Streaming: two steps forward, one step back

Scrolling through instagram this week, I came across a tweet from Erykah Badu, announcing her feature on a new album from an artist I had never heard of:

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My excitement at the prospect of some new music to listen to was quickly diminished by my discovery that these tunes would only be available to hear through purchasing the vinyl. As a proponent of the streaming generation, I am used to being able to access almost any music instantly. The fact that this project is isolating itself from that process, made me think. Streaming allows me to hear so much content so fast, but what comes with this ease to listen is an ease to forget and move on very quickly.

JME’s new album Grime MC is similarly only available on CD or vinyl. Pitchfork identifies that this puts the responsibility in the lap of the listener to venture out in order to experience this project. There is definitely a high level of admirability in this sort of deviance from the usual standards of the music industry. By being absent from streaming services, an artist can ensure that their music avoids being just another project in a sea of constant new releases. The act of going out of your way to purchase a physical album brings with it more of a direct connection to the artist and a willingness to dedicate time to exploring their music.

Likewise, The Beatles had previously not put their music onto any streaming services. Whether the reason for this was to do with revenue issues or more of a commitment to preserve their values, at the end of the day such a success like The Beatles seemingly did not need a service like Spotify.

However, at the end of 2015, The Beatles put most of their back catalogue and compilation albums on streaming services. Something that I was very surprised to read, was that in 2019 the top demographic of people listening to The Beatles of Spotify was 18-24 year olds. Despite any criticisms of streaming and it’s impact on how we digest music, the magic in it can be seen in this example. The availability of The Beatles’ music on streaming services has allowed a new generation to experience it who, without such access, most likely would not have put the effort into exploring it. If an artist primarily cares about their music being able to reach as many people as possible, and impacting, them in some way, then it seems like streaming services are not so bad after all.

How can these reflections be applied to how we listen to music? I definitely do not think it is justifiable to criticise everything about streaming – but, it is a complicated space in the digital world that does come with it’s ups and downs. Perhaps by being more conscious about what we listen to and how we listen to it, we can embrace the advantages of streaming services whilst making an effort not to listen shallowly and passingly. And if in doubt, buy a record player!