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The Addictive Nature of Streaming Music
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THIS might be a bit of a personal thing…
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but there are other people who will surely be able to relate. I actually want to discuss a few things when it comes to streamed music. Even if physical music is booming and sales are looking really impressive, there is still that limitation regarding affordability. We cannot buy as many albums as we would like. As physical singles are no longer a thing, artists have to rely on streaming alone to get people to listen to them. I still think people should buy albums, though one has to be selective and reign themselves in. Streaming in beneficial, as you get to hear albums and sample them before you buy. Singles are easily available to hear, and there is no doubt that a balance between buying albums and listening on streaming sites is best. Whilst artists are not paid nearly as much as they should for being on streaming, I think another problem exists when it comes to the listener. I pay Premium on Spotify, but I often think that this is not enough to pay. When you consider the fact you can listen unlimited to whatever music you like ad-free, it seems £9.99 is far too little! Considering I pay this sort of money for streaming T.V. – Disney+, Paramount etc. – and I use that comparatively little, it does seem that I (and everyone else) should pay more for music. Not to suggest a cut-off point but, as I pay very little to stream, I wonder whether I am getting as much out of it as I can. I tend I play the same songs over and over again. This addictive nature means that I can rinse a track and saturate it and it loses some value. You can do that with a physical single, but I am exploring less than I should do – leaning on these few songs and playing them to death. There is this addictive nature to streaming music. Whilst it is good to love a song and want to play it, there are one or two I cannot seem to stop playing. I wonder whether this is a healthy thing, and whether there should be some cut-off.
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Spotify has the Daily Mix playlists. This is based on what you listen to. They will then create various mixes and playlists by genre and type of artist. It is good for prosperity and reference, but it is easy to rely on those and, again, play the same songs. Because there isn’t this streaming limit, I do wonder whether many of us are playing songs we know and love and not exploring enough. It can be very hard to open people eyes to the full extent and variety of new music. Even if there are weekly playlists of new music, so many artists and songs get missed out. It is vital there is older music and I can make playlists of my favourite songs, I feel Spotify and other streaming platforms should do more to highlight artists that do not get that many streams. I find that the Spotify interface is quite useful and easy to navigate. There is a choice of podcasts and music, but I find something is missing. Maybe an option to limit older songs you play regularly. A chance to pay a little bit more per month and ensure that some of that money goes to new artists. Perhaps integrating some of the features you get on Bandcamp. Being able to stream unlimited, but also there being a section where you can buy singles and albums from artists. Maybe it would not be the full amount, though a small fee – rather than streaming the music for very little – I think would change our listening habits. I do love older music, but I am getting hooked on the same artists and songs. I wonder how healthy it is going back to the same songs over and over again.
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What I think needs to happen is for Platforms like Spotify to emphasise new music more. They could have a legacy section, but more playlists of new music and lesser-heard artists would be really rewarding. Radio is great for new music discovery, though I do miss out on so much. I have got into this very reductive and destructive habit of spinning the same songs and staying in a bit of a cycle. Not expanding my horizons and embracing newer sounds. Spotify and other platforms are great and give us so much access to all music. Perhaps it is just my listening habits, and yet other people I know get into the same routines. If you can get all this music for £9.99 a month, I tend to find you will utilise that and play your favourite music over and over. Rather than spreading out more with new music and podcasts, I am trying to drag myself out of a rut. Spotify and similar streaming sites are so vast and full of options. It can be a case of being overwhelmed and not missing out on so much. I feel we should all be paying more for streamed music. The reason for writing this feature was to sort of unburden myself a bit! Rather than keep on top of the best new music, I am relying on suggested mixes, my old playlists and these few songs time and time again. Because there are no limits and I can play a song over without paying music more, I am getting lazy. Perhaps people would bulk if there was a new payment structure and a raise. I kick myself for overlooking certain songs and artists, though there aren’t many guides or daily playlists that highlight them. That combination of repeating the same songs and not diving too much into new music tied to that low cost of streaming in the first place is affecting all of our tastes and habits. It has made me realise that I need to stop recycling and taking the easy option and spend more time exploring the full and wonderful array…
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OF new songs and artists.