The development of music and how consumers listen has changed because of technology

Music has long stood as a constant, reliable part of human culture for millennia, but in the rise of the technology era, how music is created and listened to is ever changing. Innovation has always been inextricably linked to music: while artists continued to reinvent the art itself, a demand for more convenient ways to listen developed.

Entrepreneurs and music lovers alike are always looking for the next best thing: whether hi-fi stereo systems, wireless headphones, or new recording technology. While were probably some ways off from chips that can be implanted in the ear, the affect technology has had on music is clear. And the benefits of music are many: an improvement in mood, work quality, focus, and energy.

Here are just a few ways the ever-changing scope of technology is affecting the world of music.

Convenience

Over the last 20 years, technology companies like Sony and Apple have attempted to create the best mobile music player. While each product has a variety of features and props, the purpose is the same: to make music something you can fit in your pocket. Before products like the iPod took over, Walkman CD players and Cassette players were the norm: portable, but clunky. Its almost amusing, looking back at how much mp3 players have changed since their inception, and how the ways people consumer music has changed. Increased portability allows a user to listen everywhere, and while plugging in may seem rude to some, it can only bolster the health benefits listening to music has.

There was a period where it seems digital music would put an end to tradition record labels, and artists were struggling to produce music that people would buy. But now, despite the ever-rising popularity of platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, people are more interested than ever in investing in their favorite artist (see Aesthetic). Since 2015, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of physical music, whether CD or (and especially) vinyl.

Personalization

More recently, music streaming platforms have gained ground by using algorithms to monitor user listening patterns and preferences. Nielsen reported that in 2016 music consumption was higher than ever, with digital song downloads down but streaming more popular than ever before. Music lovers prefer the ability to stream anything and everything, all the while customizing their playlists and being introduced to new music theyll love. Entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for the possibility of creating a new app or service that will enhance the listening experience.

A Global Perspective

The greatest gift technology has given to the music industry is its inherent ability to globalize everything. People can not only discover music from cultures on the other side of the globe, but they can also share playlists and opinions about music more freely than ever before. Spotify is known for its popularity on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. In addition to this, more people have access to what was once a luxury: music is more accessible and more popular.

Aesthetic

The appreciation of music as an art has regained popularity, even in the face of the technology wave. Digital streaming is dominating the market, but an unlikely resurgence has occurred in vinyl sales. Just in 2016 alone, vinyl sales more than doubled from 2015, reaching the highest amount of sales in a quarter of a century. Why? Music lovers not only embrace the accessibility of digital, but they also enjoy showing off physical collections of records. They appreciate tangible art. More and more, vinyls include digital downloads, allowing music lovers to embrace the aesthetic quality of vinyl and the ease of a digital download at once.

Positivity & Productivity

Music is a powerful, and helpful tool in everyday life. It is uplifting, and can boost energy and mood, allowing for an increase in productivity and positivity during the work day. Tapping into your own world, filled with songs you love can allow you focus on the task at hand, and technology makes that easier than ever. Music satisfies the wandering mind and creates a chain reaction (releasing dopamine) in the brain, thus making it easier to get back to work without extraneous noise. Noise-canceling headphones and wireless earbuds make listening to music while working easy. Technologys greatest impact to music on an individual level is its capabilities of blocking out the crazy world outside, and everyone can reap the benefits.

If listening to music can make you happier and improve your work quality, there isnt a downside to finding new ways to incorporate it into your day, notes Joh Foy, attorney and founder of John Foy & Associates. Listen to your music player during lunch, play the radio in your officethen even the worst day can feel more manageable.

Many entrepreneurs are all too familiar with the uncertainty and possibility that comes with a new venture, but this is ever more applicable in relation to the music industry. Labels and musicians now must come to terms with the technology age while creating relatable and relevant content. Sound familiar? The music industry is an apt representation of how entrepreneurs must embrace technology and use it to their advantage to maintain their brands and products.

Music, as the universal language, will always permeate into our daily lives, but how it will continue is not as certain with the rise of technology. Finding new ways to adapt a constant variable is always a challenge, but like those in the music industry, entrepreneurs will be the most successful when willing to use tech as a partner, rather than an obstacle.

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Technology and music in 2017: how tech is changing the universal language - TNW