[ad_1]
Berlin, Vienna – Streaming providers such as Spotify or Apple Music offer more and more playlists for different moods and genres. Meanwhile, streaming in Germany and Austria is the most popular way to listen to music – and providers react. But that does not only have economic effects. Streaming can also change the way music is written and heard.
Since mid-2018, audio streaming is the most important business turnover segment of the music market in Germany. In Austria too, the share of digital offers has recently increased to 54%. In addition to streaming providers, this also has advantages for labels. Through the badysis of their streaming music data, they can see when a listener is going and react to it.
30 seconds are crucial
"Music is written differently because streaming is so important," says musicologist Martin Lücke. On the one hand, the beginning of a song has become even more important. Because labels only earn on a stream when listeners listen to a song for more than 30 seconds. "So, as a label, I try to do everything so that the listener does not click far," says Lücke, a music professor at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Macromedia Musikwirtschaft.
Musicians are naturally more reserved in such statements. The German DJ Felix Jaehn, whose remix of the song "Cheerleader" of IMO has been a huge success, says that he is free in the musical production of such considerations. "However, I must say that most of my songs go straight to the point and often have a direct relationship with the intro," he adds.
The song always starts earlier
Gap recounts studies meant to show that the voice in pop songs starts earlier and earlier in order to attract listeners' attention as quickly as possible. There were hits that really only worked after long intros, like "I would do anything for the sake of" Meat Loaf.
Besides the beginning of a pop success, the mood of a song becomes more important. "I'm going home and I say to Siri or another clever talker:" Listen to me now for music, "said Peter Tschmuck, a professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts in London. Vienna. Most consumers are not interested in the identity of a song. The music you hear depends on the mood.
"Dinnertime Acoustics", "Deep Focus" or "Movin & # 39; and Groovin & # 39;": Songs that match certain moods or genres are badigned to playlists by editors or algorithms. In terms of relevance, the playlists are the new albums, are gap and Tschmuck safe.
A popular playlist on Spotify is called "Tropical House". It is full of electro dancing and poppy tubes that sound like holiday packages in the South Seas. Felix Jaehn is one of the most popular representatives of the genre. It is "quite safe" that the "Tropical House" list has favored its success. "I was one of the first artists to be known to Spotify in 2014," he says. "Now I have almost two billion streams on my songs and remixes – only on Spotify – it's crazy and it certainly would not be possible without genre-specific playlists like" Tropical House " . "
Playlists as important tastemaker
For labels, it is particularly important to find entries in playlists. "It quickly became clear that reading lists are very important taste creators," Tschmuck said. But what influence do labels have on streaming services?
Of course, they will be contacted by the labels and will be in contact with them, explains Maik Pallasch, head of German music publishers Spotify. "But as a licensor, you can not determine if and what goes into Spotify playlists." A spokesperson for Apple Music does not wish to comment on the specific collaboration with the labels, but also emphasizes the independence of the publishers who populate the playlists. There are now thousands of lists of this type.
In Germany alone, there are 400 clean playlists in Spotify, which are reissued daily or weekly by six publishers in total. In addition, there are up to ten personal playlists that offer algorithms to listeners for music that suits them. In all, including user-created playlists, there are more than two billion lists, according to information provided by Pallasch.
This could create a kind of momentum. "Some songwriters can have the sound of a particular genre that is popular with streaming providers when composing," Lücke said. "And there will certainly be attempts by labels to find artists who match specific playlists," said Frank Briegmann, the boss of Universal. "We are selecting artists for their talent and potential." At the same time, he admits: "In genres such as GED or hip-hop, in which the company's share of streaming is especially important, of course, appropriate playlists are also considered involved."
Will pop music become more and more similar at the end? Experts do not want to go that far. This accusation is as old as pop music itself, explains Tschmuck. Felix Jaehn is certain of it: "Music does not work according to schemas, formulas or logical thoughts." Moreover, gap seems similar. You can calculate a lot by badyzing the data, he explains. "But in the end, there is always the unknown factor in pop music – fortunately." (APA / dpa)
Source link
