The act of collecting music can make listening to music more pleasureable in the age of streaming, according to an Israeli study. — AFP Relaxnews
It wasn’t so long ago that to listen to music, a person had to buy a vinyl record, cassette tape or CD. But the rise of streaming has profoundly changed our relationship with music.
The transition of the average consumer from having an album collection that numbered in the tens to unlimited access, platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music now allow us to “collect” as many tracks as we like in just a few clicks. It’s nothing short of a revolution in terms of listening and the effects on our habits are not insignificant.
At least, that’s what’s suggested by a series of studies conducted by researchers at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University, and recently published in the journal Personal And Ubiquitous Computing. They put forward the idea that, in the age of streaming, there is a link between amassing tracks in virtual jukeboxes and the pleasure experienced when listening to music.
Streaming offers us constant access to tens of millions of tracks, whether at home or on the move. As a result, we’re spending more time listening to music than ever before. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) estimates that the average person spends 20.1 hours a week listening to music, according to the latest edition of its annual Engaging With Music report.
While streaming platforms are a bit like giant jukeboxes, they are also redefining the notion of ownership. The songs we save in our playlists don’t really belong to us: they’re available to us at any time, provided we have a subscription – free or, better yet, paid.
‘Revive the passion for music’
It’s a subtle difference but one that matters. A research team from Bar-Ilan University, led by Professor Ofer Bergman, has found that music lovers are less enthusiastic about music than they used to be. To reach this conclusion, the scientists asked 40 volunteers to answer two questionnaires and take part in an experiment designed to assess their listening pleasure in real time, before and after “collecting” music.
This approach highlighted the fact that the abundance of songs available for free or at low cost on streaming platforms has contributed to depreciating listeners’ subjective evaluation of music. In other words, music has lost some of its appeal now that, for the first time in human history, it is ultra accessible to the greatest number of consumers.
Furthermore, the researchers found that study participants found the act of “collecting” music to be more enjoyable than burdensome in the age of streaming. In fact, all we have to do is “like” the tracks that grab our attention to save them in our personal virtual jukebox, or listen to playlists designed specially according to our musical tastes – or rather what we have previously listened to – by super-powerful algorithms.
But Bergman and his colleagues encourage users of streaming platforms to retain control of their musical experience by "collecting" songs themselves.
“By actively engaging in the act of collecting within streaming platforms, users can elevate their enjoyment levels of satisfaction and possibly reignite their passion for music,” the researcher said in a statement.
“By recognising the significance of music collection within the streaming era, a harmonious balance between algorithmic recommendations and personal curation can be achieved, leading to a reinvigorated and enriching musical journey," a release on the study summed up. – AFP Relaxnews
