, Deus Ex, District 9 and Inception) and finally if im playing or streaming starcraft ill play my Grooveshark playlist which is mainly dominated by electronic and orchestrated music (cause Two Steps from Hell works wonders due the epicness xD)

My grooveshark playlist: http://grooveshark.com/#/inquisitorj/music

[Shoota Fodder]

I mostly listen to music on the way to Uni. It's a one hour commute, almost exactly, on public transport so I just plug in my Zune (Yes, I own one) and melt into my own wee world. Normally I listen to a full album. It's one hour, so that can fit in virtually anything apart from the occasional double album. Recently, I've been listening to Mike Oldfield, Genesis, Yes, Druid and a few other progressive rock type albums. It's nice to have a regular opportunity, twice a day, to listen to a full concept album.

Otherwise, I have some nice speakers with an excellent subwoofer hooked up to my computer. Normally I listen to some dubstep, trance or just about anything electro. I tend to avoid using those speakers for classic rock or anything older than the 80s. Metal is good, but anything else and the sub drowns out most of the music. Older albums just don't seem equalised well for bassy speakers.

Then occasionally, if I can't sleep or I'm feeling troubled, I'll hook up the old hi-fi I acquired and have sitting in my room and listen to something long and calming. Something like the Blade Runer Soundtrack by Vangelis or Oxegene by Jean Michel Jarre. Sort of old, deep 80s electronic music. I'll just listen with the light out and melt into my bed.

[Harmanoff]

I used to listen when i read books or in headphones on the subway or bus. On occasion i'd sit down and listen to music and do nothing else but mostly i did it while doing something else.

These days it feels like i hardly listen to music at all. There are two major reasons for this. One is i ride my bike pretty much everywhere and having earphones while cruising is next to suicide imo. Second is i've developed into a complete practice freak and whenever i have the time i play guitar instead of listening to others play guitar. On some level i suppose you could say that is a kind of listening.. but there's still a world of difference. And of course, i work as an audio engineer so i can't really listen to music while working either.

This is a conscious choice of course. I love playing and i love biking, can't see myself giving up either. But i do miss trying to suck up as much music as possible.

[szeos]

headphones in train

[QuixotesGhost]

I mainly listen to stimulate me creatively or intellectually when I have work that requires it - basically to pump me up for the task at hand. I have pretty limited musical tastes (Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Bright Eyes, The Decemberists, Johnny Cash, Joanna Newsome), and haven't really sought out new music for a while now. I generally just open Youtube videos for my listening needs, except for Joanna Newsome - all her stuff on there is her live stuff and I don't like her live stuff.

[corncobman]

<SMARTASS MODE> With my ears! </END SMARTASS MODE>

I usually have a random playlist on my music player and use earphones, but when I'm on the bus or train I use noise cancelling headphones. I also use earphones when I'm on my computer.

[Kalimac]

When I'm home I listen to music with my in-ear headphones, using Spotify or in some cases youtube if the song isn't available at Spotify. I have a few different playlists that I cycle between depending on mood and what I'm doing at the time. When I'm on the tram I have an old 2GB chinese iPod knockoff which works decently, and I use the same headphones there.