I listen to music all the time. Jazz and classical are my musical preferences, but I appreciate rock, rap, or whatever, as long as it is performed well.
Many CDs, cassettes, and MP3 files have kept me company for many miles. At home, many hours have passed while listening to music from CDs, vinyl, cassettes, and so on.
However, my favorite medium is still radio. I like the unexpected broadcast, listening to something that I haven't listened to, and the random nature of radio (unless it is Top 40 or some other preprogrammed format).
I enjoy not knowing what piece of music will be played next. I enjoy listening to a piece of music that I am not familiar with. The unexpected surprise is welcome. Sometimes I buy the CD!
Music, like TV, and like the news has become personalized. Technology allows us to rip many hours of music. It is possible to listen to hours of music tailored to our preferences.
Satellite radio also provides personalized radio broadcasts. You can listen to only rock, only jazz, conservative talk, whatever.
Certainly this technology has its benefits. There are times when you want to spend an amount of time listening to just one type of music. However, any selective or personalized service has it drawbacks.
Personalized services allow you to build fences. They prevent you from hearing that unexpected piece of music that may introduce you to a new artist that you like. They also prevent you from being challenged, for example, listening to something that you do not like or to listen to something that you may not normally listen to.
The beauty of art is that it challenges. It is important in all types of media to be exposed to things that either you normally are not interested in and to be challenged by things that you disagree with.
Give the randomness of radio some of your personal air time. Art is more than a playlist!