Like others, I listen a lot during work (when possible), in the car (not a lot right now, obviously), while cooking etc. around the house, and so on. My most dedicated time right now actually tends to be the last few hours of the night, a few times a week, when I'll listen on the deck. I have a system that I've used in one way or another for a few years now, this is how it works currently:

I overwhelmingly listen either to albums straight-through (allowing for interruptions) or via a large playlist of my current downloads that I'll play on shuffle. If a new release is something I'm really interested in from the jump - something I've been waiting for or an artist I follow - I'll try to make room for listening to the album at least once through pretty early on, and then continue to return to it over time. This is usually more dedicated or intentional listening.

But if an album doesn't grab me right away, I'll still keep it downloaded and in that playlist, which I keep on shuffle while I'm doing things around the house, getting ready in the morning, whatever. And when something grabs me from the list - a track I forgot about or a song that I don't recognize - I'll note it and go back to it later with more attention, maybe check out the album as a whole then.

I also keep a follow-up list for stuff I don't want to give my precious phone storage to but want to check out later, in the same way as above. (My wifi situation is complicated so I try to download once rather than stream repeatedly.)

I do a lot of repeat listening but it's definitely less immediate than it was when I was buying a lot of CDs - it happens over a longer period of time. There are pros and cons to that but I still build really close relationships with albums, just at a different pace. Albums that grab me right away still get lots of immediate replay - I've been making more of an effort over the last few months to buy physical copies and use them rather than Spotify for clear favorites - but I often get more acquainted with records now over months (beyond the first few plays) rather than right away, if that makes sense.

I do think repeat listening is really important fwiw - in part because I think appreciation for a record is more than just immediate like/don't like based upon a single listening. But I've found myself more open to letting that happen over time than I might have been, say, 10 years ago.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~