nataliastalks

[nataliastalks]

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[nataliastalks]

How Social Media has Changed how we Consume and Enjoy Music (opinion)

Social Media has had numerous effects on present-day society, and while most have related to insecurities that have stemmed from the different apps, I want this post to focus on the decreasing attention span and how the mass consumption of media has drastically altered the way we consume music and how it is produced.

WC: 898

The growth of TikTok has undeniably reshaped social media. This new form of bite-sized, fifteen-second to one-minute videos, designed to capture attention and encourage scrolling, has influenced other apps seeking to remain relevant. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and even Tumblr have all made their in-app versions that resemble TikTok. It has taken the world by storm, but its effects on music have not been talked about enough. While I think that there are some benefits from TikTok when it comes to music, there are quite a few drawbacks too. The power of social media has indeed given artists a big start in the industry with people like Artemas, Odetari, Malcolm Todd, and Addison Rae coming to mind first, but also bigger artists such as Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sabrina Carpenter have seriously benefitted from the publicity that TikTok has given them. The thing about all these artists, and what tends to make a song popular, is that they have made a clip of their song really catchy, something that will hook you in and think: "Wow, this is really good".

While this practice is not inherently negative, as artists have used similar techniques since the advent of radio, the issue arises when it compromises the overall quality of the song. More often than not I have gone to listen to a song that has become popular on TikTok, excited to find a song that is so catchy and caught my attention enough to go and find it, only to realize that the only good part of the song was the one that had been posted, that fifteen seconds somewhere within the depths of a tight two-minute song. It is annoying because, as a music enjoyer, I think finding new music is such an enjoyable experience, but it is beyond disappointing when what you thought was a gem turns out to be just a shiny rock, momentarily pretty, but not worth keeping.

This is not to say that this is always the case, though. There have been some amazing songs and artists that have come out of social media promotions, but that being said, I think social media has also created a big issue in terms of "gatekeeping" or other such aspects of "underground" music. With a society that is now so interconnected through online media, and the fact that the majority of us are carrying a high-speed computer with access to everything ever posted right in our back pockets, we have all different types of media right at the tips of our fingers.

I believe that it is amazing to have this much access to media, especially in terms of music, where you can find almost any song ever created. Where I think this becomes a problem for people is when they have found something, dug through the depths of streaming services, and found an artist or a song that they love, and this person might not be as popular, so it makes things extra special. This is such an exciting moment for anyone who enjoys music, and there is, of course, a sense of exclusivity that comes from being one of the few listeners. I completely understand the feeling, and it is nice to have this smaller community that you can say you are a part of, and connect with people on an almost deeper level because you have all discovered this artist.

The problem that I think occurs so much with this, though, is this growing sense of superiority that comes from people who solely listen to what they consider to be deep cuts from Spotify, Apple Music, or whatever platform they get their music from. This happens, and then suddenly, if more people find the artist or one of their songs becomes popular, these people who were "there from the beginning" are really upset because they lose this exclusivity that came with being a fan of the artist and I can understand being a bit upset but what I think is harder to comprehend is that these previous listeners are not excited for the artist that they love so dearly. They're not excited about the fact that with these new listeners that the artist could make more music and that they're getting the attention they deserve; they're just upset that they can no longer have this more obscure music taste.

Where I believe this mostly stems from, though, is that through social media, we have made things so much more reachable, and while it can be great, it uplifts the concept of things being "underground" because it is so rare now. I think that everyone does have a bit of pride in their music taste and it is nice when you can say that half the music you listen to doesn’t come from TikTok trends, that doesn’t give any person the right to shame people when they try and explore new music and if its some band or artist you listen to that becomes popular it is not fair to attack these people for not truly listening to them because they don’t know songs x, y, and z. People are bound to discover new things because of how much access we have as a society to music, but if they’re being respectful and enjoying the music, then there is no need to be so rude to them, which is so common in gatekeeping culture. 

A/N: That would be the end of my take on modern-day music and how its production and consumption have been impacted by social media. I think I could go into this deeper and talk about issues with the new trends of speeding up songs, but this was already so long, so I thought it would be best to save some things for the future. If you read the whole thing, I hope it was at least partially enjoyable. Have a great day!

[nataliastalks]

About Me:

Hi, My name is Natalia, and I'm a junior in high school in the U.S.. For some time now, I have been looking for a place where I can share my personal perspectives and beliefs on topics in pop culture and politics. As someone who tends to rattle on without end, I turned to Tumblr to create an opinion blog and give some organization to my jumble of thoughts that hopefully creates something interesting and enjoyable to read. Things I think I will primarily focus on:

Women's issues

U.S. Politics and Economy

Civil rights

Music and Media

Importance of mental health and understanding emotions

War and Conflict

Climate change

I hope that there will be more topics as I go along but for now, this is my plan! If any sources are used in my writing I will also list all of them at the end. masterlist!

P.S. I do think that some of these posts might lean toward more mature topics but I will warn about them in the brief descriptions for easier reading.