When you have a lot of new music, how do you approach it?
 

Out of curiosity, I was wondering how you guys dealt with alot of new music when you get around 5-10 new cds. Do you listen to them all once and then go from there or do you tackle one album at a time listening to that one album maybe 5-10 times before moving on to the next one? What do you find is the easiest and most enjoyable way to listen to new music?

Also, how much do you guys think music is worth per hour? When I buy a 5 dollar cd that is one hour long, ideally I want to listen to that album at least 10 times, so for me, music is generally worth 50 cents for an hour. I guess I'm a little obsessive with getting my moneys worth.

I usual pick a couple to focus on then set the others aside for later. That makes it feel like I'm getting new stuff when I finally move on to the ones I've set aside.

I'm sure this sounds cheesy to some people but I really don't think you can put a monetary value on art.

I could go weeks without listening to an album I just got. Of course I could just listen to them all at once, but I would eventually lose interest. There is always that one point where you are browsing your selectiong, in my case, my iPod for on the go, and you see that album and you think "I'm going to give this a listen". That's what I find works best for me. I also try to not do anything when listening to a new album, just so I could focus on it. Then everytime I listen to it after that it doesn't matter what I'm doing. I also try not to make the mistake of listening to the **** out of an album, and than start to despise it because it's "overplayed", but it's my own fault.

As for the hours go, I have no idea what you are ****ing talking about.

I generally only obtain and absorb an album at a time, unless it's for a discography of a single artist. In that case, I always go from earliest to latest. I generally listen to an album several times before moving on to the next, unless I immediately think the album is crap upon the first listen.

When I download several (or many) albums at once, I will pick one to start with and digest it, and then listen to the rest once I feel I'm in the right "mood" to do so, which might not be for weeks or months after the download date

I download an album by a band I have not heard of at a time, and if i like that album, I will download another one by them and so on. I can do this with 10 bands a day if i really get in the mood.

I usually get into a style at a time. Right now i am on post-hardcore. I tend to get into obsessions like that. Like if I like a band, I try to find something in that style, then something in the style of that band and so on..

I like to get into scenes. I can listen to one styles for weeks, sometimes months on end.

I remember when I got into Johnny Cash and had to get everything I could by him and I listened to him almost exsclusively for about 6 months. I tend to go through obsessions like that.

i usually start listening to an album, and if it doesn't catch my attention within the first 3 or 4 songs I just put it aside and listen to the next. This is a little problematic though because i have a **** ton of albums that i havent listened to all the way through and possibly won't ever (just because of how much music i download).

Seeing as I have a background in Electronic music, I'm good at this. On a daily basis I check out around 30-50 songs from a WIDE variety of genres, so I'm accustomed to speed listening. Especially considering that some songs, especially Progressive House and Trance ones, can run around 7-9 minutes each.

My technique is simple. I skip through some songs and get the general feel of an album. If it doesn't jive with me, I'll get rid of it. I'm very finicky, so that's usually the case. And when I say "doesn't jive", I mean I don't enjoy the feeling or tone of it. I could care less about lyrics and nuances and technique. It's all about feeling for me.

When I purchase that many albums at a time, most of them get neglected for the favourites from the batch. Alas.

I have to go through and listen to them all at least once. Most of the time I will find standout tracks that I really get attached to and I will end up repeating said tracks for the next few days.

This. But I try my best to access them later and get into them!

You have 30 seconds to impress me

GO !!!

I never end up listening to everything I get. Once or twice a year, I try to go through my library and give cursory listens to stuff I forgot I had. Most of it usually gets binned.

D:\Downloads\Music\Listen
I just have this folder in which I collect the music I still have to listen to.
I just zap through the tracks and when I like it, the album goes to
D:\Music\Albums\Artist Name\Album Title :D

When I buy a lot of records at once, I just put them in a little rack in my studio room instead of in my record cabinet.
I'll just listen to them and I'll move the ones I've listened to to my record cabinet :)

Really simple.

^
This is brilliant.

I know, I don't know why no one else does this :D.

Pretty good idea.
For me, I just drop the new album(s) on my desktop and listen from there. This works for me because I absolutely can't stand anything being on my desktop, so the longer it's there, the more incentive I have to listen to it and then properly tag and store it.

I will admit that I have never thought to separate my music like that. I will be doing this moving forward for sure.

I have a folder for new stuff too, but I randomly DL too much stuff so I often lack motivation to hear it.

I REALLY cannot stand anything on my desktop, so I make a 'cleanup' folder and throw everything in there. So that doesn't work.

Haha... yea I used to have a folder called "Transit" that served as a temporary storage place until I sorted out where everything should go, but after a while I realized that it just collected random stuff that I'd never get around to sorting. Out of sight, out of mind.
Now I just leave stuff on the desktop until I get so annoyed that I'm forced to sort everything into its proper place.
This works for me, because it doesn't take long for me to get to that point... meaning, if I have more than 2 or 3 things on my desktop, I have reached my breaking point. lol...

