Streaming ruining music?

[ChrisIRL]

What do people think? Is streaming ruining music? As much as I enjoy streaming services they've made music a bit throw away and cheap. Sure some albums are immediately good enough that you'll listen to them again, maybe buy it, but very often I'll listen to an album, enjoy it, but rarely return to it.

"Back in the day" many of my favourite CD albums, or tracks within albums, only became so after repeated listening. A bit of effort. That's not really happening with streaming which is a shame. It's all about discovery now, but it's generally shallow and fleeting I find.

It's odd, but after an evening of thoroughly enjoying music I sometimes come away from it not remembering half of what I listened to.

 

[ID.]

What do people think? Is streaming ruining music? As much as I enjoy streaming services they've made music a bit throw away and cheap. Sure some albums are immediately good enough that you'll listen to them again, maybe buy it, but very often I'll listen to an album, enjoy it, but rarely return to it.

"Back in the day" many of my favourite CD albums, or tracks within albums, only became so after repeated listening. A bit of effort. That's not really happening with streaming which is a shame. It's all about discovery now, but it's generally shallow and fleeting I find.

It's odd, but after an evening of thoroughly enjoying music I sometimes come away from it not remembering half of what I listened to.

How you choose to react to the choice and consume it is entirely up to you.

I'm discovering new music, and things that catch my attention get played multiple times.

If you find the range distracting, why not limit yourself? I'd only argue that streaming is ruining music if it is having a negative impact on artist revenue and therefore discouraging more people from making music.

 

[NS496]

Streaming reinvigorated my music listening habits. Listening to more and more diverse music than ever before! Discovering a lot of new artists. Lack of physical media a huge boon in 'decluttering' my home and car. Most enjoyable development in music sphere in a long time I think!

 

[Gazzip]

What do people think? Is streaming ruining music? As much as I enjoy streaming services they've made music a bit throw away and cheap. Sure some albums are immediately good enough that you'll listen to them again, maybe buy it, but very often I'll listen to an album, enjoy it, but rarely return to it.

"Back in the day" many of my favourite CD albums, or tracks within albums, only became so after repeated listening. A bit of effort. That's not really happening with streaming which is a shame. It's all about discovery now, but it's generally shallow and fleeting I find.

It's odd, but after an evening of thoroughly enjoying music I sometimes come away from it not remembering half of what I listened to.

Would you have given even a small percentage of what you listen to a chance if it wasn't for streaming? Back in the day buying a CD or an LP was a not inconsiderable financial commitment for me, so I only tended to buy something from an artist I knew, or if I had heard their music on the radio or in a friends collection.

Today I tend to use Spotify as a "testing ground" and then pull the trigger on either the LP or the CD from Amazon if I like it. I have to own the physical media so it is mine, and I do find that once I own it is listened to properly...

 

[muljao]

I think it's great. I hooked up to Spotify a few months ago and it gives me a great chance to listen to loads of different new music.

I sometimes go on the net and type best albums of a year for example, to find new things to listen to, or even clicking on the review section here when an album or song is referenced in the review.

 

[nopiano]

I agree that I find the experience not the same. Streaming to me can often be a bit like having the radio on, more as background. Sure, some radio programmes I listen to intently - as I do certain streamed tracks - but if I'm seriously listening it is invariably from a physical medium.

I suspect different listeners experience this differently. I wonder if older listeners are more attracted to physical media?

 

[Al ears]

I agree that I find the experience not the same. Streaming to me can often be a bit like having the radio on, more as background. Sure, some radio programmes I listen to intently - as I do certain streamed tracks - but if I'm seriously listening it is invariably from a physical medium.

I suspect different listeners experience this differently. I wonder if older listeners are more attracted to physical media?

To me it's all down to where you are listening. Most of my music is either on DMP for when I cam working away, when I am home it's normally a physical medium. Quality of digital music is what you make of it and streaming only as good as what you happen to be playing it through.

 

[ChrisIRL]

I suppose to ask is it "ruining" music is a bit extreme. Although many artists would argue that it is hurting revenue. Does it stop them creating new music? Unlikely I'd imagine.

It has opened up new genres to me definitely. I'm now a big jazz fan which never would have happened without Spotify. I think I'll self enforce a full album 3 listens rule. I know some of my favourite albums today would not have been if I had only come across them via streaming. Also the buzz of a favourite artist about to release a new album has diminished a bit because I'm too caught up "discovering" hundreds of new bands.

