With the rise of digital media, students are turning more toward websites that stream music instantly and to apps for on-the-go tunes.
Some of the more popular ways to listen to music are Pandora, Spotify, iTunes and Songza.
Pandora has been available since 2000 and has more than 72.1 million listeners, according to a press release from the company.
The "listener hours" for Pandora during August were more than 1.35 billion. Pandora's mission statement, "to play only music you'll love."
It's like having your own personal DJ around to play music based on your favorites. You can make up to 100 music stations that are just a click away if you want to listen.
The drawbacks?
Advertisements are played between every few songs, and you are only allowed a few skips per day while listening.
"Pandora is my favorite way to listen to music," said Emily Davidson, a junior in pre-elementary education. "You can just pick which station you want to listen to and it does all the work for you."
Spotify has been available since 2008, and has more than 24 million active users, 6 million subscribers and 20 million songs available, according to Spotify's website.
Spotify brings music right to your computer, phone and TV at home.
It's a way to share music with friends via Facebook and Twitter, and an easy way to uncover new music by following other users.
Spotify, without the premium upgrade, allows you to listen to pre-made playlists or make your own while a few advertisements play.
Unlimited access costs $4.99 per month, but lets you listen on your computer ad-free.
Upgrading to Premium for $9.99 per month lets you listen to music from everywhere: phone, tablet, TV, etc.
"Spotify Premium is the best way to control what music you listen to, wherever and whenever you want," said Wheat Holt, junior in public relations.
"I also find music on a blog called 'This Song is Sick.' It's a good way to find new music."
Some students said they like being able to see what their friends are listening to.
"I love Spotify, because who doesn't love stalking what other people listen to," said Amanda Carter, sophomore in animal sciences.
Songza is all about what you want.
Logging into the app or website, music playlists are made just for you to choose what mood you're in or what you're doing at the moment.
"Relaxing at Home," "Doing Housework," "Studying," "Brand New" and even "Breaking Bad" are some of the many options to choose from.
"I like Songza because there are no commercials, there are different stations for every mood and, most of all, because it is free," said Jayne Ohlman, sophomore in political science.
Students are now able to customize and personalize the way they listen to music even more.
With all these new, and free, methods of listening to music, students are able to take the music they want, everywhere they go.
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