Graph your music downloads

[Ex-User (5841)]

The above chart shows the number of mp3 files I've downloaded by month since October of 2010 (I have many more mp3s dating back to 2006, but the file creation dates for those are all Sept 2010, when they were copied to a new laptop).

Do the same, and post it here. What does yours look like?

I find that this is a near-perfect barometer for my bipolar mood cycling. When I'm happy, I download and dance badly whilst genuinely kicking ass; when I'm depressed, well, not even music moves me. For an additional qualitative measure, I tend to download fast-paced music on the way up, more aesthetically pleasing stuff at peak, and slow, deranged stuff at bottom.

Thought I'd share the discovery. It's interesting.

 

[nexion]

I'm afraid I cannot make a graph, due to the fact that my files have moved so often in the past few years between at least three different hard drives (I really have nothing which hasn't been modified before 2012, even though I've been collecting music since around 2006). Your premise, though... I guess it rings true with me. When I'm not depressed, I tend to actively seek out new music in bursts: 3-4 albums one week, 5 the next, and so on. This of course follows whatever genre I am interested in at the time. On the other hand, when I am depressed, I download barely any new music at all, preferring instead to listen to music I already have listened to (and therefore have already made an emotional connection with), or even be content to merely sit in silence.

Your second point, I find I don't relate to so much. Of course, the two genres I have listened to the most in recent months are black metal and dark ambient, regardless of my mood, and neither of those are particularly fast-paced (I guess black metal can be), upbeat, or inspiring. The fact is, a large majority of my music library is like this. I listen to music that tends to be naturally dark to begin with, so my music listening habits tend to be blurred between depression and happiness. Perhaps due to the this, I find that the music I listen to when depressed is the same music I listen to when happy; the only real difference is how I relate to the music. I tried to think of an example but I can't really formulate one that would make sense.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

I'm afraid I cannot make a graph, due to the fact that my files have moved so often in the past few years between at least three different hard drives (I really have nothing which hasn't been modified before 2012, even though I've been collecting music since around 2006). Your premise, though... I guess it rings true with me. When I'm not depressed, I tend to actively seek out new music in bursts: 3-4 albums one week, 5 the next, and so on. This of course follows whatever genre I am interested in at the time. On the other hand, when I am depressed, I download barely any new music at all, preferring instead to listen to music I already have listened to (and therefore have already made an emotional connection with), or even be content to merely sit in silence.

the only real difference is how I relate to the music.

I can identify with this as a general guideline. There are certain songs that either make me feel on top of the world or "be very depressed [sic]" depending on my mood. And then there's the stuff (say... Kanye ) I listen to for a week straight and then it goes on auto-skip for the next 6 months.

Though it's a derivative, it appears to be an objective measure (until you're made aware of it of course). I notice a similar pattern with my posts here as well, but the time scale isn't as long. Time to make a new graph...

EDIT: On second thought, with 1788 posts, I think I'll just accept it prematurely.

 

[Puffy]

Cool.

I download my music from youtube, heh, I'm not sure how to check the dates.

It could be seasonal to. I listen to a variety of genres and modes, but most of what I listen to is dark/ cerebral. The sun has been out for the last week, however - a rarity for the UK - and I've since been listening to more poppy things as it suits sitting in a field better.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I'd have more (recent) data if you know of a good program/website.

[bimgx=350]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/u6eq9tle11bafc6/uls.png[/bimgx]

[bimgx=350]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/tjgcvjskoik98bj/uls-cumulative.png[/bimgx]

I have the same issue with my file creation dates so I went with lastfm.

edit:nvm, the graph was fine.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

I download my music from youtube, heh, I'm not sure how to check the dates.

If you use Windows, get the files all in the same folder and in the bar (toolbar?), when you open the folder, with headings like "name," "type," etc there's a heading that says "date created" that you can sort the files by. You might have to make it visible via right click.

It could be seasonal to. I listen to a variety of genres and modes, but most of what I listen to is dark/ cerebral. The sun has been out for the last week, however - a rarity for the UK - and I've since been listening to more poppy things as it suits sitting in a field better.

Agreed. I wonder how closely correlated things would be if I included a mood self-rating (which I don't have ) and NOAA's weather data (which I do have)?

I'm quickly making this into a second thesis, which is ironically a good sign because I hope it means I'm breaking out of my depressive rut, as shown by the past 6-8 months.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

I'd have more (recent) data if you know of a good program/website.

[bimgx=350]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/u6eq9tle11bafc6/uls.png[/bimgx]

[bimgx=350]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/tjgcvjskoik98bj/uls-cumulative.png[/bimgx]

I have the same issue with my file creation dates so I went with lastfm.

edit:nvm, the graph was fine.

