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>Streaming audio services decimated private trackers like What and Waffles Citation needed. Private trackers are and were always for data hoarders and bitrate
by layoutIfNeeded 7y ago
>Streaming audio services decimated private trackers like What and Waffles
Citation needed.
Private trackers are and were always for data hoarders and bitrate freaks. The average Spotify subscriber was never the target audience of private trackers.
- derekdahmer 7y agoData hoarders are certainly a segment but as a long time what.cd member I completely stopped downloading music once I had a spotify subscription. For me, torrenting was an inconvenient means to an ends (low cost unlimited access to music)
- chucksmash 7y agoYep! Was a semi-dedicated what user (hosted a certain rather large language learning collection on a seedbox for the ratio, used daily). Spotify/others handle the 90% case for me, though I do miss the curation. Also the security that comes with "no matter what happens, at least I've got the files I care about on hard drives I control"
- bredren 7y agoI too dealt with a lot of audio torrents prior to streaming services. Another big change for me was the industry got wise to leaks. Now when an album leaks, the labels have a plan to immediately offer it for streaming on a major service or even media partner like NPR. One of the major values of private Audio trackers was you got to hear stuff way before other people. Even this has been largely taken away. (Though sometimes the previews are now only a few songs)