Big data songwriting

[John Beef]

https://globalnews.ca/news/5333987/alan-cross-music-technology-part-2/

I suppose it was bound to happen. This is a fascinating article about how streaming companies are tracking listeners' usage, reporting that data to the record companies, who then ask that songs be written in a particular way so as to maximize the profitability of each song. I know that record companies have been asking that for eons but now they have Big Data on their side.

Read the article and then watch the Taylor Swift video. When the music starts to the 1st chorus is almost exactly 30 seconds (payout time!), and the song has already been through 3 other parts.

Parents always think their kids' music sucks, but this time, I have big data on my side.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I guess I’m really fortunate to have grown up in the era of ghetto-blasters and cassette tapes after all!

 

[John Beef]

Yeah! If you wanted to hear a different song, you had to rewind or fast forward! And you had to guess when to stop! Although, thinking about it more, I remember fast forwarding with the play button pushed in slightly so I could hear when the break was in between songs. Haven't thought about that in like 25 years.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Yeah! If you wanted to hear a different song, you had to rewind or fast forward! And you had to guess when to stop! Although, thinking about it more, I remember fast forwarding with the play button pushed in slightly so I could hear when the break was in between songs. Haven't thought about that in like 25 years.

Yes! Also, I can’t name how many songs I grew to love above and beyond “the singles” of an album because I was driving, or just too lazy to fast forward or rewind.

So sometimes things weren’t better “back in the day”... but wound up being better for us in the long run.

 

[Shawn@PRS]

I keep hoping that another band comes along in the steps of Elvis, the Beatles, Hendrix, Ramones, Nirvana, etc. to shake things up.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I keep hoping that another band comes along in the steps of Elvis, the Beatles, Hendrix, Ramones, Nirvana, etc. to shake things up.

I wonder what it’ll take to make that happen?

The article didn’t go that deep into it but, the part about earbuds and how music is becoming more and more of an insular activity kind of puts me off, especially since I’m guilty of that behavior as well.

It kinda goes back to me talking about ghetto-blasters... how would I have ever been exposed to different music and cultures if it weren’t for the fact that the world I was brought up in was LOUD!

I hardly ever hear other people’s music anymore, even from passing cars, the world seems so much quieter now.

How is a band supposed to come along and change the world, if we aren’t all assaulted by it? It’s almost like we have too many choices available to us now.

 

[bodia]

I keep hoping that another band comes along in the steps of Elvis, the Beatles, Hendrix, Ramones, Nirvana, etc. to shake things up.

Like the Jonas Brothers, or One Direction?

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Like the Jonas Brothers, or One Direction?

Bwahahaha!

 

[László]

I remember Jamie telling me about his label (Warner Bros.) looking very closely at the metrics for Spotify plays.

Apparently, not only can they see the number of plays, they can see how long a listener listens before clicking on the next song, etc. The labels then use this data to also decide what bands to put support into, or not.

The whole thing made me throw up in my mouth a little; Granted, yesteryear was a time when artists got screwed, but that was at least related to the deal and loss of their publishing. Now artists get a different kind of screwing based on metrics.

Here’s the thing:

Studies have shown that familiarity makes people become attached to songs. So they generally listen to what they hear the most, and that means they are most attracted to songs that get airplay. If labels use Spotify metrics to decide beforehand how they’re going to support the artists on their rosters, a startup band might not get enough label support to get airplay, and therefore the Spotify numbers are will be low, which in turn means that the label won’t put money into the artist.

Catch 22. As usual.

 

[BrianC]

"songs be written in a particular way so as to maximize the profitability of each song"


Nashville?????

 

[Steve's addiction]

Along the lines of what Sergio said, many times I ended up liking the other songs on an album more than the hit. Sadly now days, once kids get tired of the hit, they move on to a whole other band instead of the next song. Attention span lasts only...oh new band!