How to Create a Music Library That’s Truly Yours.
It’s ridiculous that the rhythm of my day can be disrupted by the realization that a favorite song is no longer available on the streaming platform I pay for. As someone who vividly remembers cassette tapes, CDs, and entire hard drives of MP3s, I understand how much we lost when we said yes to streaming services all those years ago.
I’m working on my Warped Tour playlist for the summer, but I keep running into a ton of licensing issues and unavailable music. Gaps are everywhere, and it’s ruining my mood. It’s another unpleasant reminder that I’m simply renting what Spotify offers in my music library. That’s why I started building my music library from scratch. Here’s how to find, buy, and own music in a world that’s completely shifted to streaming.
The best places to buy MP3s
Purchasing and storing MP3 files depends entirely on your musical preferences. If you’re into popular megahits or your favorite grunge band is signed to a major label, you can turn to the major players: Apple and Amazon. Apple’s iTunes Store (it’s still called that!) remains one of the most reliable services offering music “everywhere.” It’s also easy to purchase high-quality AAC files with a bitrate of 256 kbps, which are more efficient than regular MP3s and offer CD-quality sound without being huge files. Just make sure you purchase music through the purple iTunes icon, not the red one. Amazon’s MP3s are DRM-free, typically have a bitrate of 256 kbps, and you can usually find what you need there, even some rare offerings.
If you want to own both digital and physical media, Amazon offers a service called AutoRip . When you purchase a physical CD or vinyl record with the AutoRip logo, Amazon adds the digital version to your cloud library for free. You can stream these purchases through the Amazon Music app without a monthly subscription. Apple also allows you to stream your iTunes purchases directly within the Apple Music app. Even if you don’t pay for a monthly streaming subscription, you can access your old library and stream your existing content directly on the platform.
7digital is widely known as a long-established hidden talent in the world of MP3 purchasing. The service itself serves as a backend provider for other global music services, which is why it has such broad access to music licenses. It’s a UK-based company, so if you listen to more international artists, this is a good choice, as Amazon and Apple offerings can be regionally restricted. 7digital also lets you choose between MP3 and high-resolution FLAC files at checkout.
All three of these services have been around long enough to have a solid track record. If you lose your digital files, Amazon, Apple, and 7digital will let you redownload them through your account.
How to buy music directly from artists
If you’re buying digital music to directly support your favorite band or artist, try Bandcamp before turning to other platforms. It’s one of the few music marketplaces where you can choose the file format—MP3, FLAC, or WAV in some cases—in a single transaction. You can sometimes even add merch and physical media, like vinyl records and CDs, to your cart. Bands like this site because it doesn’t take a huge commission on the artist’s album fee. The Bandcamp app also acts as cloud storage for everything you’ve purchased on the platform, so if you want to listen to music you don’t have on hand, you can access it through the mobile app.
Some bands and artists bypass their labels by using platforms like Patreon or Substack to directly distribute music files to a monthly “fan club.” Others, on the contrary, use direct-to-consumer online stores, such as Polyvinyl , which famously prioritizes a 50/50 revenue-sharing model between artists and labels. The digital store also offers DRM-free, high-resolution files, guaranteeing the artist a fair share of the profits and the buyer the file they actually own.
Where can I buy higher quality digital music?
Even if you’re not planning on replacing your Apple AirPods with a dedicated DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and a pair of serious headphones, you might need even higher-quality digital music, above 256 kbps. You’ll need 24-bit/192 kHz FLAC files, which aren’t available in traditional digital music stores.
Qobuz is a popular service for purchasing high-resolution tracks worldwide, and it’s one of the easiest to use. You can buy what you want in your browser, then use one of the accompanying desktop apps to bulk download files. Qobuz even offers a streaming subscription, which gives you huge discounts on future high-resolution albums and EPs you purchase. This is a great deal if you plan to collect MP3s, and the streaming option allows you to preview the album before purchasing.
Other popular services include HDtracks , which has been around since 2008. Founded by a pair of audio engineers, the site specializes in definitive versions of recordings. It’s a good choice if you have a more classic or traditional rock taste, as 24-bit remasters are usually available for purchase. Bleep is another service aimed at electronic and alternative music enthusiasts, while Boomkat caters to a more experimental and underground niche.
How to copy the contents of your CDs
One of the joys of the return to digital music is that there’s another way to collect it—and truly cement your ownership—by heading to your local record store or used record market for CDs. Yes, CDs, which somehow still exist despite the fact that record players are no longer standard equipment in cars.
Since most modern laptops and computers no longer come equipped with optical drives, favoring slim and sleek designs, you’ll need a simple external CD/DVD drive that connects via USB-C or another connection. Such combo drives are still produced by brands like Asus and LG . They’re easy to find and inexpensive.
Next, you’ll need a music ripping program. For Mac users, Apple Music has the same built-in tool iTunes did years ago, and it’s still a good option. If you need something more powerful, there’s X Lossless Decoder . It’s easy to use, handles album art and track titles well, and is a good choice if you’re very particular about metadata.
If you’re willing to spend a little, dBpoweramp costs around $40 and works on both Mac and PC. Users like it because it simultaneously retrieves track information from multiple databases, ensuring reliable metadata.
Windows users also have a variety of options. Exact Audio Copy is one of the most popular free audio file ripping packages. It uses global metadata to ensure you get audio that sounds like the original, although it takes some time to master. I use Express RIP CD Ripper because I bought a license a long time ago (about $40). It’s fairly simple and works well with most albums I recover from thrift stores. However, it struggles with compilations. I’m still working on a couple of albums in Mp3tag to get the song titles to display correctly.
If you decide to get into CD playing, remember one important thing: always copy files to a lossless format, such as FLAC (Windows) or ALAC (Mac). A high-quality file can be converted to a more compact MP3 file later. However, you will never be able to restore the sound of an MP3 file to the full quality of the original CD.
How to stream your music library now if you own it
Now that you have your own digital music, you’ll likely want to play these files without the cables of your home computer. If you have centralized storage at home and want to connect your library to the internet, Plexamp lets you create your own private streaming service. You can access it from anywhere using the mobile app and stream your files in high definition.
If you don’t want to mess with home servers and prefer to take your music with you, apps like Prism for iOS and Symfonium for Android are ideal for advanced users. Prism connects to cloud services like Plex and iCloud and has an interface worthy of Apple, while Symfonium supports virtually all music formats and even lets you stream music to other devices. You can also purchase a dedicated MP3 player, whether it’s a lesser-known brand or a revived older model, to take your music with you.
Finally, remember the 3-2-1 file ownership rule when managing your music collection: if a song isn’t in three places, it doesn’t exist at all. One copy should be on your main computer or home server, one on an external backup drive, and one in the cloud or physically stored on your bookshelf. Yes, it requires maintenance, but at least you own what you listen to.