I've started buying cds cheap and ripping them. It's kind of incredible how much music you can stockpile legally for the same amount you're paying for a monthly sub. I have a pretty similar stack to yours and with tailscale makes it very convenient to have my own streaming platform anywhere. Plus I have many albums that simply don't exist on streaming. Downside is there are some albums that are streaming only, mostly soundtracks from Disney. I get those from Qobuz since they let you download flac.
Apple Music costs $10.99 per month in the US.
How much music can I stockpile legally with that?
Last time I checked, a CD easily costs $12, excluding shipping. Not to mention that I probably listen to at least one new album per day.
Curious how your math works.
Thrift stores are .99 to 2.99. The local library has a for sale section with a massive selection of music. Ranging from .49 on up. Ebay is good for more rare albums but there's so many shops selling them also for dirt cheap free ship, to the point where I don't even know how they profit.
I've also had amazing luck going to estate sales and just asking if I can buy them all out. The last one I paid under 10 cents a cd. People just want to get rid of their 'old tech no one uses anymore'.
Most people realistically are listening to the same music multiple times over multiple months. If you listen to a different album every day you do kinda fall outside of the norm and ya, that would probably make streaming a better choice.
> I probably listen to at least one new album per day
this is absolutely not typical of the average listener