The Themes in Contemporary Culture unit introduced some of the social, cultural, aesthetic, political, historical and global contexts in which designed products are made. For the final summative submission for this unit, we had to produce a research based text essay about an idea, theme, idea or issue raised in one of the sessions that is of interest to us. We then had to formulate a research question and carry out research from a range of sources - as well as finding several visual & design examples of cultural artefacts.
Themes in Contemporary Culture:
Maréa Maloney
Unit Code: C18101
Motion Graphics, MGR
28th May 2021
List of Illustrations:
Fig.1: Wall Street Journal (2018) From Phonographs to Spotify: A Brief History of the Music Industry. [Online]
Available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bVketPj5to
(Accessed: 11 May 2021)
Fig.2: BBVA Open Mind (2013) The Music Industry in an Age of Digital Distribution. [Online]
(Accessed: 27 May 2021)
Fig.3: Statista (2014) Vinyl Comes Back From Near-Extinction. [Online]
Available at: www.statista.com/chart/2967/worldwide-vinyl-sales
(Accessed: 27 May 2021)
How are technological advancements affecting the way we consume music?
Over the years, the way we listen and interact with music has changed drastically. Technology is constantly evolving, and the music industry along with it. We will recall some of the recording technologies developed in the past 150 years, and how they have influenced the way we consume music today.
Figure.1 - (2018) From Phonographs to Spotify: A Brief History of the Music Industry. Wall Street Journal. [Online]
It’s almost hard to reconstruct how different music was in the early 19th Century – If you wanted to hear a song, you only had one option: live. That all changed in 1877, when Thomas Edison invented the Phonograph. This was a machine with two needles: one for recording and one for playback. Revolutionary for the time. Within a few years, the Phonograph became solely devoted to music and recordings were becoming readily available to the public.
The nature of music was already beginning to change. With the invention of wax cylinders and shellac discs, the duration of songs became much shorter. These discs could only hold two to three minutes of audio, but the live music of the 19th century was typically much more drawn out - symphonies could stretch up to an hour. Performers and composers edited their work down to size and created each movement to fit onto a side of a disc. Mark Katz, a professor of music, stated that “The three-minute pop song is basically an invention of the Phonograph”. The commercial success that came with Edison’s invention went on to revolutionize the music industry. People were able to enjoy music freely, which led to a market for buying records.
In 1948, Columbia records introduced the LP or long-playing vinyl record. This was a new form of disc that allowed for multiple songs on one record. Previously, you could only get 3 minutes of audio onto one side, but with narrower grooves and a slower speed, the LP could hold over 40 minutes of audio, and was changing the way we listen to music yet again. Musicians were now able to release full albums and with this, new genres and hits emerged. Vinyl remained the dominant recording format for most of the 20th century and is still popular to this day – as many music enthusiasts consider vinyl records as the optimum in audio quality and listening experience.
By the late 1950’s, a new technology would once again change the industry. When first introduced, magnetic tape was not a great success. But being able to record music on a smaller device, with greater portability, inspired a series of innovations. Many car manufacturers began to have 8-track players built into their vehicles which led to a rise in tapes popularity. But it was when Sony released the Walkman in 1979 that things really began to change. The Walkman was a portable cassette player that allowed people to listen to the music of their choice, whenever and wherever. Around the same time, MTV launched, which gave record labels an opportunity to market their music. This was a big change for the music industry, but for artists it was a lot more – it was no longer just about the song. They now had the ability to offer a whole artistic package which led to many people feeling the urge to express themselves. This began to form and shape many subcultures and aesthetics that are still present to this day.
Now came the rise of the digital era. CDs transformed the way music was recorded, produced, and presented once again. An evolution of the standard Vinyl LP, CDs had the same circular shape, but technology allowed them to store more data – meaning longer songs and more tracks per album. Up until now, storing and reproducing sounds was made in an analogical manner, by physically printing audio through electromagnetic and mechanical means, but the compact disc introduced digitally represented information and became a revolutionary format. With the quick rise of CDs, Sony released an advancement of the Walkman, so consumers could play music on the go. CDs were also a great success within the music industry and went down especially well with musicians and producers. Artists began to use them as promotional material and would quickly gain a lot of publicity. And in 1999, profits peaked with over $14.6 billion in sales in the US alone.