 

[BigH]

It's great I play 1,000s of music now, discover new music all the time, don't get bored with playing just the ones I have bought, don't waste loads of money on music I never play again. If you feel like that then just buy the ones you like most, preferrably buy direct from the band so the money goes straight to them. I would tend to buy music from the lesser known musicians, with big names it's not going to make any difference.

Yes back in the day in the 70s I would be wearing out my favourite albums but times change, now I rarely play anything more than a few times a year.

 

[Freddy58]

that streaming is ruining music, but I do think it's ruining the listening experience. Seems to me 'we've' turned into a nation of 'flickers'. Just listening to a few seconds of any given track before deciding if it's any good or not. Of course, this is a generalisation, but its based on my own observations. In my day ( *biggrin* ) the only choice was vinyl, so a little patience was required. This definitely helped me to appreciate music that had I just flicked through it, I would have dismissed.

Yours, an old fart.

 

[Leeps]

One thing I like about streaming (among many things) is that when I discover a new artist I like, I can immediately listen to their back-catalogue and pick out what I like. Financially it wouldn't have been viable to do this before.

I've been going through a phase of listening to movie soundtracks. I've been going through the repertoire of Dario Marinelli, Alexandre Desplat, Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard and have been discovering other composers I wasn't aware of before. A really enjoyable process to see an artist's work in context.

Whatever streamng service you use, try typing "Original Motion Picture" in the search field. It throws up some interesting results. Some of them are fantastic and have become my regular favourites and others are objectionable and I feel glad I hadn't bought them.

One favourite that I discovered and play regularly is by The Cinematic Orchestra - The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos". It's a soundtrack to a Disney documentary. A really beautiful work and a jolly good test disc too: try track 3, "The Dance" for example.

As for revenues, who are the real losers? The majority of artists are virtual unknowns, never to hit the "big time" in terms of album sales and make their living by touring and gigs. Their lives have changed little. The people more in the limelight who hit multi-million dollar record sales, they are the ones most affected by streaming revenues and are in the best position to be vocal about it. Do I mourn the loss of revenue of the Taylor Swifts of this world?

 

[Sorreltiger]

I have spoken to many musicians about streaming (from a variety of genres) and most are in favour of it because of the exposure, despite making little money from recordings. It does have a positive impact on bookings and audiences for live appearances. However, if you really want to be a 'responsible streamer', I'd encourage making an effort to go on and buy CDs of music that you really like to support the artists' careers and enable them to make further recordings.

 

[rothlee]

I don't think streaming is necessarily ruining anything. I think it's just "of its time" if anything. Different people will always have different approaches to the way they acquire music, and streaming just becomes another avenue within that. Personally I use Spotify, trial many albums and buy a good deal of them in physical formats once I'm happy with them and feel I want to hear them in a higher quality and will listen to them again and again. If anything, it could be argued that in my case it's going to mean artists producing poor work would be less likely to generate a sale, although would make a tiny income from my trial. In that regard, it means artists with established reputations will probably get fewer sales from those who adopt an approach like mine... but as I said, it's horses for courses and everyone will approach it their own way. Those happy to avoid paying would most likely be a modern incarnation of those who in the past would have had copied CDs or tapes with handwritten album details, so maybe the only real issue on that front is that modern technology hasn't eradicated the ethos some people had, but does generate tiny income streams for artists via Spotify etc.

 

[ID.]

I have spoken to many musicians about streaming (from a variety of genres) and most are in favour of it because of the exposure, despite making little money from recordings. It does have a positive impact on bookings and audiences for live appearances. However, if you really want to be a 'responsible streamer', I'd encourage making an effort to go on and buy CDs of music that you really like to support the artists' careers and enable them to make further recordings.

This. The stuff I really love I buy the album, either a CD or a lossless download.

Then again, I've always been a fan of supporting the artists I love.

 

[floyd droid62]

What do people think? Is streaming ruining music? As much as I enjoy streaming services they've made music a bit throw away and cheap. Sure some albums are immediately good enough that you'll listen to them again, maybe buy it, but very often I'll listen to an album, enjoy it, but rarely return to it.

"Back in the day" many of my favourite CD albums, or tracks within albums, only became so after repeated listening. A bit of effort. That's not really happening with streaming which is a shame. It's all about discovery now, but it's generally shallow and fleeting I find.

