Music downloading creates listener apathy

DjArcadian

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/01/10/060110164416.p4z0rnx6.htmlMusic downloading creates listener apathyJan 10 11:44 AM US/EasternInternet downloading and MP3 players are creating a generation of people who do not seriously appreciate songs or musical performances, British researchers said."The accessibility of music has meant that it is taken for granted and does not require a deep emotional commitment once associated with music appreciation," said music psychologist Adrian North on Tuesday.North led a team from the University of Leicester, central England, that monitored 346 people over two weeks to evaluate how they related to music.They concluded that because of greater accessibility through mass media, music was nowadays seen more as a commodity that is produced, distributed and consumed like any other.It could also account for the popularity of television talent competitions, particularly in Britain, which allow viewers from the "iPod generation" a rare chance to engage and appreciate music and live performances, they suggested."In the 19th century, music was seen as a highly valued treasure with fundamental and near-mystical powers of human communication," said North."The pace of technological change has accelerated further over the last 20 years or so and these fundamental changes in the nature of musical experience and value have arguably become even more pronounced."Because so much music of different styles and genres is now so widely available via portable MP3 players and the internet, it is arguable that people now actively use music in everyday listening contexts to a much greater extent than ever before."The degree of accessibility and choice has arguably led to a rather passive attitude towards music heard in everyday life."In short, our relationship to music in everyday life may well be complex and sophisticated, but it is not necessarily characterised by deep emotional investment."The academic's assessment follows a warning last week from rock legend Pete Townshend, The Who guitarist, that listening to rock music on an MP3 player through headphones could cause deafness.

DjArcadian

I don't really agree with this. I think it has a lot more to do with the way music is produced and marketed and less to do with the way it is consumed, formatted or made available. Artists release their music more frequently with more filler and less care. Marketing pushes music instead of consumer demanding it.

mandrew

I don't really agree with this. I think it has a lot more to do with the way music is produced and marketed and less to do with the way it is consumed, formatted or made available. Artists release their music more frequently with more filler and less care. Marketing pushes music instead of consumer demanding it.

really? i agree with the article. i wrote this a month ago:

...the music i've downloaded i don't appreciate as much. (this is the reason i have resisted soulseek). it's like if i want a song, i get it right away, and the instant gratification lessens the quality of the song. it's like fast food music. whereas finding that song or record in a bin in a dusty basement is like cooking a delicious homecooked meal. ordering it off the internet is like eating out at a restaurant.

goatboy

I don't really agree with this. I think it has a lot more to do with the way music is produced and marketed and less to do with the way it is consumed, formatted or made available. Artists release their music more frequently with more filler and less care. Marketing pushes music instead of consumer demanding it.

really? i agree with the article. i wrote this a month ago:

...the music i've downloaded i don't appreciate as much. (this is the reason i have resisted soulseek). it's like if i want a song, i get it right away, and the instant gratification lessens the quality of the song. it's like fast food music. whereas finding that song or record in a bin in a dusty basement is like cooking a delicious homecooked meal. ordering it off the internet is like eating out at a restaurant.

This is interesting because I was just thinking this about Soulseek a day or so ago (I only started using it a few weeks ago). For me I think it is because I am downloading more than I can possibly listen to, and this leads me to feel even more rushed and scattered even when I do finally listen to a song or an album of songs.

To be honest, I also find that I can feel this way when I buy too many LPs at once. The next thing I know I'm finding records in the back of my stacks that I never listened to, and the ones I do listen to have a hard time staying in rotation because I feel rushed by all the other albums yelling for attention.

I realize that this is probably a psychological thing that I could control with a little effort, but my brain is just tending toward the other direction.

Maybe I should just stay away from Soulseek for a while...

This is not to say however, that the current perceived apathy toward music by what these researchers consider the IPOD generation might be (and quite possibly is) due to a lot of crap in the current musical marketplace. Same argument in my mind as the record companies blaming mp3s for the decline in their sales. If you don't bother putting quality out, you shouldn't expect people to care about it.

That's my humble opinion anyway...

gambit

To be honest, I also find that I can feel this way when I buy too many LPs at once. The next thing I know I'm finding records in the back of my stacks that I never listened to, and the ones I do listen to have a hard time staying in rotation because I feel rushed by all the other albums yelling for attention.

If I didn't have Soulstrut, there would be many records I'd have from collections I've taken in and not listened to. I listen to records, but I feel like I have too much music to consume. I don't rush it though. I like what I like... and the stuff that I don't, I get rid of.

For some reason, I thought I hated Ohio Players... well, certain LPs, but there are two that I really like. Weird. I kept them, so my pops wouldn't be sad. ha ha

PrimeCutsLtd

It seems you try to nurture a record you spend money on. If you just download something, you can be quick to erase it. You never want to make a bad purchase. So the more you spend on something the more you try to nurture it.

ako

i definitely agree with this article, in fact for the past few days ive been feeling this way...

goatboy

I think that any serious collectro has felt the periodic disappointment of diminishing returns.

Two related thoughts...

