Has streaming ruined "the album"?

[Crungy]

Funny I came across this article as I was just talking about this topic with my wife last night.

"Would Fleetwood Mac have been able to make Rumours if they had to spend all their time trying to make content?": Have streaming and social media killed the album?

Have streaming, social media and the ‘attention economy’ made the ‘single-album-tour-repeat’ model redundant? We asked some independent artists if the traditional approach to recording and releasing full-length projects is still viable

www.musicradar.com

I think the headline really asks a good question, and honestly I feel streaming and more specifically social media is a huge detractor from quality of work. Not that all music is trash just because a band/group/musician focuses on or has a media presence, but for smaller artists with limited resources it makes things more difficult if you're trying to get noticed.

I also had mixed opinions on one of the sections of the article in regard to listening to full albums... I am a person that wants to get lost in an album but I'd be surprised if many people do nowadays.

I'd be interested to hear anyone's experience here if they agree/disagree or whatever else you think about it.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Typical super entrenched old fuddy dud industry can't cope with change.

Honestly, I think albums are a sacred cow worth putting out to pasture.

Not that I'm "anti album", I'm all for long form media, but let's face it, a large amount of albums, and I'd even say most, are rife with filler for the sake of it.

 

[CanserDYI]

Let the album die. It'll come back in 30 years and kids will reinvent it, and we'll smile and stay quiet and let them enjoy things.

Or at least that's how it should be.

 

[Moongrum]

I am a person that wants to get lost in an album but I'd be surprised if many people do nowadays.

I'm curious, how do you go about listening to an entire album? I know that's a ridiculous question , but I very rarely listen to music with my attention undivided anymore and the streaming model serves that purpose for me well.

 

[Demiurge]

Are there a lot of artists that produce album-oriented material that are waving the white flag? One must scroll pretty far through that article before finding comments from an artist who is not a club DJ- a scene where I imagine the artists have always needed to be on top of what's current.

Saying that I like to listen to albums all the way through has become the weirdest flex. But at the same time, I acknowledge that there are a lot of albums in my collection that only have a few good tracks with a lot of filler. If the changes in the music industry discourage bands from being forced to include mediocre material on a release to meet a track-number or run-time goal, then I'm for it.

 

[Carrion Rocket]

Considering the amount of albums I bought as a kid that didn't justify their price point, I'd say it's more that people have started realizing how bloated alot of media has become. And to be fair to the creators of said content, most of that bloat comes from contractual obligations and mandates, but that doesn't make it any less annoying.

TL;DR - I'd take a banger EP over a bloated LP anyday of the week.

 

[Crungy]

I'm curious, how do you go about listening to an entire album? I know that's a ridiculous question , but I very rarely listen to music with my attention undivided anymore and the streaming model serves that purpose for me well.

I have an hour of commute time to and from work and when I exercise (I've been slacking on that lately!) I have earbuds in. That affords me time to listen to something in full or mostly in full if I'm in the mood.

That isn't the only way I listen though. I like finding new or new to me music and honestly I prefer doing that than replaying an album I've listened to for 10-20 years or more. There are times I need to listen to an album in full or listen to most of the album for like a week lol

 

[Crungy]

Saying that I like to listen to albums all the way through has become the weirdest flex. But at the same time, I acknowledge that there are a lot of albums in my collection that only have a few good tracks with a lot of filler. If the changes in the music industry discourage bands from being forced to include mediocre material on a release to meet a track-number or run-time goal, then I'm for it.

Genuine question, is that really a flex nowadays? Other than this forum youtube comment sections are the closest I get to social media anymore.

What albums do you have that you would consider having a lot of filler?

I think that a change in the industry to put out an artist's best work is ideal but I disagree that that is what is always happening. I feel it's a rush to put out "content" whether it's your music or other media adjacent to your music. I think quality is sacrificed for that at due to the need to stay relevant.

 

[budda]

My first thought about the thread title was a post by Jordan Buckey (every time i die, better lovers) about not listening to the new album on shuffle because a lot of time went into deciding the track list.

That doesnt mean albums dont have filler, although I’d argue 99% of albums have weaker and stronger songs regardless of filler.

I listen to full albums on longer drives or when I dont want to play guitar at my desktop, but 100% focused on listening isnt a thing since my phone is on me and i habitually check it (sigh).

 

[STRHelvete]

Short answer? Yes.

Long answer, I think that music these days has lost a lot of importance and value. It's now just disposable, consumable nothing...like chewing gum. The flavor only lasts for a short time before you spit it out and reach for another piece.

When done right the album cycle is a great way to present your art as a full package and artistic statement. The songs, the production, the artwork, the videos, the imagery, all of that can combine to make a super powerful cohesive statement and pull a listener into the world you're trying to create. The Wall, Antichrist Superstar, The Downward Spiral, etc are great examples.


And then you have albums that are kinda just label mandatory offerings that aren't really meant to be anything more than product. Those do exist but honestly I'd take the bad just so I can experience the good.


I feel like many don't bother putting that much effort in because singles are the thing today. People don't often just sit and listen to full album while reading the liner notes and whatnot like they used to 20+ years ago. Those types of albums don't get made and funded much these days. I do like seeing artists bring that level of artistry to modern times. People like Beyonce do an amazing job at that and I hope that artists find ways of keeping that old school magic but just formatting it to today's methods of musical consumption.


