Streaming’s Effects on Music Culture: Old Anxieties and New Simplifications

This article identifies five key themes, or sets of criticisms, that have emerged in online commentary on the new musical system centred streaming platforms, and related academic research: Streaming encourages ‘functional’ rather than meaningful, aesthetic experience. bland, unchallenging music. makes experience passive distracted, music recedes into background (here also discusses limitations widely used concepts ‘ubiquitous music’ listening’). tracks songs shorter, more fragmented. discourages and/or limits discovery adventurousness. The addresses each these themes turn, examining degree to which criticisms streaming’s effects along lines might be considered valid, they genuinely enhance critical understanding contemporary It considers relation older forms evaluation, particularly those developed 20th century response industrialisation music, argues many recent problematically reproduce anxieties assumptions.