Throughout history, music has been a constantly evolving form of art and culture—not only the way it sounds and how it’s made, but also how it’s listened to. How we listen to music is something that is changing every day and is something that everybody does differently; some stream music on Spotify or Apple Music, while others spin vinyls on record players. Some pay a monthly subscription, and others go to record stores to browse and buy. Some play and create their own music for others to listen to. Some do them all and more. What one will find is that, while music is a uniquely personal thing, it is still a common language that unites us all.
COLUMBUS RECORDS
“I want something tangible. And when I own it, I want to own it,” Kyle Siegrist, owner and founder of Lost Weekend Records, said.
He was speaking about vinyl records, a means of listening to music that ha laid its roots in musical history yet is making a resurgence among young people today.
According to Coda Plastics, the first long-playing (LP) record was created in 1930. From around then until the popularity of compact discs (CDs) in the late 1980s, vinyl records were the most popular way of listening to music. Accompanied by a record player, the process of taking a record out of its cover and laying it on the player was part of the listening experience. The art of
creating pleasing album covers emerged then, with albums like the Beatles’s “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” or
Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of The Moon” becoming instantly recognizable images. The rise in popularity of CDs in the 1980s led to the decline of vinyl records, yet, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, 2022 marked the first year since 1987 that vinyl albums outsold CDs. Teens and young people make up a large portion of those who buy records.
Siegrist opened Lost Weekend Records in January of 2003, and its current location is at 2960 N High Street. During the 1990s, he worked with record companies such as RCA Records, Columbia, and CBS Records. Having been on the scene as long as he was, Siegrist has been witness to the way listening to music has changed and who is buying records.
Speaking about the majority age group who regular his store, he stated, “… about late-mid teens to mid-20s. Well, there’s older customers too, though, especially with vinyl …but we opened in 2003 and vinyl hadn’t really had the resurgence.”
The resurgence of vinyl sales, he said, came to be around, “‘05 or ‘06…And when we first opened in ‘03, there wasn’t a lot of new vinyl being pressed…There were a few indie bands doing vinyl, [a] couple reissue labels. But there wasn’t like now. Everything’s on vinyl now.”
The process of buying records from the store was something that attracted customers.
“You come into a record store or a bookstore, that kind of place, you’re gonna browse around and you might see the cover and it might attract your attention,” Siegrist said. “I want to be part of the community where people could come and meet and talk about your record store.”
People have always been into vinyl and records for different reasons.
Siegrist stated that “vinyl always had people that were just into it because [of] the artwork and the packaging.”
He spoke on being a child and holding a record, and it being all the information he had about the album.
“As a kid, you just stare… and question, ‘What does this mean?’” Siegrist said.
He specifically referenced Led Zeppelin’s albums “Led Zeppelin IV” and “Physical Graffiti” and the uniqueness and customizability of their cover designs.
Additionally, Siegrist touched on Columbus’ record stores scene and the national event Record Store Day.
“Columbus has always had a great record store scene with lots of great stores,” Siegrist said. Columbus has a rich scene of independently owned record stores including Magnolia Thunderpussy, Used Kids Records, and Elizabeth’s Records. Record Store Day, an annual national event, began in 2008. According to Record Store Day’s website, the holiday is a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the US. It’s a day for the people who make up the world of the record store—the staff, customers, and artists—to come together and celebrate the culture of a record store. Next year’s Record Store Day is on Saturday, April 20.
Regardless of the way people buy their music or who’s buying it, Siegrist said that “There’s always good music. You just have to get out there and find it.”
As a result of teens listening to older music, some have picked up playing music on their own.
“I grew up around Pink Floyd and my parents are really into those 60s era, 70s music… and I was like, ‘I wonder if I can play it,’”senior Liam Soungpradith said.
Soungpradith plays the guitar, the bass, and the keyboard.
