Musical Addiction

Kold

I think I might have it.. In a bad sense. I download a lot, but when I like something, I need a hard copy and spend quite a bit on music (more than my means). I just need to keep up with stuff and if I really like it then I just have to spend 70 quid to see them live. I have music playing all the time, when I leave the house I have to have my ipod. I have big ass headphones that do me most of the time but if I have buds in my bag at all times just in case the cans will look ridiculous.

I have sleep playlists consisting of post rock and ambient electronica. In fact I can't really sleep without music.
I do party playlists for friends whenever we go boozing (a lot).
I have a calming playlist just incase I get a bit stressed.

I feel very weird when I don't have music, this is the real worrying point. If I'm in studio I really want to blast speakers but this isn't really possible as I share spaces so I've headphones most of the day. I also find that my attention span has been obliterated. I've always felt that an album should be a complete work rather than a collection of songs yet I can barely sit through a full album now unless it's quite spectacular.

I know people in a musical forum are going to love music- but what makes you an addict?

MooseJam

I don't think you can be addicted to music, you can like it a lot though, I wouldn't say you have a problem, no harm at all in having an interest in music, you are going wrong at the I need a hard copy bit, just stick to downloading you are wasting your money tbh

Earthhorse

Kold wrote: »

I have big ass headphones that do me most of the time but if I have buds in my bag at all times just in case the cans will look ridiculous.

Go for a pair of good quality ear headphones instead. This will at least cut down on the amount of strange looks you're getting.

Also, I'm sure you're just being paranoid and that your cans look fine.

Earthhorse

To answer your question seriously though I would ask how much pleasure are you getting out of any of this. Does putting playlists together for friends give you a buzz? Do you get a kick out of taking the physical product home and unwrapping it? In short, are you deriving pleasure from your hobby or merely distracting yourself from the mundanity of day to day living by trying to recreate the buzz music sometimes gives you?

If it's the latter I wouldn't go so far as to say you're addicted to music but probably indulging in it a bit much as a means of avoidance. Just cut down on it bit by bit and see how you feel. We all over indulge in our obsessions from time to time and recognising that is the first step toward rectifying it.

Kold

I don't like sticking things inside my ear so avoid it if I can. As for the pleasure.. You know when you 'crack' a tune? When a song wasn't really a stand out but then all of a sudden you get why it's so great?

I love doing the playlists, they've been requested a few times, I'd actually love to get into mixing if the expense wasn't such a turn off. As for the physical thing, I think for a few artists, they really put together a great package (Radiohead for example) and the one's that aren't that great a package.. I still think, I dunno, deserve to be in my collection? (Aphex Twin, Tom Waits)

Fanny Cradock

You sound like you have it bad. I go through phases of spending lots and lots on CD's and tickets and then, realising I'm financially overextended, stop buying music for weeks on end.

As an aside, you could probably pick up some mp3 mixing software fairly cheap. Though, sobs that DJ's are, you would probably get laughed out of the room if you were playing for people other than friends.

You can get a 20 day trial of Virtual DJ here: http://www.virtualdj.com/

::Edit::

Actually, that software is horrendously expensive. Still, it gives you an idea.

Creamy Goodness

tbh nothing you've said is out of the ordinary.

if you look it at this viewpoint, nothing you said is totally anti-social, do you put off meeting friends or not going to work/college just so you can listen to music?

if not then you're not addicted.