It's odd, but after an evening of thoroughly enjoying music I sometimes come away from it not remembering half of what I listened to.

Would you have given even a small percentage of what you listen to a chance if it wasn't for streaming? Back in the day buying a CD or an LP was a not inconsiderable financial commitment for me, so I only tended to buy something from an artist I knew, or if I had heard their music on the radio or in a friends collection.

Today I tend to use Spotify as a "testing ground" and then pull the trigger on either the LP or the CD from Amazon if I like it. I have to own the physical media so it is mine, and I do find that once I own it is listened to properly...

that,s exactly what i do ,spotify ,may be buy

 

[ChrisIRL]

Ah yes, but are albums being given given enough listens via streaming to lead to an eventual physical media purchase. Some albums are hard work before they reveal their genius.

 

[ChrisIRL]

I agree that I find the experience not the same. Streaming to me can often be a bit like having the radio on, more as background. Sure, some radio programmes I listen to intently - as I do certain streamed tracks - but if I'm seriously listening it is invariably from a physical medium.

I suspect different listeners experience this differently. I wonder if older listeners are more attracted to physical media?

To me it's all down to where you are listening. Most of my music is either on DMP for when I cam working away, when I am home it's normally a physical medium. Quality of digital music is what you make of it and streaming only as good as what you happen to be playing it through.

This raises an interesting point actually. Through my Unitiqute 2/ nap 100/ PMC twenty 21s nearly everything sounds great. This could be leading to my Spotify "drifting". I'm listening to some stuff because it sounds great, but it may not nessecarily be great music. End result? An enjoyable but ultimately forgettable listening session.

 

[Infiniteloop]

What do people think? Is streaming ruining music? As much as I enjoy streaming services they've made music a bit throw away and cheap. Sure some albums are immediately good enough that you'll listen to them again, maybe buy it, but very often I'll listen to an album, enjoy it, but rarely return to it.

"Back in the day" many of my favourite CD albums, or tracks within albums, only became so after repeated listening. A bit of effort. That's not really happening with streaming which is a shame. It's all about discovery now, but it's generally shallow and fleeting I find.

It's odd, but after an evening of thoroughly enjoying music I sometimes come away from it not remembering half of what I listened to.

Would you have given even a small percentage of what you listen to a chance if it wasn't for streaming? Back in the day buying a CD or an LP was a not inconsiderable financial commitment for me, so I only tended to buy something from an artist I knew, or if I had heard their music on the radio or in a friends collection.

Today I tend to use Spotify as a "testing ground" and then pull the trigger on either the LP or the CD from Amazon if I like it. I have to own the physical media so it is mine, and I do find that once I own it is listened to properly...

+1. I've discovered a lot of new stuff on Qobuz which I've then bought on CD/ Vinyl. I'm still not convinced that streaming sounds as good as a ripped CD. Can't really describe the difference other than streamed music sounds 'flatter' and a bit grey. Maybe that's why I don't stream stuff over and over whereas physical media gets multiple plays.

 

[matthewpiano]

I'm firmly wedded to physical media, both CD and vinyl, as my main listening formats, but I don't think streaming is 'ruining' music at all. On the whole I see it as a positive development, but it depends entirely on how you use it.

I've been a Spotify Premium member for a long time and I've always used it on my PC and tablet to test the water before committing to a physical album purchase. Since changing my car earlier this year, I'm finding this even more valuable. I now have 'Full Link' on the car entertainment system, which allows me to play Spotify easily through the car stereo. My daily commute is 1 hour each way, so this gives me perfect time for trying out new albums. I've done it with the new Deacon Blue album, for example, found it to be far better than I expected, and subsequently purchased the CD.

Of course, the best listening is to live music. I've just enjoyed a fantastic weekend of performances at Derby Folk Festival, including Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys, Fairport Convention, Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker, Vin Garbutt, Heidi Talbot, 9Bach, Ninebarrow, and John McCusker, and no recorded music format can match that experience. What is nice, is the ability to come home after such a feast, and be able to play the CDs and vinyl of these artists and enjoy a continued relationship with their music in high quality sound.

 

[cse]

I've recently purchased chromecast audio to stream music to my Arcam solo music. I stream via Quboz in MP3 320. I bought it because streaming via Bluetooth produced dropouts. I have found the quality to be excellent, better clarity than Bluetooth. My question is do you think the quality would be further improved with an optical cable (I would have to purchase one) as I only use the supplied cable at present?