The Impacts of Tech on Music
Modern technology allows the average consumer to create, distribute, and listen to millions of songs on the go. However, it may have led to a focus on quantity over quality.
Technology and music have always overlapped. At its essence, tech refers to systems and devices resulting from scientific knowledge, used for practical purposes. In other words, technology has always shaped the format in which music is played and produced. As tech is constantly evolving, both music consumption and creation change along with it. Each new format marks a whole generation and a specific moment in time. From cassette tapes to vinyl records to CDs to digital mp3 files, the journey of music and technology has been extensive.
Some would affirm that modern technology has negatively impacted the state of music, leading to a significant decline in the quality of records. This article delves into music becoming too accessible to the point of excess and examines the idea that this accessibility has contributed to a decrease in the overall quality of music.
EXCESS-IBILITY
Lil Yatchy on Technology impact the music, via Youtube: A Safe Place
Recently, Lil Yachty made some interesting observations on the current state of Hip Hop on an episode with J. Cole of his A Safe Place podcast. He criticized the lack of creativity and singularity in the latest records, expressing, "It’s a lot less risk-taking, and it’s a lot less originality." These remarks were made by the 25-year-old artist at an event held at Rolling Stone’s Musicians on Musicians event in Brooklyn. Yachty further highlighted the trend of music becoming less qualitative and being consumed in a fast fashion these days
Lil Yatchy on Technology making music creation accessible, via Youtube: A Safe Place
Thanks to the Internet, smartphones, and modern computers, accessing music has become very easy, whether from a consumer or creator standpoint. In fact, both roles have minimal requirements for listening to a specific album or song, or even creating music in general—only a tech device and an internet connection are necessary. As a result, music is available and mainly listened to on music streaming services, making the consumption of music easier and cheaper, kind of. You have access to millions of songs and albums by only paying around $9 per month, as opposed to purchasing every single album and song individually. These advancements alone accelerated the consumption of music and created a market of abundance, letting numerous young, independent artists make a living off their musical creations.
THE FORMAT INFLUENCES THE CONSUMPTION
Nowadays, music tends to be consumed digitally via music streaming services such as Apple Music or Spotify because they're more convenient than purchasing records from physical locations or even listening to CDs. This practice eliminates the need to carry multiple ones around if you want to listen to different artists on the go.
Tyler, The Creator with his collected vinyls, photograph by LUIS “PANCH” PEREZ
However, old tech also had great perks. Before the digital era, vinyl records were the primary medium for music consumption. The turntable held a special place in people’s households, as vinyls provided a unique, analog, warm, and rich sound. Then, in the 1980s, CDs and the Discman were introduced, making listening more personal and portable. Sony released the Discman, allowing music lovers to enjoy their CDs on the move. The Discman quickly became an immensely popular and cultural accessory. In response to Sony, Apple released the iPod in 2001 to rival the Japanese multinational and make digital music the new norm while leveraging the MP3 format.
The iPod facilitated storing and playing hundreds of songs on a single device, on the move, eliminating the need for physical CDs. But, what was the tradeoff? Despite the storage "problem," vinyls, CDs, and cassette tapes fostered a deeper connection between fans and their favorite artists. The ability to touch and feel the music or set up the turntable or cassette tape added a sense of satisfaction and made the entire listening experience more authentic and pleasant.
Hence, there was an increased emotional attachment to art compared to digital music. Therefore, music was much more appreciated, as audiophiles consumed less and stuck to a piece longer.
Shot by Antoine Geiger
When the iPhone and smartphones began replacing the iPod and other MP3 players, we ended up with multifunctional devices that could also browse the internet, besides playing music. Playing music wasn’t the main feature anymore. In a world of social media, images started to take the forefront and have become the main appeal.
Listeners not only have access to music videos but can also see the drama around the artists, their personal lives, and their other extramusical activities. In that regard, the perception we have of the music is completely different, and it has become harder to detach the individual from the art. The ones who make the most noise online, with the biggest shock value, tend to be put at the forefront, which greatly alters the perception we have of the creation.
Those who solely focus on making the most authentic and original music, putting new ideas and concepts on the table, are likely to be in the background with smaller audiences.
Fans at Steve Lacy song unable to sing next verse of ‘Bad Habit’
As technology continues to shape the way music is consumed, it’s important to understand how it can influence the way we perceive and experience it. In our image-based society, the loudest artists on social media occupy the majority of the media landscape. Short-form videos have caused a drop in attention spans among the youth, resulting in some of them only knowing highlights of certain songs.
Lil Yachty’s statement isn’t necessarily a bad or hot take. The quantity of music being put out has never been this big before. Good music still exists; however, it's often not the one making the headlines or trending the most online.
Do you think the quality of music is degrading as technology evolves, or is it just a perception?
