I found my 2006 iPod nano during a clearout — and honestly, we’ve lost something beautiful in the streaming age

I've had a Spotify premium account long enough to be hit with multiple price hikes from my original, stable subscription plan.

<![CDATA[ <article> <p>I've had a Spotify premium account long enough to be hit with<a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/audio-streaming/brace-yourself-spotify-fans-another-price-hike-is-predicted-to-hit-the-us-in-early-2026"> multiple price hikes</a> from my original, stable subscription plan.</p><p>Throughout those years, the streaming platform has defined how and what music I listened to, mostly for the better, though in some ways for the worse; it could be my stage of life, but I don't <em>feel </em>music like I used to. </p><p>So when I recently rediscovered my iPod nano in a drawer during a clear out, it was the shot in the arm that this tired music lover needed.</p><p>The model in question was the iPod nano (2006) in black, and I couldn't for the life of me remember when I had last used it.</p><p>I peeled my old portable media player free from its disintegrating soft case and drank in that slice of nostalgia, running my fingers over its aluminum casing and wheel. </p><p>I just <em>had </em>to know what music I had painstakingly added to the 8GB of flash memory, however long ago that was.</p><p>After persistent rummaging, I found the 30-pin to USB charging cable I needed and, after a moment, sure enough my nano sprang back into life...</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:66.51%;"><img id="vR8aiTcDC592pWsxStyGAo" name="iPod Nano 2006" alt="Black iPod Nano 2006 8GB model from above on a mahogany table, alongside a colorful book" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vR8aiTcDC592pWsxStyGAo.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1277" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tim Coleman)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="the-time-capsule-i-needed">The time capsule I needed</h2><p>2015. That was the most recent period of the music and playlists on my iPod nano. Had it <em>really</em> been over a decade since I had last used a portable media player and moved exclusively to Spotify streaming?</p><p>My albums, and more specifically my playlists, spanned 2011 to 2015, with the majority being pre 2013 — the year my first child was born. Back then (pre kids), I was clearly into three genres; electronica, alternative and Christian gospel.</p><p>I span the click wheel with my thumb to scroll through the lists, neatly categorized into Playlists, Artists, Albums, Songs, Genres, Composers and Search options. </p><p>God, I had forgotten that tactile feeling of the click wheel and the outright simplicity of the distraction-free interface. And with my Bluetooth-faff-free wired headphones attached, I started exploring this little audio time capsule. </p><div><blockquote><p>Spotify streaming has turned music into fast food. The iPod nano was like a sit down meal. </p></blockquote></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Did you know TechRadar now has membership?</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="MZftMKPquR3jRGaoR9TwcB" name="TechRadar-Insider-banner" caption="" alt="Various tech product cutouts next to the words 'Insider TechRadar Learn More'" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MZftMKPquR3jRGaoR9TwcB.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">Become a TechRadar Insider by simply clicking 'Join Now' at the top of this page. Have a question? Please email <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://futureplc.slgnt.eu/optiext/optiextension.dll?ID=XWc%2BNZbmPVY1QXCHegXUW5hAZTqddroX0h4zBFHHIu3aOyPDcGIlPjK%2BJMv55n1J8bfl5bA494yjEg3_i0iSaOXD%2BXycXT" target="_blank">membership@techradar.com</a></p></div></div><p>Reader, I used to painstakingly curate <em>Final Mix</em> playlists of my favorite tunes each year, and 2012 was so prolific I had also split it into two parts. Three, year-long alternative and electronica playlists! Heck, I even made my own <em>Desert Island Discs</em> list (dated 2013) packed with my eclectic all-time faves, which spanned everything from the hymn <em>Amazing Grace</em> sung by Aretha Franklin to dance house classics like <em>Rez</em> by Underworld and my wedding first dance,<em> Your Love Gets Sweeter</em> by Finley Quaye.</p><p>I cued up my 2012 playlist, which opened with <em>This Year</em> by The Mountain Goats, a defiant narrative of endurance in tough times and a simple chorus that resounded "I’m gonna make it through this year, if it kills me". </p><p>Eyes closed, I was already finding myself getting emotional. </p><p>These were house party days, pub hang-outs and those conversations that went, ‘Hey have you heard this?’. Songs recommended by friends. Songs shared by friends. </p><p>I locked in on that playlist, clicking the wheel to crank up the volume to levels probably unsafe for my ears, with no on-screen warning micromanaging my experience. </p><figure role="gallery"><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sRTooSC7XdcrFdAEFfGd2o.jpg" alt="Black iPod Nano 2006 8GB model in person's hand, music artwork on the screen" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/afaVE88Zp2isF7JuuDBEfn.jpg" alt="Man sat on a sofa holding a black iPod Nano (2006 8GB model) and his eyes are closed as he listens to the music" /><figcaption><small role="credit">Tim Coleman</small></figcaption></figure></figure><h2 id="a-timely-reminder-to-simplify">A timely reminder to simplify</h2><p>Immersing myself in that old iPod nano reminded me why I love music. It took me back to the times when listening to an album might be the only thing I was doing in that moment.</p><p>Today, music is far more likely to be an accompaniment to the multiple activities I simultaneously have on the go, interrupted by the notification alerts and social apps on my phone.</p><p>For me, Spotify streaming had turned music into fast food. The iPod Nano was like a sit down meal. </p><p>And although my Nano’s battery is effectively dead — it needed constant power to operate — it has called me back to enjoy music in a deeper way once more. That fast food had grown dry, and I was appreciating deeper flavors again. </p><div style="min-height: 250px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-ey45BX"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/ey45BX.js" async></script> </article> ]]>