iPod Touch

“i canceled my Spotify account in 2024 and have spent the last year and change rebuilding my digital music library on a refurbished iPod Touch. reading critiques of the app (and it’s enshittification), i realized i wasn’t even sure of my own musical tastes and preferences. i had stopped picking for myself, stopped seeking out new music, ceasing to know how to choose what i wanted or articulate what i like. breaking free from the algorithm has been such a joy! i’m borrowing gobs of music from the library, rebuilding my old playlists, and consuming more music than i have in years. and better yet, my data isn’t being tracked by Spotify and i own what’s in my personal library. further, my receptors are more open when i’m out in the world exposed to music, searching for recommendations in an organic way.”

“I’m up most nights pumping or breastfeeding my baby, and listening to audiobooks on my iPod has been an absolute balm. I just finished “Playground” by Richard Powers and can’t stop thinking about it. And “Braiding Sweetgrass” is the most calming audiobook I’ve ever listened to. Highly recommend for folks who need something relaxing to listen to in the middle of the night—especially new parents.”