The rise of music streaming services

Since the rise of digital media, there have been many changes in our world and day to day life. Digital media has impacted our lives tremendously in ways we don’t realise. As an avid fan of music, I have seen and realised the multiple changes that have occurred in the music industry. 

One obvious change is the medium in which people listen to music – with digital media, the music industry has seen the rise of streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Tidal, and Google Play, to name a few.

This has inevitably led to the “death” of traditional music channels like CDs and radio stations. Sure, there may still be people who enjoy listening to music through such mediums or enjoy collecting records, but the vast majority of us now listen to music through music streaming services.

Personally, I use Spotify daily and it has become a part of my life. I enjoy the convenience and joy it brings about, from choosing whatever song I want to listen to at that very moment, as well as creating my own playlists based on songs I like – Spotify and other music streaming services have reinvented the way people consume music.

However, is this really for the better?

Compare it to the times when we relied solely on radio stations or CDs, the rise of such music streaming services have taken away the simplicity and purity of music – like queueing up to buy your favourite singer’s new album, or the excitement we feel when our favourite song comes on the radio.

The new age music industry has brought about much convenience to our lives, but I am not sure if I prefer this as compared to the past, where it was much simpler and the joy more pronounced.