Nice. This is a lot more noisy data, but that should be expected given it's plays vs downloads. I'm not sure what to make of everything up to Sept 2010, but I like the pattern from then until now.

Do you recall becoming more focused and productive mid 2009? Is there a transition between high school and college somewhere?

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Nice. This is a lot more noisy data, but that should be expected given it's plays vs downloads. I'm not sure what to make of everything up to Sept 2010, but I like the pattern from then until now.

Do you recall becoming more focused and productive mid 2009? Is there a transition between high school and college somewhere?

Not really, it was a long time ago. Though I know it was the summer, and I had a seedbox

.


I don't think there is a visible transition, not in this context. Maybe looking at artists or non-unique track plays.

 

[The Introvert]

I don't have any data, but I'm certain our activity logs would be similar (albeit possibly for different reasons).

I listen to music in an album-oriented manner; I'll listen to an album until the feels have subsided (can take anywhere from a few days to an entire summer) and then search for new artists/albums until one tickles my fancy. The most enjoyed albums are subsequently categorized by both genre and level of enjoyment (which sometimes involves including songs/albums into multiple playlists).

Music is used to mirror the peaks and troughs that can be observed in our behavior/ feelings shit.

 

[nexion]

I'd have more (recent) data if you know of a good program/website.

[bimgx=350]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/u6eq9tle11bafc6/uls.png[/bimgx]

[bimgx=350]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/tjgcvjskoik98bj/uls-cumulative.png[/bimgx]

I have the same issue with my file creation dates so I went with lastfm.

edit:nvm, the graph was fine.

Did you generate these yourself or did you use some webapp for it? Using last.fm data is an interesting idea... although, even my last.fm profile was created in late 2011 and I destroyed my old one with 17000 plays, but I suppose it would be better than nothing.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Did you generate these yourself or did you use some webapp for it? Using last.fm data is an interesting idea... although, even my last.fm profile was created in late 2011 and I destroyed my old one with 17000 plays, but I suppose it would be better than nothing.

I used
https://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/ +
http://www.last.fm/user/[account_name]/library/recent

Wasn't that bad though, I made an algorithm so I didn't have to go through every single page.


At least if you wanted to try it, there wouldn't be that many pages, but yeah there could still be significant data.

 

[DIALECTIC]

OP, could you please elaborate (with examples) what you intend by:

fast-paced music on the way up,
more aesthetically pleasing stuff at peak,
and slow, deranged stuff at bottom.

I think i sorta match your pattern too, for example on the way up i tend to listen to Hard Trance / Hard Dance music...

At the peak i tend to listen to epic music (when i was still "up there" just a couple of 2 weeks ago i kept listening to this soundtrack -"OBLIVION"- non stop for days, it really boosted my creativity / abstraction power / metaphysical thinking / emotions (maybe too much as during it i took a major decision and later regretted which made me crash shortly after haha):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjgJC3hL1eE


As for at bottom (like right now), i am not sure... I sorta try and listen to all genres of music but nothing really works or gets me going; music just sounds flat and one dimensional and even the sound quality is crap... I am like: "Is it my Ipod playing up ? Or maybe my earphones !? I swear that track sounded louder last week !"

 

[The Introvert]

As for at bottom (like right now), i am not sure... I sorta try and listen to all genres of music but nothing really works or gets me going; music just sounds flat and one dimensional and even the sound quality is crap... I am like: "Is it my Ipod playing up ? Or maybe my earphones !? I swear that track sounded louder last week !"

When at bottom, something like this seems to help for me.

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcalJSO6jDY

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

OP, could you please elaborate (with examples) what you intend by:

Spoiler

In order, as quoted:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNLmhALw0zk
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVeUQxi7960
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zky9BtMbZKg

music just sounds flat and one dimensional and even the sound quality is crap... I am like: "Is it my Ipod playing up ? Or maybe my earphones !? I swear that track sounded louder last week !"

^This I definitely experience, but never thought of...

Any grasp as to the quantity of consumption? # of downloads, plays, etc?

 

[DIALECTIC]

This I definitely experience, but never thought of...

I have already bought plenty of ear phones (maybe as many as 70 pairs in the last 15 years...) thinking it was my earphones that had suddenly become faulty... At the moment i can say the sound quality of whatever i play is like 3 out of 5... It was 5/5 when i was at my peak a couple of weeks ago with music giving me chills and tears at times as it amplified the stuff i was reading etc.

I definitely perceive more data / information when on the up... Then on a downer i am like everyone else which makes life boring.