That's gotta be some kind of compulsive behavior, no?

Yeah. I cannot make myself do it so I just get annoyed.
Not working :D
But if it works for you it's a good method :)

Download a couple of albums at a time. Listen to them in order and then decide whether they warrant another listen. I have a separate HD for my music (well 2 actually) and albums only make it onto the sacrificial altar for serious dissection.

I always put albums into My Music folder first. On rare occasions they can sit and fester for a while until I see fit to tear them apart. If they are REALLY good then I will buy said album on C.D. When I buy C.D's I rarely blind buy (unless I see something intriguing knocking around for £2 or under) so when I do buy C.D'S I am buying something that is definitely wanted.

Even if I had the money I would not buy 5-10 C.D's without hearing them at least once. No need to really with the internet being what it is.

So to answer your question- you have more money than me at this time and are probably over buying and not giving enough attention to each album.

My method isn't quite as sophisticated as some previously depicted ones.
I download it all and it sits there unlistened to for about six months or until I decide I'm in the mood to try something new.

So to answer the OP question briefly: I don't.

I actually leave most of the music I download in a downloads folder and when it's unzipped and listened to after about a week or two. I go through that folder and sort everything out.

If I do have a method, then it's beyond analysis. I just listen.

I download 18 albums at a time from a list of classifications (ie: 3 new releases, 2 2010 releases, 3 albums from the 90s, 3 by artists I already listen to, etc.).

I listen to 15 of these, generally over the course of a week, and leave a pool of 3 behind to allow me to procrastinate stuff I'm not as interested in.

I rate these releases on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 means I never want to hear it again, and 5 means it is a top priority. Then I delete the download from my computer.

I then purchase anything I want to hear again, typically coming from section 5 on the list, and from there I listen willy nilly.

I add new music to my collection, then listen to it when I find the motivation. If I like a musician in a band, I might check out what that musician has done in other bands and so on and that's often how I check out new things these days .. Or that I read about something which interests me.

I don't often sit down to listen to a band I don't know with people I don't know in it. I generally have very little motivation to do so.

I'm also curious to know, when you guys listen to new music, do you do something while listening to it? (browsing the web, reading, playing video games, exercising)

I like to drink a beer while listening to music.
I shouldn't be typing too actively because I will miss out on the music then.
Usually I'm behind my PC while listening so I usually am doing something.

I am NEVER around people when listening to NEW music, as I always try to make people feel comfortable while they're here so I usually adjust the music I play to the people I have over. That's not possible with new music so I never feel good listening to new music with people over. Except for my ex-girlfriend, who has absolutely the same taste as I to and one of my friends, Bauke, who is over so often that I just do whatever I want (well... not everything obviously) when he's over. And he taps his foot on whatever I play. So that's cool anyway.

How I approach things depends, but normally I listen to first few tracks (3 at most 4) and maybe one towards the end if it has an interesting title. Some stuff I get from blogs though I listen to every song. But when I say listen to the songs I don't mean all the way through, songs are normally simple enough to be able to get an idea of them by listening to a bit of the verse and chorus. And in some cases the song might sound so generic I might be able to see where it is going from the start. I think the more I look through the better for me, so for most things they have one chance (if I know the style anyway as popular music is normally quite simple). But songs I do like have to prove it for a second time after an interval as well.

When I purchase a lot of albums at the same time, I put them in front of my record player and let them lie there until I've listened to them carefully - after that I'll transfer the music to my laptop, and THEN I'll 'allow' myself to put them in my record cabinet. That's my way of making sure that I don't forget or miss out on any cool music....

To be honest, I just download the records I bought.
I'm not going trough the trouble to record them to my PC (altough it is always set up & ready to do so hear) as I will play the record if I want quality either way. I just have all my music on my PC to be able to share it easily or to have a quick listen.

But it's not always possible to find them online ... that is, if it is underground music.

Usually when I'm listening to new music I'm either on the web or reading a magazine. I find listening to new music while studying or working on an assignment very distractive as I end up focusing on the music.

I try not to get too much music on the one go. When I get something new I like to listen to it as soon as possible and listen to it a few times to really take it in. Too much new music at once can be a bit too daunting and overwhelming.

True.
In that case I also record them to my PC.
And share them, obviously! May be illegal, but I like to share good music that no one can find :)

i just listen to all my new acquisitions end to end

and continue the next day if I can't finish all in a day

I will generally make a compilation disc featuring two or three songs of my most recent purchases that way I can get a taste of each album without having to carry them around with me. These days most of my music listening is when I'm driving in my car.

s_k... we may have to do some sharing...

I put all my new music I buy/download on a playlist called "unrated." Then I steadily work through it in alphabetical order, or whatever I feel like listening to at any given time. I will listen to everything at least once or twice, and then eventually rate it.

Right now that list is 1.2 days long. It's gonna take a while.