For better or worse, the internet has changed how we access, listen to, and store music. Advancements in technology are just a fact of the music industry, like improvements to instruments, recording equipment, etc. If we fast forward past the now outdated MP3s and torrenting to where we are today, music has been transformed in ways that would be inconceivable to Robert Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Marley.
The technological changes may just seem like small improvements. However, if we really take a look at what is happening to the music industry, technology is changing nearly every factor. AI and algorithms have given way for companies and apps to become wildly popular and reap extreme benefits. Pandora, Spotify, and YouTube are just some of the many apps that are helping to shape music as it is today — for better or worse.
So, how are these technologies remodelling how we access music, how we discover music, and ultimately how musicians navigate the music industry of today? Read below to find out.
A Different Way to Access Music
The notion of downloading music and taking up space on your device seems to have one foot in the grave. Music streaming is antiquating downloads in the same way that MP3s rendered the compact disc outdated. With music streaming, you access a music database containing millions of songs through the internet, or your mobile data. Many services have the option of a free feature, however, if you want to access the fill database, skip any song, etc., you’ll have to pay. This is a small price to pay though, as $10 a month to listen to virtually any album you want is far less than paying $10 for each record. Even if you wanted to just listen to one song off an album, you’d have to pay a dollar, whereas it’s free when you stream.
Streaming has allowed a cost-effective way to listen to music and discover new music with a low monetary risk. For instance, predictive algorithms can suggest new songs for you to listen to, and if you don’t like them, you can just skip on to the next one rather than wasting a dollar or $10 on a song or album you don’t end up enjoying. This convenience has made music streaming very popular, and one such company reaping the benefits is Spotify. Spotify has become so successful since it’s startup, it has disrupted the music industry. In fact, Spotify is on CNBC’s list of top 50 disruptors. It is among some major companies disrupting industries and has been for quite some time.
With downloads on the decline, it’s not hard to see how Spotify is redefining aspects of the music industry with music streaming. However, Spotify isn’t the only streaming site; streaming is being taken advantage of by many other sites because it allows one element that attracts millions of users: the creation and sharing of playlists.
Why Playlists Are Popular
Remember the days of shuffling around MP3s in just the right order and burning them onto a CD to create your own mix? Or, if you’re older, waiting for that song to come on the radio so you could record it onto a tape to complete your mixtape. Well, the playlist has made it easier than ever to do this. Taking it a step further, professional playlist curators take it upon themselves to create the perfect playlist for you. It can even be a competition to see which playlist gets the most streams and plays. Additionally, the popularity of playlists may be contributing to a slump in album sales.
There are tens of thousands of playlists explicitly created to capture any mood you are or want to be in. It’s well known that music therapy is effective and that humans have a deep emotional connection with music. Need to study for exams? There are playlists for that. Feeling sad? There are playlists for that as well. The perfect playlist can elicit an emotional release, help you focus, relax, or even pump you up for a workout. There are also playlists designed to help you discover new music, using the music you have previously listened to and suggesting similar artists.
How Playlists Affect the Modern Musician
Streaming can be bittersweet for a musician. Some artists may want to stay traditional and make a physical album amidst the streaming craze, and rightfully so. Making an album and putting it in the forefront of your efforts is a traditional musician experience, but you may want to do a mix of the two. Streaming does not pay well — only $0.006 to $0.0084 per stream. So, if you aren’t getting very many streams, the cost and effort of recording will not be worth your return on investment. Your return on investment should not be the only driving factor, however, as recording an album to have a physical representation of your music is part of the musician experience. One thing for sure is that playlists are transforming the way we thinking about crafting music.
On the other hand, streaming your album is just another way your music can gain exposure. You can imagine that if one of your songs got onto a popular playlist, your streams would surge. Whether you make any significant money or not, the increased visibility of your music can be enough of a reason to take your music online. Streams and playlists have made songs and whole albums explode into superstardom faster than they ever have before, and an unheard artist can become popular just from being on the right playlist.
This forces a dilemma for artists: musicians have almost no choice but to include streaming as part of their efforts to gain broad exposure, but are we going to make music solely to try to get on a popular playlist? If we are crafting music with playlists in mind, it would be a perversion of the art and perhaps ruin the integrity of music.
Streaming your music has its advantages and disadvantages. Although, in our digital world it seems that musicians have no choice but to take their art online in some form or another. Perhaps the key thing to keep in mind is to not let this change the process and sound of your music and how you want it to sound. Hopefully, the information above has made you understand some reasoning behind when you hear “find us on Soundcloud and Spotify” after you’ve seen a live show.
Courtesy of Desmond Rhodes
I have a love/hate with digital music. As a fan, I enjoy it as much as the next person. Playlists are essential for my long drives to and from out of town shows. However, on the receiving end it’s almost a zero-dollar industry. While Spotify, Pandora, and other companies rake in net values in billions of dollars, artists aren’t seeing more than a few cents occasionally. I love how the internet has shaped exposure, I hate how the internet has decimated the financial part.
I spoke with music attorneys earlier this year. They all say the same thing, “The internet has destroyed the industry. It’s tougher than ever to be a successful musician than it ever has.”
A Coworker of mine was speaking with me last week. He said, “I love YouTube, but I also hate it, y’know? You can find anything, which is very helpful when you’re teaching a student a song. But, YouTube has also made everyone a ‘professional’ musician.” In a way, he’s right. The same way iPhones have made everyone a professional photographer, the internet has done the same for music. Years ago, you had to learn about photography. A friend of mine spent THREE years in photography school. He worked for magazines and had various other fantastic jobs. He barely snaps a photo for money ever now. People aren’t hiring wedding photographers anymore, they are just taking pictures with their phone. I’m not saying everyone does that, but I’ve known plenty personally who have done exactly that. It saves a bundle of money, and the results are “good enough!”
I digress. Ha!
When it comes to music, I think musicians are being treated more and more lightly. If things continue, we could very well see a future where being a professional musician is SO different from yesterday (and today) that it could very well no longer be a coveted avenue which inspires a future career. Music will never die, but the music business is changing rapidly. I’d love to see these streaming companies give everyone what they deserve. After all, WE WROTE THE MUSIC. We should be getting 90% and these little streamers should be taking their fair 10% for what they do. They aren’t pushing album sales up. Streaming is the modern “radio” station. Years ago, hearing your son on the radio meant an expectation of sales boosts on your album. Today, streaming radio means someone heard your song, paid nothing, and moved on. Your album sales remain stagnant. So, streamers – What’s in it for the artist?
Musicians – don’t lose hope, always keep your music organic and play from the heart. Our seemingly competitive world doesn’t need to shape what we do. We shape it ourselves quite naturally.