“I got into it during quarantine, like 2020 I think. It was like after the lockdown, and I was like, I need something to do. I was listening to new music and just kind of getting into like a bunch of random stuff. And I was like, I’ll just buy a guitar for fun,”
Soungpradith said.
But his musical interest didn’t only come from the boredom many experienced during 2020.
“A lot of my family members play instruments and I just wanted to see what I could do with that,” Soundpradith said.
Apart from his family members, he referenced Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix as his biggest influences for playing music.
SPOTIFY WRAPPED
Spotify Wrapped began in December 2016 and has since “become one of its most successful and most shareable marketing ploys on social media” according to Time Magazine. It increased Spotify’s downloads by 21% in the first week of December. After its release, Apple Music, Duolingo, Reddit, and The Washington Post also began similar year-round imitations.
Spotify Wrapped is a way to see what users listened to throughout the year. It shows users their top songs, artists, podcasts, and how much time they spent listening overall. Spotify also includes creative elements with each year’s Spotify Wrapped, such as this year’s new addition which included a place in the world where people listen to the same music. Spotify Wrapped even explores culture and trends.
To access Spotify Wrapped, users must ensure that the app is installed to the latest version. Songs listened to earlier in the year have an advantage since there is a cutoff of when songs can no longer be added and the data is taken to create the presentation, though Spotify is unclear as to when this is exactly.
Because it is the accumulation of a year’s worth of listening, users are often surprised by its results.
“Last year was the most surprising because my music changed in the middle of the year. So, I had so many different types of music,” junior Yousof Eltayeb said.
Junior Ben Stamm expressed a similar view.
“Last year I looked at my wrapped and I was like, ‘Oh, man. Look at those songs I listened to. I don’t remember listening to that,’” Stamm said.
This year, Spotify released its Spotify Wrapped on Nov. 29. Top songs and top artists are based on the number of times users played that song or artist.
Taylor Swift is the most streamed artist of 2023, knocking off Bad Bunny, who had the title for three consecutive years. Following Taylor Swift are: The Weeknd, Drake, and Pesu Pluma. As for albums, Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” is number one, Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” is number two, and SZA’s “SOS” is number three. “Flowers” by Miley Cirus is the most streamed song with more than 1.6 billion global streams according to Time Magazine, followed by “Kill Bill” by SZA,“As it Was” by Harry Styles, and Jungkook’s “Seven (feat. Latto)”. For the fourth year in a row, “The Joe Rogan Podcast” remains the most listened-to podcast on Spotify.
“I don’t think about it throughout the year,” senior Ava Stanhope said. “But when it comes, it’s kind of cool to see how my taste has changed.”
Spotify tracks every song and every artist users listen to — even the ones users might be embarrassed to share later.
“I don’t want a certain artist to pop up,” senior Allysa Mendoza said. “Because if I share my Spotify Wrapped with somebody, and it’s [in] the top five, then it’s just embarrassing to admit I listen to that. I also feel like people are so judgy when it comes to Spotify Wrapped… especially if you listen to Taylor Swift, or there’s always going to be other branches of artists who are similar to her and then they’re like, ‘Ohh. You listen to her?’”
Because songs listened to earlier in the year have an advantage, some users may not be totally in love with their playlist.
“Like at the beginning, I might listen to a song a lot and then it won’t be as popular by the end. Like if it’s like a repetitive song then it’ll just get annoying,” junior Alvaro Gonzalez-Adams said.
Some users are even uncomfortable sharing.
“I doubt I’d be uncomfortable sharing,” Stanhope said. “Like if there’s like a song or something that I don’t want on there then maybe. I don’t let people search for music and play it because I don’t like when it gets all messed up but other than that, not really.”
Spotify Wrapped is a big plus for music listeners, though it isn’t the only reason users use the app in lieu of other platforms.
“I use Spotify because I can download songs and I can put my own songs on there. I have Spotify Premium, too,” Eltayeb, whose 2022 top song was “Fair Trade” by Drake and Travis Scott, said. “I have a normal plan with my friend, and I’ve used Spotify since I was in Elementary school. I like to download unreleased songs and then put them on Spotify.”
