The best thing I’ve read lately (along with Bob Dylan In America, by Sean Wilentz). In preparing for the final move of my life, I two years ago realized there were in all likelihood not enough hours left in my life to listen to every LP, CD, and tape I own even once more. For years I bought (or acquired for free as promos) more discs each week than I could listen to before the next week’s batch came in, so the backlog piled up. I listened to the most promising, keeping the ones I liked and trading in the others at Amoeba Music for other albums. Low priority albums were sitting there, unopened.

I went through them all, deciding which were no longer of interest to me (my musical taste having moved on since the acquisition of some titles). I got rid of about 1000 or so LPs, and 3000 CDs. Of the remaining 7000 or so albums (LP and CD), I am racing to hear them all as many times as possible before I leave. Some are old favorites, some are new, previously unheard, some contain music that requires multiple hearings of to fully absorb (most especially Classical). The race is on!

I'm not buying any more LP's and CD's for a while! My collection is already huge enough!
I maximize my enjoyable listening time with minimal angst by ripping everything to my music library and letting the streamer play in random mode. All music I like and no decision making.

This works well much of the time. I always loved listening to music on the radio as a kid and this is like programming my own station. I choose what is in the library but not what to listen to when. Great for gaining a deeper apprciation for the music you like most.

Also whenever I play a record, I convert and master it to digital then into the library it goes. Possibly never to have to be played again.

Maintaining a good quality digital music library does require some time invested regularly but may prove worth it for some. 2402 albums in mine to-date.  Sharable  via Plex.