Has computer based media killed music?

[Peter758h]

An interesting online article in the Guardian by Sophie Heawood entitled ...
Music has died now I've thrown away my CDs and only listen on my laptop
Streaming music has made it so dull I've lost all interest in it

I'm sure many What HiFi readers will have done the same. In a way, having such an abundance of online music takes away some of the exclusivity of the cherished vinyl or CD.

 

[The_Lhc]

No it hasn't. Utter ******* nonsense. Next.

 

[iQ Speakers]

Certainly not for me. I've discovered some fantastic music that I would never of heard if I relied on buying CD's.

Im listening to totally different genres all thanks to Spotify it's awoken my interest in music.

The industry just needs to make sure artists are rewarded properly.

 

[John Duncan]

I listen to far more music now than I ever did when I had to actually find it. I suspect Sophie may only have four CDs.

 

[GSB]

Probably NOW Thats What I Call Music 1754 thru to Now 1758 :shifty:

If i could i would use spotify etc for the reasons of expanding my listening,but i can't,so i won't.

 

[abacus]

Not for me.

I am still out as much as possible listening to live music.

Bill

 

[MajorFubar]

Hmmm it's definitely not killed music, but I do feel with such an abundance of music immediately on tap (either from one's own ripped collection or from online streaming services), the experience of sitting down and 'listening to an album' has been robbed of a certain sense-of-occasion and ceremony.

It's like buying records from shops. Which one of us didn't 'Oooh' and 'Ahhh' at our favourite artists latest releases in the record store, flipping the cover over to read the track listing, wondering what it might sound like. Then buying it, coming home on the bus (in my case), peeling it out of its shrink-wrap, carefully placing it on the turntable like a valuable jewel, letting the stylus hit the groove in eager anticipation and then legging it to chair before the first note started. Yeah I know many of us here still buy CDs and it's at least a bit the same. But certainly most people don't, and hitting the 'Buy Now' button in iTunes and watching digital data download just isn't the same at all. Not for me at any rate.

 

[Alec]

She seems most confused. I think the first sentence of he final paragraph may be right. Most odd.

 

[Petherick]

A music journalist who yearns for a new "£400 stereo" or "boombox"? Well, there you go!

Couldn't read it all, it's too boring. The confused ramblings of a ****! But I bet she got paid a couple of grand for it, so what do I know??

 

[John Duncan]

Is that what journalists get paid?!?!?

No wonder Cloughie picked up the tab last night...

 

[Andy Clough]

A couple of grand per article? If only! More like £100/1000 words, the same rate it's been for the two decades I've been a journalist. But still enough to buy you a couple of lagers and a packet of crisps John

 

[Andrew Everard]

No wonder Cloughie picked up the tab last night...

 

[Clare Newsome]

🙂

I think people are being too harsh on Sophie - she knows her musical onions....(and as she mentions in the piece, used to have a very nice B&O system).

I may get in touch and suggest she tries SONOS before she gives up on Spotify 🙂

 

[John Duncan]

I've read the article in full now and actually the problem is clear - it is not 'streaming music' that is killing her enjoyment, it's 'listening to music on her laptop'. She needs some KEF X300As...

 

[Andrew Everard]

I may get in touch and suggest she tries SONOS before she gives up on Spotify 🙂

Whereas I'd just suggest she gives up on Spotify, and starts listening to music in decent quality again.

 

[ellisdj]

Its the quality of the music files thats killing music.

In the modern world or fast internet 50GB Blu Ray discs - Cheap as chips Mulit Gig memory Sticks why are music files getting smaller.

It would cost peanuts to sell an album on a memory stick - I cant believe its not been done before.

The Files should be Getting Bigger and being uncompessed. That is what streaming allows that a CD doesnt.

I think loosing the CD is a good idea if its replaced with full fat downloads or mem sticks or similar

 

[Clare Newsome]

I may get in touch and suggest she tries SONOS before she gives up on Spotify 🙂

Whereas I'd just suggest she gives up on Spotify, and starts listening to music in decent quality again.

Well there is that, too 🙂

 

[Alec]

I may get in touch and suggest she tries SONOS before she gives up on Spotify 🙂

Whereas I'd just suggest she gives up on Spotify, and starts listening to music in decent quality again.

Decent music, at least.*

EDIT - she could also try knowing her point, getting more sleep...

*As in "she could try listening to". Sorry, I seem to be finding it hard work. Rather like the author of that article, really. Still, we all have bad days.

 

[Alantiggger]

I just love cd music whether cd or flac quality ;0

 

[ID.]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

It has suffered from compression associated with streaming and downloads, but it has also unleashed huge potential by making music more available and making lossless and hi resolution streaming from a NAS/HDD, etc. possible.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Apologies for earlier typo – now corrected.

 

[byakuya83]

In this case I don't think it's the file choice that's spoils the enjoyment, rather the choice of playback equipment and the listening environment.

Slightly off topic but I don't have the equipment or hearing ability necessary to tell the difference between a good 'Mastered for iTunes' download and a lossless file. So I opt for convenience as quality is not an issue for me.

 

[BigH]

Sounds like she is just playing it on her laptop and laptop speakers, so no wonder, as for graphic equaliser there maybe one on her soundcard. Services like Spotify and Rdio mean I listen to far more music than before. No wonder she is bored if she only plays one artist. The whole point is you can play loads of different stuff not just the ones you have bought, you don't get bored and you discover new music. Streaming music is not the problem.