1. When the whole CD thing started I decided to sell off all my LPs. Stupid, I know, and most of what I have wanted I've been able to get back over time. But when I decided to get back into vinyl there was a period of time when I only had 10 or 20 or 30 LPs and 45s and in some sense those were magical times. With less to choose from I found that I was enjoying what I did have all that much more. Recently I've been wondering whether I should sell off a large percentage of my collection so that I can concentrate my time (and money) on just a few (relatively speaking) quality joints.

2. Sometimes I notice that I'm just not getting the same musical high from the music I'm acquiring. Mix tapes, LPs, CDs, whatever. What I have found is that I actually have to find a whole new genre to interest me to give me that fresh feelin'. Recently it's been Brazilian music which I had never really gotten into before. It actually started from Paul Nice's Brazil Mix. I then read Caetano Veloso's autobiography and started to get down with some bossa, tropicalia, etc, and I found that same great feeling again. Part of it was only having a few LPs to listen to since I had just started, so I could really enjoy what I had around.

I???m guessing that???s why a lot of folks around here get into the raers.
You???ve heard everything else and just need something new!

sometimes.

Needless to say this is why I can???t listen to the radio for more than 30 seconds???
And getting back to the original start of this thread, radio obviously acts as the shill for all that crappy music the recording industry keeps pumping out.

What we need is a Soul Strut station on XM or Sirius.
Now that I would pay for!!

Bsides

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/01/10/060110164416.p4z0rnx6.html

Music downloading creates listener apathy
Jan 10 11:44 AM US/Eastern

Internet downloading and MP3 players are creating a generation of people who do not seriously appreciate songs or musical performances, British researchers said.

"The accessibility of music has meant that it is taken for granted and does not require a deep emotional commitment once associated with music appreciation," said music psychologist Adrian North on Tuesday.

North led a team from the University of Leicester, central England, that monitored 346 people over two weeks to evaluate how they related to music.

They concluded that because of greater accessibility through mass media, music was nowadays seen more as a commodity that is produced, distributed and consumed like any other.

It could also account for the popularity of television talent competitions, particularly in Britain, which allow viewers from the "iPod generation" a rare chance to engage and appreciate music and live performances, they suggested.

"In the 19th century, music was seen as a highly valued treasure with fundamental and near-mystical powers of human communication," said North.

"The pace of technological change has accelerated further over the last 20 years or so and these fundamental changes in the nature of musical experience and value have arguably become even more pronounced.

"Because so much music of different styles and genres is now so widely available via portable MP3 players and the internet, it is arguable that people now actively use music in everyday listening contexts to a much greater extent than ever before.

"The degree of accessibility and choice has arguably led to a rather passive attitude towards music heard in everyday life.

"In short, our relationship to music in everyday life may well be complex and sophisticated, but it is not necessarily characterised by deep emotional investment."

The academic's assessment follows a warning last week from rock legend Pete Townshend, The Who guitarist, that listening to rock music on an MP3 player through headphones could cause deafness.

YEAH YEAH, long boring articles cause reader apathy!


*downloads some shit*

scubasteb

this is a very interesting article.

as a dj, i've personally found that regardless of the downloading, i have become somewhat (and sometimes altogether) apathetic to the music in the sense that i cannot connect emotionally w/ the song. rather, i tend to just categorize music into moods, possible mix points, potential venues to play them in, floor-fillers. the oversaturation of music in my life has definitely been a big part of it, so i would have to agree w/ the article.

easily-accessed music (aka mp3's) breeds emotionally disconnected listeners. once in a while, though, us apathetic ones will find those gems and fall in love all over again, and that's where my vinyl collecting comes into play.

Junior

One trend I noticed when I first got into Kazaa back in the day was that when downloading an album I'd tend to concentrate on the songs that grabbed your immediate attention. This was in strict contrast to when I buy an album, if tracks didn't immediately grab me I'd basically have the album on loop for about a week to either justify the purchase or convince myself to exchange it.

Over time my downloading has reduced considerably and been replaced by purchases again but I've also become wary of ever downloading more than one album at a time and at least leaving it on my mp3 player for a week to get to know it.

However, while the lack of actual money investment in an album does reduce my incentive to give it a proper listen, good albums still stand out no matter what.

I would also argue that albums that might otherwise have flown under mine and other people's radars have been picked up by soemone sharing an Mp3 and encouraging someone to buy the album but that's a whoel different argument right there.....

slush

i cannot connect emotionally w/ the song. rather, i tend to just categorize music into moods, possible mix points, potential venues to play them in, floor-fillers.

that sounds like a horrible nightmare

Flomotion

They concluded that because of greater accessibility through mass media, music was nowadays seen more as a commodity that is produced, distributed and consumed like any other.

It could also account for the popularity of television talent competitions, particularly in Britain, which allow viewers from the "iPod generation" a rare chance to engage and appreciate music and live performances, they suggested.

Ah well it's all a load of bollocks. Music downloads have seen a resurgence in music buying and the live music scene is healthier than it has been for years. What they've actually hit upon and misinterpreted is the fact that even people who aren't really into music are starting to download and have MP3 players. Interest in music has never been stronger.