Like the universe itself, streaming music platforms like Soundcloud and YouTube are expanding, and they are somehow expanding away from each other. Thanks to a myriad of factors (listed below), there is more music being produced, and coming online every day, an acceleration that is the direct product of the existence of these platforms themselves. It’s both good and bad.
The Acceleration of Music
Music used to be difficult to spread. Expenses prohibited studio time, and distribution required a record label to back the physical printing of discs. Now, thanks to streaming platforms, music can be uploaded in seconds and listened to from any corner of the globe. The cost of music distribution has reached zero.
Music used to be difficult to make. Before computers became powerful enough to master music in a meaningful way, complicated studio systems were the only way to produce what felt like a professional song. Now there are free apps which let people make music, not to mention powerful products that can be purchased for the same price as a night at the bar.
Music used to be selective. Because of these costs, musicians had to edit, refine, and rework their tracks and only release songs when they thought they had achieved a level of quality. Now, because there is no cost, people can create an unlimited number of songs and share them, regardless of the quality.
The Good and the Bad
The best part about these developments: more artists get the chance to express themselves, and true talent can become world famous without having a huge record contract or a lot of money. There is more experimentation with sound, more genres, more remixes, more engagement in the way that people think about music as a medium that can be molded. All of this is good for listeners.
But at the same time there is so much noise. The quantity has gotten to a point where it hides the quality. So, quite simply, we need a filter, a place where quality gets shared and the noise gets left out.
The Answer
That’s why we created Whyd. It’s a place where music lovers dig up the best of the newest music and share it, regardless of the platform where they found it, so that other interested music lovers can focus on listening to good music, and successfully tune out the noise.
The music on the web is accelerating, don’t get left behind!
By: Tony Hymes, Whyd’s community and communications guy helping to construct the filter for the best of the newest music on the web. He paints buffalo, bakes lasagna, rolls sushi, writes poetry, and runs daily, all while listening to great music.