Music on Linux

Music Library on Linux

I guess I’ve fallen out of the habit of listening to music while I’m working over the years, but in the last year or two, I’ve started again. And now that I spend so much time in the terminal, I’ve been curious about terminal applications for playing music. Also, acquiring music is very different today than it was even a few years ago. There are so many online services that allow you to stream or download music, it’s amazing, and sometimes it’s free! So rather than simply stream music as I have been, I’ll be depending on my on library and also on expanding my library and my tastes.

downloading music in 2018

apparently no one buys cds anymore, so downloading music tracks and albums is how it’s done nowadays. here are some of the sites you can download music from:

• soundcloud
• bandcamp
• jamendo
• amazon
• google play
• iTunes
• spotify
• library of congress national jukebox
• international music score library project
• archive.org
• the free music archive
• hype machine
• megaupload (now shut down)
• spinner
• last.fm
• stereogum
• ex.fm

I’m sure there are lots more, but these are a start. I remember I used to have a simple iTunes account, and I bought quite a few albums off that service back in the day, back before it was a monthly subscription service.

CDs around the house

There are many, many CDs and DVDs around the house that I could add to the library. Given how many machines I have, it probably makes more sense to have a music/video server in the house. I could also simply buy a device that is already purpose made for that, but honestly, devices die and grow obsolete, and therefore become unusable, thus stranding your music library. That’s no good. Keeping it on a computer with a backup or two across the network makes more sense. The collection can simply be rsynced every so often so all copies are consistent. To me this makes more sense.

I’m just thinking out loud here. But I think that makes the most sense at first blush. Perhaps a Plex Server here at the house, with the collection rsynced two or three places.

But how to rip the music?

Back in the Day…

In the 90s I used an application called Grip. Apparently, that project has languished for some years, but was just recently picked up and dusted off by Johnny Solbu. Thank goodness. A large part of my library has been created by this handy little ripper.

It has been dropped from many distributions due to disuse, but the source tarball is still available. I’m not sure what the dependencies are for building it, but I’ll have to read the sources and see. There might be some instructions available. I’m sure you mainly just need the dev libraries for whatever codecs you’ll be needing.

Perhaps I can provide a write up on my experience if it will help anyone else.

Here Goes!

So I haven’t touched this stuff for many years. I’ve just been listening to the free Spotify app, or maybe listening to some of songs in my library. But I haven’t touched the ripping tools in ages. And I haven’t even explored many of the terminal music players very much. I have been listening to cmus a bit. Sounds good, fun to listen to.

Anyway, there’s lots to learn! Weeeeee!