Any grasp as to the quantity of consumption? # of downloads, plays, etc

I download and play a lot when on the up, often i keep playing the same tune again and again (sounds very autistic i know...). I hardly donwload / play music when on a downer as everything sounds dull so why bother... Instead i download / listen to podcasts or stuff from youtube i convert into mp3s.

Do you take any medicines / vitamins / supplements ?

I found supplements only help when i am already half way up... Best one is choline i found however.

 

[nexion]

Spoiler

I would have done by month but it was too much work for me so instead I went looking around on the web and found this. It generates a graph by scrobbles per week.

I'll be honest, I love having and collecting data, but interpreting data, not so much. I'll let you take from this graph what you will.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

Just to update...
[bimgx=600]http://i.imgur.com/pFxFC7b.jpg[/bimgx]

Overall, I can't help but notice the very strong 4-6 month cycling pattern. I also can't help but notice that.... it looks like it's getting back to normal.

 

[just george]

Do you really want to be giving the RIAA ideas?

This doesn't seem terribly clever, to me

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

Do you really want to be giving the RIAA ideas?

This doesn't seem terribly clever, to me

Thar commin afta meh legal downloadz! Halp!

 

[just george]

Thar commin afta meh legal downloadz! Halp!

The music companies are actually pretty crazy.

When I DJed, this was the situation:

If you bought a CD or downloaded a track and paid for it, you generally assume that you can use it however you like.

But if you play that song at a party in your own house, you are in breach of license, since you apparently have to pay the studio $6 or so each and every time you play it in front of someone who doesn't live in the house.

If you get it in your head to be a DJ, then you have to not only buy the track, but then pay $1000+ each year for every separate genre of music that you play (so dance is 1 genre, electro dance is another genre, dubstep is another genre, house is another genre, electro house is another genre etc - a license for all genres would be like $50 000 per year).

So one of the guys who owned a DJ company called several record labels plus their representatives to ask wtf was going on, and was informed that we had made a mistake - it is illegal to play a song that you legally bought in a public place.

He asked how to buy the song legally so as to use it in nightclubs, and they said "you can't".

So after paying for the song and paying a license fee per genre, it was still illegal.

He said "but then, all of us are breaking the law?" and they replied "yes, but we aren't sure whether or not to prosecute".

Maybe I'm just a bit burnt by my experience, but I still think it's best not to provoke crazy people who have lots of money and even more lawyers.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

I throw no parties, don't DJ, and have no money. I think I'm safe.

 

[just george]

I throw no parties, don't DJ, and have no money. I think I'm safe.

I see you missed the whole "these people are crazy" part. But okay

 

[Ex-User (9062)]

I just compiled this, but something must have gone wrong.

Just kidding,
but what i wanted to ask is:
Why does your month have 32 and 36 days?
Are you using some sort of

Spoiler

devil worshipping pagan goddam magick calender

?

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

I just compiled this, but something must have gone wrong.

Just kidding,
but what i wanted to ask is:
Why does your month have 32 and 36 days?
Are you using some sort of

Spoiler

devil worshipping pagan goddam magick calender

?

Each number is a month. I was/am too lazy to label them all.

1=Oct. 2010

Spoiler

Not yet...

 

[Ex-User (9062)]

Oh, ok.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

Oh, ok.

Okay, I give up.

 

[Ex-User (9062)]

Okay, I give up.

Ahhh, i don't know how to interpret this!

Let's get to the nitty gritty:

When i have an obsessive phase, i can spent weeks exploring new music.
After that i can spent months listening to the very same music over and over,
to the point where i can remember every minute detail, from intonation to the exact lyrics, if there are any.
When that is done, i continue to enjoy this mode of "active consumption" for about two months
and then i lapse into an obsessive phase again.
But i have not collected any data on it, yet.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

Ahhh, i don't know how to interpret this!

I was talking about everything in that image that wasn't WTF?

Let's get to the nitty gritty:

When i have an obsessive phase, i can spent weeks exploring new music.
After that i can spent months listening to the very same music over and over,
to the point where i can remember every minute detail, from intonation to the exact lyrics, if there are any.
When that is done, i continue to enjoy this mode of "active consumption" for about two months
and then i lapse into an obsessive phase again.
But i have not collected any data on it, yet.

I follow the exact same pattern. I still know every minute detail of a song, even if I haven't heard it since 1997.

 

[Ex-User (9062)]

Good for you,
i think you're a born singer!

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

Good for you,
i think you're a born singer!

Ahhh, i don't know how to interpret this!

 

[Ex-User (9062)]

I can feel it melting. Oh god, no!​

 

[Ex-User (9062)]

The riddle is actually very simple to solve.
Here is a clue.