In the early 2000’s, new software such as Napster appeared, but with it, came the beginning of digital piracy. CD sales plummeted as music was now being shared online for no cost. Record companies began to lose their power, and some faced extensive legal battles over the rightful ownership of the music. It wasn’t until MP3 Players and the Apple iPod were introduced that sales began to boost from digital downloads. The increase in digital sales was still minimal compared to the previous sales of physical formats, meaning artists were forced to tour more, to make up for the revenue loss.
When streaming sites launched, all companies took a different approach – some introduced platforms where consumers could purchase individual albums or songs of their choice, while others offered a subscription-based platform with access to limited music libraries. But the breakthrough with digital streaming came in 2011 when Spotify managed to do what the others could not – license an extensive library of music. Instead of buying and owning digital copies of songs and albums, Spotify allowed you to listen to ads, or pay a monthly fee, in exchange for access to essentially all music ever published. Following the popularity of Spotify, other companies such as Amazon, Google and Apple all took a similar approach with their services and now, artists and labels rely on these for the bulk of their profits. Although streaming is responsible for huge revenue growth in the industry, these companies still aren’t making money from it as they continue to prioritise growth over profits.
Figure.2 - (2013) The Music Industry in an Age of Digital Distribution. BBVA Open Mind. [Online]
As we can see, the evolution of music technology has already made a huge impact to the ways in which we consume music. But what effect has this had on contemporary culture? The virtualization of music, separating content from physical media, has led to a questioning consequence for the album format itself. Younger generations listen to playlists and sets of songs, consisting of several different artists – these can be organized and modified according to their own taste, or created by the streaming service, using specified algorithms. But as artists release their music as a cohesive set, digitalising this, places a selection of their work into disuse. This is just one of the ways in which modern music consumption differs from past methods, such as vinyl or cassettes, which allowed you to listen to the full album, with no interruptions.
And it’s not just the ways we consume music that have changed, it’s also the artwork. The artwork featured on an album gives the listener an idea of what to expect, and even what kind of musician is behind the creativity. Album covers can be used to make a statement, as the visual imagery is an opportunity to make the right first impression. I believe that albums, as an art form, include both the music as well as the additional artwork. While it is not necessarily important to the music itself, it becomes significant when representing the album and becomes a part of the artists brand. When we would buy physical releases of music, people were much more aware of the artwork that was being presented to them, but with the rise of digital music, a lot of this appreciation is being lost.
Figure.3 - (2014) Vinyl Comes Back From Near-Extinction. Statista. [Online]
However, since 2010, vinyl sales have seen a dramatic increase. In the graph above (Fig3), we can see that the worldwide vinyl sales have made an impressive comeback in recent years. Steve Hagen, CEO of Victrola, says that “although the way we listen to music has changed, the ability to stop and sit and listen to an album from beginning to end, is something that always has been and always will be relevant”. Similarly, Charlie Randall, CEO of McIntosh Labs, agrees by saying “There is something romantic about records, something satisfying about opening the album jacket, seeing the fantastic artwork and studying the liner notes while listening to the album. That’s something that today’s digital files just can’t replace”. As an avid record collector myself, I agree with both statements and I too, believe there is something special that comes with vinyl that is unparalleled with other methods of music consumption.
Vinyl Records, as a medium, have been around for many decades. They have been over-taken by newer and greater technologies numerous times, leading many to believe that the current vinyl revival is just a trend within society. Surprisingly, it is not the nostalgic Generation X behind the rebirth of records – Surveys show that it is Millennial consumers driving the rising trend in vinyl sales. Personally, I believe that there are many reasons for the sudden resurgence of records. I have always valued the warm, organic sound of vinyl, but I think the rise of digital music has contributed most to the increase in sales. Although streaming sites, such as Spotify and Apple Music, are great at making music accessible, they take away the pleasure of owning a physical album – thus stimulating the vinyl revival.
