The Tameside Radio presenter ponders whether streaming music on services such as Spotify makes us value it less.
I was tempted to pen a rant about Partygate this week, but I've decided my blood pressure can't take it. For all those who followed the rules and lost loved ones during the pandemic, I am thinking of you, as the third anniversary of the beginning of the first lockdown one passes this week. I won't be raising my blood pressure by assessing the hearing that took place yesterday, grilling our former Prime Minister on whether or not he misled Parliament.
In a world full of noise, we all need something that's soothing for the soul. Music and movies are my way of escaping the distractions of endless notifications, and it fascinates me how the way in which we consume both has changed over the course of my lifetime.
Spotify has been a leading streaming platform for ages, and currently boasts over 450 million regular users. The company has admitted recently that it hired "too aggressively" during the pandemic, and announced in early 2023 that it was laying off 6% of its staff, equivalent to about 600 roles. Its shares soared in value during the pandemic, as we were all trapped at home streaming carefully curated playlists. For firms like Amazon and Spotify, lockdown created the perfect conditions for growth.
They expanded exponentially, but shares have since collapsed by 70% in the last year or so, and profit has turned into a quarterly loss of 144 million dollars. The price has barely changed, with a single subscription set at £9.99, a tariff that hasn't moved in years. What else can you think of that hasn't gone up, aside from sprouts and carrots?
Many artists have long complained that the percentage they get per play is miniscule, and if you're a new band or singer starting out, it must be incredibly hard to monetise those fractions of a penny into something meaningful. There is also so much else demanding our attention now. Since Spotify burst onto the scene, Apple Music has become a major rival, plus there are the likes of Tidal and Deezer, not to mention Amazon Music and YouTube. And that's without mentioning TikTok, which may be banned on Government phones these days, but still commands the attention of young music fans like no other platform.
Meghan Trainor's latest single "Mother" has apparently been big on TikTok, and she's been accused by some critics as being part of the so-called "TikTokification of music", which seems a little snobby for my money. She's simply releasing a song that's appealing to an audience, and it's being widely shared. A bit like when we used to make each other mix tapes in the 80s, and remember to take the tabs out so no-one could record over them. I'm sounding old now!
Whilst we're on the subject of TikTok, there are rumours it might be launching its own streaming service this year for music, and you wouldn't bet against that doing rather well. My nephew, who's six, was enthusiastically telling me earlier this week about "Wakey Wines", which is apparently famous for selling Prime drinks on the platform. I felt like the Werthers grandad as he brought up some videos to show me!
Some artists have in the past famously boycotted Spotify. Taylor Swift was conspicuous by her absence for several years, but has since relented. I wonder if they might add a few quid to that £9.99 price point soon? In a cost of living crisis, it must be a tough decision to make, as subscriptions are amongst the first thing the likes of Martin Lewis advise us to review and cull if necessary.
I miss the days of spending £3.99 on the latest B*Witched CD single, and rushing home to listen to all seven remixes of their latest track, plus maybe eating some Woolworths pic n' mix that I'd bought at the same time. I do wonder if streaming our music makes us value it less, as you're effectively renting it rather than owning it. Or perhaps it's just progress, and I'm just a bit over the hill.
I love streaming, but sometimes there's nothing like a tangible product if you really love an album, and listening to it in the order the artist put it together. We try and play a big variety on Tameside Radio, and I'm really pleased that just like records and CDs didn't see off radio, it exists happily alongside streaming services. Long may that continue.
You can listen to Alex every weekday from 7am to 11am and on Saturdays from 3pm to 6pm, on Tameside Radio 103.6FM.
Alex also has a regular movie column where he gives his verdict on the latest films he's been to see. Read his latest column here.
