Online or Offline? My Flexible Approach to Movies and Music

Streaming or downloading for offline access — Which do I go for?

I'd say it depends on my mood! Yes, I either stream movies or songs online, or I download them to watch/listen offline, and these choices are influenced by a few major factors.

I love watching movies and listening to songs a lot. For music, I stream online and just listen straightaway without minding the data it consumes. I use YouTube Music, which I just started vibing to this year, completely neglecting Spotify since the beginning of the year. I don't know why, but I realized I prefer the YouTube Music app now.

On Spotify, I always stream music online for hours and never thought of downloading, and that's the same habit with this new app I installed a month ago.

I only just thought of downloading music for offline listening some days ago for one reason: to listen whenever I am on a journey without being disturbed by a lack of network. If there's something that keeps me busy while on a trip, it's listening to music.

I'd make sure my earphones were always in good condition, and now that I use earpods, I ensure they’re fully charged for the move and entertainment. So, instead of feeling disappointed due to network issues on the road, I decided to download all the music I had favorited. Before that, I wouldn't have thought of doing so because I love being able to stream online, pick any song I want, and not mind the data being consumed in the process.

The same thing goes for movies — it also depends on my mood. But I love downloading them to watch offline. I noticed that my phone's battery drains quickly when the data is turned on and when I'm watching a movie, but when the data is off, I can watch two movies, and the battery only reduces by about ten to twenty percent, which is something I like. Also, reducing the volume helps preserve battery life.

Another reason I download movies for offline viewing is because I want to manage my data, especially on days when I'm broke, trying to make it last for a period of time. With the recent price hikes from MTN and other networks, one definitely needs to be calculative.

But on other days, I don't mind. I just go with the flow. Remember, I said it depends on my mood. I can just stream a movie on YouTube or Netflix without minding how much data it consumes, simply because I know once it's finished, I will subscribe immediately if I have some money on me.

I can just stay on YouTube for hours, scrolling through short videos, watching tutorials, funny stuff, and even movies that are several hours long, completely unbothered about my phone's battery or data being drained. In all, I'm always good to go with either option as long as I'm okay with it.

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_{Both images are generated from Meta AI}