Another way we consume music is through live concerts and events. This has become increasingly significant with the rise of technology and is more important now, than it ever has been. Live music is a unifying force that makes the audience feel connected with the world and gives a strong sense of community – it connects the performers with the audience in a deeply powerful way that can’t be replicated through pre-recorded, digital music. But this too, has been impacted by the advancement of technology. Nowadays, many music fans are more invested in recording the show on their phone, to later post on social media (such as Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube) than actually watching the performance live. Not only does this destroy the energy and atmosphere of the event, but also takes away the emotional connection and power associated with live music.
No matter how much technology evolves, music always has been, and always will be a huge component of cultural expression and identity. It has the potential to change a mood, shift an atmosphere, and has the power to influence our society; culturally, morally, and emotionally. It provides us with various forms of communication, religious and spiritual worship, artistic expression, and celebration – things that cannot be diminished by technological advancements.
And so, the evolution continues. It all began with Edison revolutionizing the music industry with the invention of the Phonograph back in the 19th Century. From here, we have seen countless inventions come and go, and even created things we never thought to be possible. The music industry has been radically transformed during the past 150 years and although technological advancements and digital software is seemingly taking over, much remains before the industry takes the definitive step and leaves the physical world behind. But if history is any clue, it will not be long before new technology changes everything once again.
Bibliography:
Wall Street Journal (2018) From Phonographs to Spotify: A Brief History of the Music Industry.
Available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bVketPj5to
(Accessed: 11 May 2021)
Thompson, Clive (2016) How the Phonograph Changed Music Forever. Smithsonian Magazine.
(Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Author Unknown (2018) Inventions That Changed Music: The Phonograph. College Media Network.
(Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Assis, Paul (Date Unknown) A Brief Overview of the Evolution of Musical Technology: Promises and Risks for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Available at: www.teseopress.com/diversityofculturalexpressionsinthedigitalera
(Accessed: 11 May 2021)
Hanania, Lilian and Norodom, Anna-Thida (2016) Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Digital Era. Teseo Press.
(Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Katz, Mark (2004) Quote: “The three-minute pop song is basically an invention of the Phonograph”.
(Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Matrix Life (2018) Sony Walkman 1981 TV Commercial.
Available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SYvryQUNTI
(Accessed: 26 May 2021)
John, Steven (2020) Why Vinyl Records Are Making a Comeback in 2021. The Manual.
Available at: www.themanual.com/culture/why-vinyl-is-coming-back
(Accessed: 27 May 2021)
Hagen, Scott (Date Unknown) Quote: “The ability to stop and sit and listen to an album from beginning to end, is something that always has been and always will be relevant”.
(Accessed: 27 May 2021)
Ritcher, Felix (2014) Vinyl Comes Back From Near-Extinction. Statista.
Available at: www.statista.com/chart/2967/worldwide-vinyl-sales
(Accessed: 27 May 2021)
Randall, Charlie (Date Unknown) Quote: “There is something romantic about records, something satisfying about opening the album jacket, seeing the fantastic artwork and studying the liner notes while listening to the album. That’s something that today’s digital files just can’t replace”. (Accessed: 27 May 2021)
Wikström, Patrik (2013) The Music Industry in an Age of Digital Distribution. BBVA Open Mind.
(Accessed: 27 May 2021)
Author Unknown (2018) 7 Reasons Live Music is So Important. The Music Studio.
(Accessed: 27 May 2021)
Solomon, Kate (2016) The Incredible Impact of Smartphones on Music. The Telegraph.
Available at: www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/how-phones-changed-the-world/how-smartphones-changed-music
(Accessed: 27 May 2021)
Page, Lauren (2019) How Has Technology Changed Music. FDM Group.
Available at: www.fdmgroup.com/how-has-technology-changed-music
(Accessed: 28 May 2021)
PDF Download of Submission:
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