The music community has undergone significant changes throughout the decades. It’s crazy to think humans were once only able to listen to music by their own hands, and thought that influenced many talents. It also didn’t allow the widespread dissemination of songs across the globe like how it is today. Nowadays, traditional music like Native American Folklore to traditional Chinese music, Guoyue, can be recorded and played just by the press of the unpause button on spotify.
Unlike the previous decades, where you had to leave the house and actually interact with people if you wanted new music, it’s easier in today’s age to avoid even putting on shoes to go and explore and listen to music. Apple Music, Spotify, Youtube Music, and any other music streaming provider works the same way your “or You” page does on TikTok. Unlike the 1950’s to 70’s, when you had to go to a store and examine the mounts and rows of albums of music, people no longer need to leave their homes to find out about new music. This allows music to be more available to everyone, not just a specific groups of people. Songs you’ve never heard before, bands you’ve never heard before, along with genres you’ve never heard before, are all at easy touch for today’s generations.
TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and even X (formally known asTwitter) play into the help of widespread music. Many artists publish their songs through mainstream media first, before actually releasing them. A sixteen year old could very much cause a whole album to go viral through a singular video. Some creators got popular over the radio, and even they often promote their music through music videos and ‘relatable’ posts through social media. Streaming services have provided endless possibilities for not just its users, but also the bands that actually use the apps and make profits. The convenience allows other creative possibilities, like learning the song on an instrument to needing quick inspiration.
Music streaming is not only convenient for the listeners but also for the artists. It’s a much more direct way to connect with their fanbase, while also gaining faster attention then compared to artists decades before where they had to constantly pay money for stores to hold their records. Music streaming allows the average person to be able to share their own covers and music easier, with less hassle and professionalism, while also not watering down other bigger artists at the same time, still allowing people the challenge of growth.
Music streaming has allowed billions of people to connect worldwide through music, but at the same time, we’ve lost a lot of physical interaction. Often, older generations complain about the lack of social interaction the internet overall has caused, but music is something that should be that convenient. Something that should be easy to get.
Music streaming has also affected how artists get familiarity or recognition. This can affect music taste throughout teens and users on social media apps for arguably, the worst. Many generic, copy-and-paste artists get popular faster, as their songs don’t require hard thinking skills or any strong emotion in any particular way. This can very much shun other artists who, by opinionated belief, deserves better recognition for how they sing and write. Luckily, artists with music dedicated to only going viral only last for a short bit, as ‘going viral’, is a temporary thing.
Artists with past issues/controversy have more of a difficult time continuing to be popular compared to how some of the most famous artists, like Elvis were able to practically thrive while having their names written in headlines. Now it’s much easier to directly shut down an artist, as social media and music streaming services aren’t just temporary things.
Teenagers have easier access to older songs now, which is great for those who think learning the “ogs” are important. Music like Mozart and some other original pieces are recorded and saved online instead of having to learn it yourself or needing to go listen to it on stage. Teens these days can listen to whatever and whoever they want, while still appreciating classics like the Beatles and The Cardigans. Music lovers are also finding their own niche interests, giving music once again creating that personal connection worldwide.
Some people would argue that the way music is being used and listened to today has become different, but is it really that bad? Music has become more available/accessible compared to just a decade ago, along with artists, even garage bands, being able to express themselves to anyone with technology available. This new accessibility has brought communities together, closer, and allows a more variety of connection than what we had previously. Music streaming allows the world to connect through a common interest, so has it really destroyed how the audience today listens to music?