Another plus is that it’s a popular platform among young people.
“I feel like it’s the most used,” Gonzalez-Adams, whose 2022 top song was “Money Trees” by Kendrick Lamar, said. “Jump on the bandwagon.”
Spotify offers collaborative playlists.
“I like that I can work with my friends and collaborate on playlists,” Stanhope, whose 2022 top song was “Pride” by Kendrick Lamar, said.
Stanhope arranges her playlists based on song releases.
“Mine are the year they came out or the time they came out. Older songs are on one and newer on the other,” Stanhope said.
Some believe Spotify is more aesthetically pleasing than other platforms.
“The layout for Apple Music is just not my thing,” Mendoza, whose 2022 top song was “Ultraviolence” by Lana Del Rey, said. “I think it’s based on moods. I think I have more playlists, like songs to play in the car and songs to study with,” Mendoza said.
Spotify is popular, too, because, like Spotify Wrapped, it gives in depth information and recommendations.
“I think Spotify actually helps you find music that you like,” Fransen, whose 2022 top song was “Paper Rings” by Taylor Swift, said. Fransen likes Spotify Wrapped “think about where I was last year and whether I’m listening more or less and stuff like that. For me, it’s just random, whatever I’m feeling. I just made like a November playlist, but then sometimes I’ll just make a happy playlist.”
GOING VIRAL
With the release of Spotify Wrapped, everyone is eager to post their stats on their instagram stories. As TikTok and Social media have grown, a similarity between everyone’s Spotify Wrapped stats has become noticeable. Aside from the homogeneity, artists are gaining publicity through the posts about everyone’s Spotify Wrapped.
Artists like Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, and Tate McRae have all benefited from using social media to gain popularity for their songs. As these artists become some of the most recognized musical figures in the country and the world, it begs the question: Would these artists have hit the top 20 if it wasn’t for Tiktok?
TikTok started out primarily as a platform for dancing videos and grew into what it is today. Videos go viral, but so do sounds. Short clips of songs that are placed over the videos gain traction and can become a trend of their own. Many artists recognized this phenomenon and took advantage. Singers release short teasers of the catchiest part of the song they are about to release. Many times, the popularity of the sound on Tiktok outweighs the song’s overall popularity, but sometimes this strategy makes a singer millions.
McRae released one of her newest hit songs, “Greedy,” on Spotify in September. It stayed on the top 50 hits for weeks. Prior to fully releasing her song, she teased it on TikTok, and it became a viral trend immediately. She is a testament to how Tiktok has helped many artists. “Greedy” is only just over two minutes long, as are many other newer songs.
TikTok has been seen as responsible for shortening the attention span of the youth. Shorter and sped-up songs play a major role in the lack of focus of teenagers. Many shorter songs affect attention span, but sped-up songs are also to the long-term detriment of the human brain. Sped-up songs are responsible for over-stimulation and long-term loss of attention span.
Sped-up songs are addictive among teenagers and young adults and have created new opportunities for DJs and producers alike. Some artists gain millions more hits on the sped-up version of their song than the real thing. TikTok brought about this phenomenon when people wanted songs they could dance to; the beat needed to be quick enough to have a danceable rhythm, and the genre of sped-up music emerged.
On the flip side, some artists abuse the power Tiktok gives them. Many singers put their all into writing a viral-worthy sound, yet when the full song is released, it pales in comparison to the teasers on Tiktok. The ability to make a viral song with a catchy, autotuned beat alone has made the lyrical component of songs lackluster.
Social media has done plenty of good and plenty of bad for the music industry. Some people feel as if it has created a stigma that only certain types of songs can get popular. Most of the songs that get popular on social media have similar qualities. This stigma can put pressure on up-and-coming artists who strive for the spotlight. Homegrown Columbus artist Lisa Curtis has used social media to boost her career. She gained 20 thousand followers on Instagram and 55 thousand on Spotify.
