I buy .m4a files from Apple and download them, then copy them from my laptop to my Android Phone. At this point they're so disconnected from the Apple infrastructure, I don't see any way they could pull it out from under me.
There are certainly ways to do it and we as the technical elite have all the skill sets required to do so but for the majority of users on these platforms who don't want to or aren't technically capable, it's a long term rental.
The file method also means you are locked into a format that may go the way of the dodo in 5 years.
There is no way to buy a license and stream forever and media in the digital form is getting less and less sticky. Things are more likely to disappear forever or be modified from the original format. At the same time, physical copies of media are rapidly no longer being made.
- Try digitally purchasing a Weinstein movie
- Episodes that are banned and gone forever from TV shows
The utopia of easily accessible digital archives of all media are becoming less and less of a reality. Having to maintain your own server and backup infrastructure to manage your digital media is kind of a step backwards from physical media and while it may be a hobby it's not a wide ranging solution.
Yes, and when I bought CDs back in the 90s I didn't really expect to be listening to them 25 years later. My tastes change over time.
On the other hand I'm a little confused what you mean by the format going away in 5 years. The format is sufficiently open that anyone can write a player for it (in theory). Unless I lose all copies of the files, there shouldn't be any reason it won't continue to exist as long as I like listening to it.
It's not as applicable to music but I have DVD/Blueray rips from 10 years ago that look like dogshit now that would necessitate a re-rip from original. If you download it and it's later removed from from that platform now you have no access to the original and are stuck with your lower quality copy. If you are ripping it, you need to keep all the original physical media which kinda defeats the purpose.
The promise of digital media was permanent access to a library that grew and updated with the technology. If I'm streaming a show I don't need to have 720, 4k, ultrawide versions, that's taken care of. New formats are added as they are developed.
So, maybe Apple users should buy their music from Google Play store. Or, better yet, buy them from a third party (non-device platform) and play them on whatever platform they choose.
