Music Consumption

The way we listen to music has drastically changed throughout history. From solely listening to music live, people can now stream music anywhere, at any time.

While the evolution of music consumption has made music more accessible to the public, it may be harmful to established and upcoming artists.

The vinyl record swept the early 20th century. Vinyls could play music through several mechanisms, namely the phonograph, gramophone and record player.

All three use a stylus that rides along a flat record disc or an analog phonograph cylinder. The stylus picks up vibrations while gliding along the record’s grooves, which then travel through a diaphragm to produce sound.

In the case of the record player, the vibrations are converted to electrical signals, which are amplified to create sound. Vinyl records began to slow in sales during the 1960’s-1980’s. In 2010, however, vinyl saw a resurgence, as they’ve become a nostalgic piece of music and decoration.

The cassette tape surfaced in the 1960’s. Cassettes are constructed of double sided analog magnetic tape and are much more compact than vinyl records, making them easier to transport.

Cassette tapes can be paused, rewound and played at any time. Users could either purchase pre-recorded tapes or upload their own content on a blank tape.

The cassette tape was not limited to music, though. The same concept was used with videocassette recorder (VCR) tapes, which are used to play movies.

The CD was invented in 1979, but did not hit the mainstream market until 1982. In 1989, CD sales surpassed cassette tapes and became the most popular format for music listeners. Like cassettes, CDs are not limited to music. Digital video discs (DVD) store more data than CDs, but are used for movies.

The CD was invented in 1979, but did not hit the mainstream market until

1982. In 1989, CD sales surpassed cassette tapes and became the most popular format for music listeners.

Like cassettes, CDs are not limited to music. Digital video discs (DVD) store more data than CDs, but are used for movies.

In 1997, Saehan Information Systems released the world’s first MP3 player. MP3’s are portable devices which download, store and play audio files.

In 2001, Apple released the iPod. Though similar to the MP3, iPods are more durable and have better music-playing quality. Rhapsody, the first music streaming service, surfaced to popularity the same year.

With more people downloading music online and using the TV to watch movies at home, CD and DVD sales have steadily decreased, creating the perfect environment for streaming services to grow.

YouTube, a video-sharing platform, hit the web in 2005. YouTube jolted the music industry by providing a platform for established and upcoming artists to display their talent and create an online fanbase.

The Music Television (MTV) channel began in 1981, and originally played music videos 24/7.

Now, MTV predominantly plays reality shows. This is partially due to artists shifting away from MTV to capitalize on YouTube. Many record companies were not initially happy with YouTube, but later saw its potential for promotion.

The popular streaming service Spotify hit the market in 2006 and has swept the music industry since.

Digital music streaming services provide access to millions of songs, podcasts and videos from artists worldwide. Music streaming provides easy access to music instantly, without the clutter of CDs or records.

Though streaming services are ideal for the public, some new and upcoming artists have struggled amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Relying solely on streaming revenue, many artists faced financial hardships with the absence of concerts and tours.

A number of artists have stripped their work from streaming services to protest unfair revenue payments. One of the most notable examples being when Taylor Swift removed her music from Spotify in 2014. “Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for,” Swift said in an op-ed. “It’s my opinion that music should not be free, and my prediction is that individual artists and their labels will someday decide what an album’s price point is. I hope they don’t underestimate themselves or undervalue their art.”

In 2017, she returned her music to Spotify in celebration of her album, 1989, selling over 10 million copies. After signing a new recording deal with Republic Records in 2018, she ensured that Spotify shares were a part of the agreement.

While it’s hard to find, Spotify does provide some transparency about their royalties. More recently, Spotify launched a web portal called Loud & Clear, which provides clarity for artists about the economics of music streaming.

Music on Spotify earns two kinds of royalties: recording royalties and publishing royalties. Recording royalties are money owed to rights holders for music streamed on Spotify. The licensor of the music -- recording labels or distributors -- then pays the artists for revenue made from recording royalties. Publishing royalties are money owed to the songwriter(s) or owner(s) of a composition. These can include publishers, collecting societies and mechanical agencies based on the territory of usage, per spotify.com.

In the United States, groups like the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers advocate on behalf of artists’ rights.

In 2020, they launched a guerrilla campaign against Spotify demanding higher pay called “Justice At Spotify.”

This November, TIDAL, another music and video streaming service, announced plans to launch fan-powered royalties.

Fan-powered royalties allow artists to benefit directly from fans and subscribers—a much more transparent system compared to other royalty deals.

TIDAL is the first music streaming service to implement a method for fans and subscribers to directly pay artists.

Along with the issue of fair payment, climate change and pollution are another concern among the music industry.

CDs, DVDs and music players often end up in landfills, but vinyls can be recycled. However, the recycling process releases the poisonous chlorine gas contained within the disc.

Though online streaming seems like a more sustainable option, digital music is a massive energy consumer. Streamed music uses about 107 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, while CD players cause 34.7 kilowatt hours a year.

Like most developing programs, there are many pros and cons to music streaming. Either way, artists have paved a way through this changing environment for a better future within music.