Curtis primarily drew inspiration from her parents to pursue her career in singing and songwriting.
“My parents are both musicians, and both of them have been in bands their whole life,” Curtis said. “My mom was a singer her whole life and my dad’s a drummer, so it was just something I always did.”
She found herself being obsessed with and inspired by the popular female singers she grew up with.
“I always loved old Demi Lovato,” Curtis said. “Or Selena Gomez.”
Curtis wasn’t sure where her career would lead when she started. When she first began getting streams, popularity wasn’t the primary focus.
“My parents always say, ‘Shoot for the moon and you’ll be among the stars,’” Curtis said. “So I don’t think it was a particular goal, like ‘I need this many listens.’ At that point, I was just ready to release and see what happens.”
As her career grew, Curtis used social media to expand her audience and listeners.
“I think it’d be a totally different ballgame if I didn’t have social media because unless you have the recording label [and] all this money backing you and marketing you, social media has allowed independent artists to take back the reins,” Curtis said.
Curtis has discovered a way to get her songs more listens based off what she posts on Instagram and TikTok.
“Singing videos, for sure—people like those,” she said. “You need songs with the lyrics right after one another because people cannot wait.”
Curtis has also used TikTokin the same way many other singers have.
“I do [have a TikTok account],” said Curtis. “It has kind of led to me releasing certain [songs] because of the traction that it got on TikTok.”
Curtis has mixed views on how social media has affected her as an artist and how it has affected the industry.
“I think it’s done a lot of good, like, how I said, independent artists have more control, but I think I’ve always wondered what I would sound like if I didn’t consume all this music,” said Curtis. “You kind of feel bad about yourself like ‘Oh, I wish I was like that’ and it’s just a lot of comparison.”
TikTok has flipped the music industry upside down and has given many rising artists a chance. As music consumers’ wants change, the music industry will change with it as it has done since the first song was written. Some listeners still crave the chords of old while others can’t wait to add the next viral sound to their playlist. More music is being released than ever, and more artists are being given a chance to hit it big, so you decide: has social media begun the downfall of music as we know it, or has it started the beginning of a musical revolution?
In the past year some artists have exploded their already exceptional careers. This was all due to the presence of social media. From Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour to Drake’s new album, “For All the Dogs,” social media has made these events historical.
Swift’s Eras Tour left its mark on the world and is continuing to do so. From the minute it was announced, it was a sensation. All social media platforms were abuzz with news of her tour. Trends grew quickly involving the Eras Tour.
A very popular trend that spread across social media was the making of friendship bracelets to trade at the shows. Another was showing off your outfit for the show you were going to. These trends did not directly involve the promotion of her music or a specific song but nevertheless grew the already large spotlight that surrounded Taylor Swift.
The day Swift announced her Eras Tour was on Nov. 1,2022. Spotify wrapped for 2023 was released on Nov. 29. Taylor Swift was announced as the most listened-to artist in the world. There is no doubt she has been aided by social media, TikTok especially.
The other major platform that assists many singers is Instagram. Taylor Swift and Drake are both examples of the lucrative benefits of being active on Instagram. When any top artist posts, not only do their millions of followers get alerted of their news, whether it’s a new song or new tour dates, their followers repost. Reposts of Drake’s new album and Swift’s Eras Tour were flooding the pages of teenagers and adults all over the world.
“For All the Dogs,” the new Drake album, was arguably the second most significant moment in the music industry this year, following Taylor Swift’s accomplishments. Hype around the album on social media preceded its release. On Oct. 6 2023, Drake dropped the album, sat back, and watched it become a sensation on every media platform.
Trends arose for Drake all over TikTok and Instagram. Drake already has memes that have surrounded him and gained his popularity. Videos about Drake’s songs and broken records were conquering the internet. The song “IDGAF” featuring the rapper Yeat kick-started a trend of its own.
