Streaming Music

My opinion on music in terms of streaming and management

Spotify. A common platform for people to either pay nothing, or a small monthly fee in order to access an eclectic array of artists and albums. This form of music streaming is reaching its peak with thousands of people accessing it every day; being able to find themselves immersed in their own little world with their favourite songs and singers.

So why is this so highly frowned upon by the likes of many household names? Adele and Taylor Swift are the two that stand out the most, for their outspoken opinions claiming this format to be selfish and too generous for listeners.

Adele in an interview with NME last week brought her opinion to light on streaming music, claiming it to be removing sentimentality and authenticity in buying physical records:

“I've got my CDs out on display in my house just to prove a point. Maybe CDs will have a massive comeback like vinyl did. Actually I think cassettes, just to be a pain in the ass!” [1]

 

Here are my thoughts.

I agree. Going to HMV or another familiar store to buy physical copies of your beloved albums provides you with a certain pride, you cherish it, overplay it, and indulge in it. Having some form of ownership over your favourite bands or artists is a feeling only buying the record can give. However, us as listeners and their market, surely cannot be expected to search high and low for these in demand CD’s.[2]

You are rich. You access Spotify for £10 a month. You listen to hundreds, maybe even thousands of songs weekly or monthly. You listen to these little or often. And you can afford the meet and greets, you can afford the concerts. You promote this music to your followers or peers and colleagues. Realistically, for such a small price for a person of wealth, you are still making an impact in those singer’s bank balances and images. You alone have spread the music across a small or large platform, all whilst simply enjoying what is out there.

You are poor. You access Spotify for free or for £10 a month. You too listen to hundreds or maybe thousands of songs. And this is what gets you through. You thrive off the way the songs make you feel, you can convey different feelings through different playlists, and you can distract yourself from the world around you. And this is your escape. You pin your hopes on becoming successful like these artists and making others feel so intensely happy from 3 minutes of melodies.

This can be the case for anybody. Surely, by reducing favour for streaming formats, singers are really discouraging those from enjoying their music for simple pleasure and enjoyment? Music is now such a corporate concept, with the business market sweeping over the love and meaning behind songs – music is made for profit and profit alone, it seems. What happened to music being created in the hopes of the public singing it back to you? Or informing you that one little song you wrote in the back of a car somewhere on a comedown saved someone’s life? Music is losing its meaning if we are going to encourage those that fans are only true to them if they buy their music. With everything going on in this country, paying for all the music a person likes out there is, to me, absolutely ludicrous and impossible.

There is the argument of these services not benefiting unsigned bands and artists. As they venture into the deep abyss that is Spotify, play counts are not updated as often as say, YouTube videos are, and a continuous count of shares or likes is not widely accessible. This will not help when attempting to catch the eye of a promoter or record label. Any money that can be made if fans buy their music will be highly appreciated as this can push them on to being able to afford more independent music production and/or promotion techniques or tours.

All other artists are sure not short of money from platforms such as Spotify though. Spotify themselves have paid out more than $3billion in royalties, keeping around only 30% of the money produced as the rest is given back to the owners of the music whether this be writers, record labels, independent producers etc.

 

[3]

 

I latch onto my friend paying £10 a month for our music on Spotify and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity that we share together, for our own intimate use for all moods, for parties, for de-stressing. It is something that brings us together and unites us, how can self-righteous opinions claiming it to be such a calamity honestly feel that their words hold weight? Music must transform back into a HOBBY and a PASSION, rather than a BUSINESS and REGIME. Before fans lose hope and sight of the importance of music sharing, just as, apparently, our beloved singers have. A combination of streaming and purchasing will keep all in order.

 

 

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[1] Britton, L.M, (2015, December, 1), Adele on music streaming: 'there are nine year olds who don't know what a fucking CD is!', Retrieved from
http://www.nme.com/news/adele/90066?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=adele#80bKppuDyzDew4ZQ.99

[2] Unfortunately buying CD’s may not instil the same pride within you that buying a vinyl or cassette might achieve. They are definitely not as Instagram worthy and do nothing to promote your 'indie' exterior. Sorry.

 

[3] Spotify Ltd, (2015), How is Spotify contributing to the music industry?, Retrieved from
http://www.spotifyartists.com/spotify-explained/