So it's been one month since I've ditched Spotify. So far, I'm really happy with my self-hosted Navidrome setup, and it's actually changed the way I listen music.

I've started listening to entire albums again, something that I haven't done in a while. I'm also more patient with music and don't just skip around in a track to find "the good part". In general, I listen to music deliberately now, instead of just putting on a playlist for some background noise while I'm working.

As for music discovery, I've mostly been listening to new releases of the artists that I like (as well as older ones that I haven't got around to yet). I'm also asking friends and coworkers for music recommendations, and occasionally read Bandcamp articles about new music.

I'm not going to pretend that all of the music in my library is legally obtained at the moment – I wanted to give this thing a go and see if I can realistically ditch Spotify before I commit. I did however create a Bandcamp account and started to buy individual tracks and albums – I'm planning to buy most stuff that I listen to now, especially from Indie artists/bands that could really use the money.