While streaming services deliver music-listening convenience by the bucket load, there's a lot to be said for taking the time to build your own digital music collection.
Whether meagre artist payouts or a desire for better sound are fuelling your move, or you simply find yourself forking out a monthly subscription for music you already have shoved in a loft somewhere, there are plenty of reasons why a digital music collection makes perfect sense.
But if the last time you built a digital music library was on an old iPod shuffle with some — ahem — questionably sourced MP3s, you may be wondering how you go about doing it, what kit you'll need and the ways you can listen. Thankfully, this handy guide should help you get your own digital music system up and running.
Why should you set one up?
So why might you want to build one at home in the first place? Firstly, at-home digital music libraries offer a more permanent alternative to music streaming services. Once one is set up, there are no additional fees to pay or ongoing monthly subscriptions, nor is there the chance that songs you love might simply disappear as licensing agreements change.
Not just that, but you can feel happy in the knowledge that you have supported the artists you love by doing exactly what most of them would want you to do, which is to buy — and not stream — their music.
It's also a particularly good idea if you already have an extensive “owned” music collection — be that a physical one in vinyl or CDs that you'd
