How do you listen to music?

I'm with you, Z3Dreamer, I have all my CDs ripped to my Plex server, and put some MP3s on there, too, and now I use Plexamp to download and play my playlists, mostly when I'm in my car via Android Auto, as it has a decent Meridian system. At home I'm usually playing music off my server or YouTube over my earbuds, or occasionally out of my phone speakers (when I'm folding laundry; my phone sits nicely in the lint trap handle, where the handle indent acts as a nice acoustic amplifier).

For convenience, I also have the CDs in a CD album, since I've had to re-rip them a couple of times, and I think I got rid of most of the jewel cases, although some are sitting in an old filing cabinet drawer in a closet.

I do pay for XM Radio, but it's $6/car/month, and my spouse uses it a lot. I may drop it eventually in my car, but there have been a couple of times where I've listened to my favorite stations (52 & 53).
 
I'm with you, Z3Dreamer, I have all my CDs ripped to my Plex server, and put some MP3s on there, too, and now I use Plexamp to download and play my playlists, mostly when I'm in my car via Android Auto, as it has a decent Meridian system. At home I'm usually playing music off my server or YouTube over my earbuds, or occasionally out of my phone speakers (when I'm folding laundry; my phone sits nicely in the lint trap handle, where the handle indent acts as a nice acoustic amplifier).
Once my Plex playlists are set up, they are so easy to use. Where I struggle is when I have to go into Plex and do anything - update server software, login, add music. I find Plex exceedingly difficult to work with. And those that write up the instructions on their website do not see me as their primary audience. I think they put too many inside jokes in the instructions and/or are speaking to code writers. Your thoughts?
 
Once my Plex playlists are set up, they are so easy to use. Where I struggle is when I have to go into Plex and do anything - update server software, login, add music. I find Plex exceedingly difficult to work with. And those that write up the instructions on their website do not see me as their primary audience. I think they put too many inside jokes in the instructions and/or are speaking to code writers. Your thoughts?
Updating the software is very easy for me, I run it on my QNAP NAS (TS-451), and I can just install the latest package. Logging in isn't an issue for me either, and I have a 4-digit PIN on my account because it's the admin account. (I have a [Cosmic]Family account that we use for watching.) Adding content took a lot of tweaking, because of naming conventions and folders and such, and I still have a lot of trouble getting the album artwork to load in many cases, but I don't really care that much about that. The worst part for me is subtitling, as I didn't burn in the subtitles (record video with them on), I am relying on Plex and the SubZeroSubtitles agent, which I don't really understand and just follow instructions on. For that, it occasionally gets the wrong subtitles and I can't seem to fix it.

It used to be worse, I did have to research some Linux commands on my last NAS, but I haven't had to do that in many years.

It's not the friendliest, but I have been wanting to be able to stream my digitized content since CDs were new, so I'm very happy with Plex....especially since I got a lifetime PlexPass years ago, when they went on sale for $75.
 
Updating the software is very easy for me, I run it on my QNAP NAS (TS-451), and I can just install the latest package. Logging in isn't an issue for me either, and I have a 4-digit PIN on my account because it's the admin account. (I have a [Cosmic]Family account that we use for watching.) Adding content took a lot of tweaking, because of naming conventions and folders and such, and I still have a lot of trouble getting the album artwork to load in many cases, but I don't really care that much about that. The worst part for me is subtitling, as I didn't burn in the subtitles (record video with them on), I am relying on Plex and the SubZeroSubtitles agent, which I don't really understand and just follow instructions on. For that, it occasionally gets the wrong subtitles and I can't seem to fix it.

It used to be worse, I did have to research some Linux commands on my last NAS, but I haven't had to do that in many years.

It's not the friendliest, but I have been wanting to be able to stream my digitized content since CDs were new, so I'm very happy with Plex....especially since I got a lifetime PlexPass years ago, when they went on sale for $75.
I need to invest some time in figuring out accounts and what the crown in one of my users means. It used to be that most of my playlists failed in Plex on Roku, but now they work. I did not cause that. Plex has added strange artist names to many of my music and forget the album artwork. Plus every time there is a revised Plex version (about once a quarter), Alexa fails to play any Plex music until I upgrade the software on my Synology NAS. But for streaming my tunes, it is great.