Shortly following the social media boom Drake received, his new album started to compile new records for Drake and for itself. Drake earned his 13th number 1 album on the Billboard 200 Album Chart, with “For All the Dogs”. “For All the Dogs” has also broken the record for the biggest first-day streams for any album released in 2023 on Apple Music. Much of Drake’s success can be tied to his viral social media presence.
While these artists already had a platform before social media, many artists use social media to create their brand. David Kushner started his musical journey on TikTok and Instagram. He released songs and song workshops onto his accounts and started to become a sensation. His platform grew, and he now has 24.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
While the results of social media on music are easy to dissect factually, the opinions of listeners and social media users hold high value in discovering whether social media has truly been beneficial to music. Students at Upper Arlington High School who are active on social media notice how it has affected music.
“[Social media has made music] worse,” junior Julia Oakley said. “You listen to the sped-up version, and then I’ll listen to the real version, and I don’t like it.”
Shortening and speeding up songs is one of the major changes TikTok has had on music, but, according to some students, there is also some good to come out of it.
“[Social media has made the music industry] better,” freshman Layla Barger said. “It spreads songs around so people know different artists. If one of [a new artist’s] songs get popular on TikTok, it’s really good for them.”
“TikTok music” has crept its way into the top of the charts and into many personal playlists of avid music listeners, yet some aren’t as heavily influenced by it.
“I think [Tiktok music is] fine,” Barger said. “It’s not totally my type of music, but I know a lot of people like it, and I hear it a lot.”
The impact of social media on music is undeniable. Whether it is good or bad is subjective. What can be inferred evidently is that the intertwining of these two worlds of pop culture will not be a fleeting presence.
STREAMING SERVICES
As the amount of people streaming music online has risen, so has a debate about which streaming service is superior. In numbers, Spotify is leading with 226 million paid users worldwide, according to Spotify Newsroom. However, other platforms are still present. With the end-of-year reports being released on different services, the question of what platforms others use is again at large. Many students will be sharing their Spotify Wrapped, Apple Music Replay, or other similar releases. This is important because many students use their music as a means to connect with their friends and classmates. This can, however, lead to students who are left out because they use other services that either don’t release something similar to Spotify Wrapped or don’t release them on the same day. Apple Music, the second most used platform, has less than half of the users Spotify, with 88 million. UAHS sophomores Isaac Meats and Jack Gemperline gave their opinion on the subject.
“My mom pays for a subscription. And it has no ads. That’s the big one because I don’t really want to pay for Spotify Premium,” Gemperline said.
What streaming service parents use is a big factor in what students use. As for the world as a whole, Spotify and Apple Music cost the same amount for both single and family plans.
“I just like the formatting of Apple Music better.” Isaac Meats added.
The two platforms are very similar, both having tens of millions of songs and similar ways to make playlists and find new songs.
There is also a social aspect to the streaming services students use. In a survey of 25 students, 52% of the students used Spotify. The other half were split between several streaming services including Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and Musi.
“You can see your friends on Spotify, but if your friends also have Apple Music, it’s the exact same thing,” Gemperline said.
However, most students use Spotify. In the end, if almost all widely known services cost the same, students would most likely choose the one their friends use.
Other aspects that can be taken into consideration are packages that give free access to services through default. For example, Amazon Prime includes Amazon Music, and YouTube Premium includes YouTube Music. This was the case for Isaac Meats.
“My family’s package is through our internet provider, so we get a package deal that AT&T does,” he said.
In terms of free services, Spotify and Amazon Music offer free music supported by ads, while Apple Music doesn’t. This is another thing that contributes to the majority that listens to Spotify. Musi, an app that was used by two students who answered the survey, is another completely free music service. Other than that, another free way to listen to music is to just open YouTube and play the videos.
There are many reasons people choose which music streaming service they use. In the end, it doesn’t matter what service you use, but it is still interesting to see the wide world of apps and stations that exist and find out why each of these is used. What streaming services people use differs for every person and equally, there is no one reason to use each of these music services.
