How safe is my music?

Gingernutty

Hello

I've been slowly digitising my vinyl collection with a ion LP 2 CD turntable.

The music files are now stored on a 2TB portable hard drive.

Now I've off loaded a large number of LPs to a local charity shop, I've got the collywobbles.

How safe is my music on this drive?

Also, what would the musically inclined technophiles amongst you recommend to play these music files?

Yes, I have an MP3 player, a 16GB Walkman, but it would be nice to hear stuff on a proper stereo system again.

Sharon87

I would have a second back up just incase. Either another hard drive or on a cloud server - or at least your most valuable songs. Are there any on your computer as well?

Any stereo with a USB port or auxilary input could work to play MP3s

To keep your music extra safe get a friend or family member to look after a second copy, just in case your house burns down! (only for the paranoid/extra cautious people)

RumRat

I wouldn't have given the LP's to Charity either they usually flog em off at £1 a go.......Vinyl is selling nicely now. Would have been worth checking them out at least....May have made more that you could have donated as cash.

I agree, it would be advisable to back them up again if they mean a lot to you.

Gingernutty

RumRat wrote: »

I wouldn't have given the LP's to Charity either they usually flog em off at £1 a go.......Vinyl is selling nicely now. Would have been worth checking them out at least....May have made more that you could have donated as cash.

I agree, it would be advisable to back them up again if they mean a lot to you.

I did say to the lady behind the counter that some of them may be worth something.

I'm keeping "The World of Stereo Action" for a start!

paddyrg

Just for clarity, format shifting is keeping the original licence/disc, giving them away/selling them is effectively copyright breach. Not intentional, I'm sure, but to be aware of.

Strider590

Any valuable data should always be stored on two separate hard drives, one a mirror of the other.

Fightsback

Strider590 wrote: »

Any valuable data should always be stored on two separate hard drives, one a mirror of the other.

Even that won't save you from silent data corruption, you really need an advanced RAID file format such as ZFS to be sure.

https://storagegaga.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/silent-data-corruption-sdc-its-more-prevalent-that-you-think/

AndyPandyPoos

paddyrg wrote: »

Just for clarity, format shifting is keeping the original licence/disc, giving them away/selling them is effectively copyright breach. Not intentional, I'm sure, but to be aware of.

Yes I think your right.
I remember reading this article when it was first published.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29448058

Particuarly,
For instance, while consumers can copy any CD they own and use one version in the car and another at home, they cannot later sell on the original disk if they retain the duplicates of it or MP3 conversions of its songs.

So technically you no longer have the right to that digital music and should delete, or alternatively buy the LP's back from the Charity Shop. Then everyone's a winner.. :j

macman

They're 100% safe until the external hard drive fails. When that happens (and it's when, not if) you may get some warning-or maybe none at all. From that point, they're not safe at all.
That point could be five years hence, or it could be tomorrow.
So, do you feel lucky?

peachyprice

Is it too late to get them back from the charity shop?

mart44

Probably nothing will happen but getting the LPs back if possible might be best. Keeping the originals looks to be a legal requirement when making copies. As regards storage, just keep the files on a few different devices. Mine are stored on a couple of USB sticks and a second hard drive within the computer. I hope that will be sufficient but if not, there are always the original CDs/vinyl LPs to make copies from again.