I should get that lifetime pass but just don't see what it adds.
 
The crown is the admin user/account owner. Think of the other users on your server like profiles in streaming apps, they're for consuming content, and can be limited.
 
We use free Pandora and YouTube for music listening at home, in the car, out camping, on foot, wherever.

I do have some old recordings of live performances and radio shows (things such as decades old recordings of "A Prairie Home Companion" for example) that we occasionally listen to.

Despite being geezer technophobes, we found that getting Pandora and YouTube running on our smart phones and listening via ear buds, blue tooth speakers, the car audio system, etc., was really easy.
 
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I need to invest some time in figuring out accounts and what the crown in one of my users means. It used to be that most of my playlists failed in Plex on Roku, but now they work. I did not cause that. Plex has added strange artist names to many of my music and forget the album artwork. Plus every time there is a revised Plex version (about once a quarter), Alexa fails to play any Plex music until I upgrade the software on my Synology NAS. But for streaming my tunes, it is great.

I should get that lifetime pass but just don't see what it adds.
The biggest feature of Plex Pass is the ability to download media to a computer or phone, so you can watch/listen offline, or with a poor connection. I don't know if it's worth the current cost, but when I bought it, I think we were still on 3G data, so even a good connection wasn't that great!

For music, have you tried "Refresh all Metadata"?
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Just updated using the methodology you suggested. That fixed a bunch. Thanks.

Most of the music is now correct. Two types of errors still exist. A handful of artists are just wrong. For example, the picture that goes with Barry Manilow is a picture of Heart. I just went into my library, clicked on the artist, selected edit and chose a correct pic of Barry. So, I am going to try Belinda Carlisle next. She is also a picture of Heart.

Other issue, and this is about 20 albums or more. There is an artist named R Dean Taylor - He did Indiana wants me. For some reason Plex thinks he was the artist on all of my "AM Gold - 60's", Eagles greatest hits, Handel's Messiah, Ravel's Bolero and other Classics. I think I can fix this but I need to decide who the artist is. Is it Dick Clark for an album that has some of his All-Time favorites or do I want a name such as Various Artists or do I want to name the real artist on all 40 songs in the collection?

Thanks for your help.
 
Just updated using the methodology you suggested. That fixed a bunch. Thanks.

Most of the music is now correct. Two types of errors still exist. A handful of artists are just wrong. For example, the picture that goes with Barry Manilow is a picture of Heart. I just went into my library, clicked on the artist, selected edit and chose a correct pic of Barry. So, I am going to try Belinda Carlisle next. She is also a picture of Heart.

Other issue, and this is about 20 albums or more. There is an artist named R Dean Taylor - He did Indiana wants me. For some reason Plex thinks he was the artist on all of my "AM Gold - 60's", Eagles greatest hits, Handel's Messiah, Ravel's Bolero and other Classics. I think I can fix this but I need to decide who the artist is. Is it Dick Clark for an album that has some of his All-Time favorites or do I want a name such as Various Artists or do I want to name the real artist on all 40 songs in the collection?

Thanks for your help.
I've got the same issue with images missing, and I just fix them manually, too. As for "various artists" or in general singles or compilations, those are really a judgement call, there's no good solution that I know of. You can just pick what makes sense to you and manually change the metadata to fit that. Glad the refresh helped, though.
 
Apple Music including in the car.

We also own a large library, ripped from owned CDs or via iTunes.
 
When at home I listen to my Albums (records, vinyl, however you want to say it), am thinking of getting a blue-tooth adapter to pump it out to my back deck. I also have a Sonos that I listen to Amazon or Pandora on. When in my car I listen to Sirius XM. My truck is 2002 and I listen to FM radio for music or AM for talk radio.
 
Update from OP. Wanted to thank Cosmic Avenger for giving me some pointers on Plex. I am now getting more enjoyment from Plex. I use it all the time.

