Music In the Digital Age

The debate and discussions regarding young people building their music library by swapping tracks with friends, file sharing and illegally downloading music is not new. About a month ago, an NPR intern wrote a post titled "I Never Owned Any Music To Begin With." Again, there was no news here, but it sparked a huge internet debate that really illuminates how society has changed.

On one hand, not paying for music is hurting the artists and many of our professions/future professions as a whole. On the other, it lets us know that the current model doesn't work because it is no longer the way that people want to experience music. The last two lines of the article says it all, "All I require is the ability to listen to what I want, when I want and how I want it. Is that too much to ask?"

I don't have any solutions, but I found this article and the response on the internet to be extremely interesting. Personally, I find it kind of sad and disappointing that consumers are no longer supporting music in the same way as the past, but that shows a change in times. I recently got back into listening to vinyl records and it is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my life. listening to records, looking at all of the album art and trying to figure out how the musicians in conjunction with the engineers and producers made those sounds is one of my favorite things to do. I realize that I'm an outlier.

In any case, check out these articles and form your own opinions. At a minimum, they are quick and informative.


The original article written by NPR Intern:
I Never Owned Any Music to Begin With


How Much Does A Band Earn From Each Music Platform?


Where To Buy Music To Get More Cents On The Dollar To The Musician


Owning Music In the Digital Age

Hope you enjoy the reads!