I've got an album on the back burner I started years ago and was supposed to be released last year, but I ended up not doing so in favor of singles as it's easier, cheaper, and helps with promotion. The album will certainly be released but right now I'm trying the singles approach as they're easier to churn out quick enough to keep up with engagement and whatnot. I still fully believe in the power of "The Album" as an artistic statement and I honestly hope it doesn't fall away as an antiquated idea.

 

[STRHelvete]

My first thought about the thread title was a post by Jordan Buckey (every time i die, better lovers) about not listening to the new album on shuffle because a lot of time went into deciding the track list.

That doesnt mean albums dont have filler, although I’d argue 99% of albums have weaker and stronger songs regardless of filler.

I listen to full albums on longer drives or when I dont want to play guitar at my desktop, but 100% focused on listening isnt a thing since my phone is on me and i habitually check it (sigh).

Every album has tracks you favor over tracks you can skip even if you don't hate them per se. But there are some albums that take you on a ride from start to finish and finding those is magical.

There are some albums I will prepare for. Turn on my incense oil burner, get some appropriately colored mood lighting, whatever visuals I'm in the mood for and play an album from start to finish.

 

[zappatton2]

I'm still all about albums, but I think it really just depends how you listen to music. I work from home half the days out of the week, and still compulsively buy physical media, so I primarily listen to music by lining up CDs and records and playing while I work. Actually, I also put on whole albums while cooking, and I'll take my time in the kitchen to listen to the whole thing. I can understand why people would prefer streaming though, just as a preference of how they listen to music, and yes, some albums really are rife with filler.

The only time I'd recommend album listening to someone else is for those rare concept albums where each song is like a chapter in a book. Any one song from "Dark Side" is great, but the album really demands a full listen all the way through. Different strokes I guess.

 

[budda]

I have an EP I'm trying to finish, written by me. Any albums I've done have been as part of a band and I don't think like a drummer, write lyrics or do vocals so it's going to stay that way

 

[Crungy]

That doesnt mean albums dont have filler, although I’d argue 99% of albums have weaker and stronger songs regardless of filler.

Totally agree. I wouldn't necessarily call it filler, as if there was no effort to make that weaker song a song. Clearly some effort was used to complete it so it could be mixed/mastered/etc.

If it's a track of audio from a movie or something to transition into a track yeah I'd call that filler to a degree. But still, it's generally a part of the material as a whole, or in relation to a song or two.

 

[Carrion Rocket]

If it's a track of audio from a movie or something to transition into a track yeah I'd call that filler to a degree.

You must hate Mortician then

 

[SalsaWood]

I can't read so I didn't click on the article, but here's some (probably) random bullshit based on the OP. Music is all about context, otherwise it's just ignorant noises. Having the ability and choice to either enjoy a single song as part of a full album, or enjoying a full album comprised of single songs is basically the same thing. The big variable is probably predicated on personal attention span and how respectively compelling the compositions are in either regard.

Everything about music, all the notes and beats, should work individually and collectively. That's the way music works at all, the only way. One might say that more is always better, but absolutes are always/never very useful. I prefer listening to full albums which have a sense of cohesion and motif and this is typically how it happens. Alternately, variety is often just as fulfilling and this will lead to me seeking out new singles or listening to playlists (which is basically a very long self compiled album). I honestly don't care as long as it's interesting, either way.

 

[Crungy]

Long answer, I think that music these days has lost a lot of importance and value. It's now just disposable, consumable nothing...like chewing gum. The flavor only lasts for a short time before you spit it out and reach for another piece.

I agree with this though I feel that's always been the case. It's at a much faster pace of getting the next piece of gum now than 20-30 years ago.

When done right the album cycle is a great way to present your art as a full package and artistic statement. The songs, the production, the artwork, the videos, the imagery, all of that can combine to make a super powerful cohesive statement and pull a listener into the world you're trying to create. The Wall, Antichrist Superstar, The Downward Spiral, etc are great examples.

And then you have albums that are kinda just label mandatory offerings that aren't really meant to be anything more than product. Those do exist but honestly I'd take the bad just so I can experience the good.

Completely agree with these points. Whether it's a concept album or a punk band with 10+ minute and a half ragers there's a world or statement with those songs, images and videos. I think the importance of that package has lost its luster in favor of pumping out material to stay relevant.

Every album has tracks you favor over tracks you can skip even if you don't hate them per se. But there are some albums that take you on a ride from start to finish and finding those is magical.

There are some albums I will prepare for. Turn on my incense oil burner, get some appropriately colored mood lighting, whatever visuals I'm in the mood for and play an album from start to finish.

This! Everyone's ritual for enjoying music is different but that's the mindset I think is lost on people. Not that you can't have your ritual and listen a variety of music, but the connection to a work in it's entirety is something special.

 

[Crungy]

You must hate Mortician then

I've honestly never listened to them! I don't really listen to much death metal. Nothing against it, I've never explored much of it.

 

[DrewH]

There was always something special about album release day back in the days of CDs. Going to record store on Tuesday, hoping that they wouldn't be sold out before you got there. It was cool to experience some of the iconic releases like the Use Your illusion albums that way. But, time moves forward. Streaming gives us to a chance to hear more diverse music. Ola's first solo album is one of my faves in recent years and if this were 25 years ago, we don't get to hear stuff like that.

 

[Crungy]

@SalsaWood no bullshit at all duder. I would say and generally agree that I like stuff that is overall cohesive, but then again most music I listen to would be generally cohesive and not like a collection of 10 completely different genres by the same artist.

That's where someone like Kim Dracula is interesting to me since there's so much genre bending within the songs. I haven't gotten though much of KD's stuff, but what I have heard has been enjoyable because it's off the wall.