Now on to Amazon Music Unlimited. They have 5 months free so I signed up. I like that it has lyrics.

It appears that you can import a playlist but you must use 3rd party software that wants a subscription after 500 songs. Well, it got about 65% correct. What I mean is that it did not give me the correct artist and song. Hall & Oates - Abandoned Luncheonette came across as a modern Hip Hop song. So, my guess is that importing playlists is a discouraged feature. Oh, I imported an M3U format list, which I think is a common format. I exported it from iTunes.

Making a playlist from scratch appears to be a painful exercise. I think what you are supposed to do is start playing music from Android or iOS. As a song plays, if you like it, you hit the "+" button to add it to My Music. Or hit the 3 dots and add it to a playlist. Then using your android or iOS device begin playing My Music or My Playlist. Commands are different between Roku, Android and PC. That's fine. I will figure it out.

I think you are supposed to pick an existing Station or Playlist and modify as you here songs you like or dislike.
It works well on Alexa.

Any pointers?
 
Now on to Amazon Music Unlimited. They have 5 months free so I signed up. I like that it has lyrics.


Any pointers?

I got the same offer and signed up for it.

Where are the lyrics to be found?

So far, I'm liking the HD FLAC sound quality. However, the user interface is kind of clunky. You choose to search for a song, an artist, or an album. Let's say you pick a song and start playing it. Now you want to find another song to put in your queue. There's a lot of back-arrow, back-arrow, back-arrow to get back to the main search page. Just seems like there is a lot of unnecessary navigation when a simple Home Menu button would get you back to your starting point.

I haven't tried to build a playlist as yet. I presume there are YouTube videos on how to do this.
 
Where are the lyrics to be found?

So far, I'm liking the HD FLAC sound quality. However, the user interface is kind of clunky. You choose to search for a song, an artist, or an album. Let's say you pick a song and start playing it. Now you want to find another song to put in your queue. There's a lot of back-arrow, back-arrow, back-arrow to get back to the main search page. Just seems like there is a lot of unnecessary navigation when a simple Home Menu button would get you back to your starting point.
Sorry, I am testing on multiple platforms. Amazon Music on Roku shows the lyrics. I do not see this feature on Android app. OTOH, many features on Android are not on the Roku channel. For example, I am playing Who wants to live forever by Queen on Roku Amazon Music. I want to add it to My Music or some playlist. NOT an option. However, I can play it on Android and while listening add it to anything I want.
 
I keep digital music on my phone. So, in the car I listen to that via Android Auto. In the gym I stream to my ear buds. At home I still have all my vintage gear; Sansui Amp, Technics turntable and big speakers. I began to rebuild my vinyl collection and now I listen to that while I read or when I want to focus on the music and relax. I still have CD's too, but I haven't listened to them for a while.
 
Uploaded my entire collection to Youtube music during the pandemic times when comcast offered unlimited data caps since we were all home schooling.

Otherwise sometimes the radio, or Spotify as I have some friends who are artists on there. I rarely "rip" a song to the local server, if ever now after the pandemic since I pay for YT Music. Sort of a new expense for us, but all my kids have their playlists on there. even the 4 year old.
 
Mostly I listen to my music over the PC (my owned music ripped) while I'm browsing the net. I also listen to CDs (local radio is horrific) when driving, but thanks to covid, I don't drive much anymore. I used to belong to Pandora but IMO their channels kinda sucked and when I created my own and they tried to add "similar music" to it, that sucked too. It seems their library is rather weak as I'd soon hear the same stuff over and over.
 
USB's in car and truck, CD in subrban. CD, Record player, Reel to Reel (TEAC) or saved stuff on laptop or desktop via external amp and good speakers at home.
 
At home I listen to CDs ripped to Apple Music and Internet radio on a Bose system through wi-fi. While driving I use a FM transmitter dongle to play music on the car speakers from my iPhone through Bluetooth.
 
Anyone with XM (or whatever it is now), how is that going? I thought I heard someone say they sometimes have ads now? ? IMO the whole point of getting it was no ads.
 
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