Records, cassettes, and CDs are becoming sentimental tokens of the past as digitalization shapes the future of music. The limitless world of digitalization has transformed music not just for listeners but also for artists and the music industry as a whole. Here, musician Loco Ink (Evan R Salinas) shares his insights on how digitalization has impacted the entire music industry.
The rise of streaming
According to Loco Ink, the power of music streaming platforms cannot be understated. The rise of Spotify and its ability to build an entire movement around the culture of digital music has shown what an immense impact digitalization can have. Streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify have become dominating corporate entities thanks to the popularity of digital music.
Accessibility
Evan states that one of the greatest impacts of digitalization has been the freedom and accessibility it has afforded to music fans. No matter what device you use or where in the world you travel, digital music allows you to listen to anything, anywhere at any time. Digitalization has also allowed listeners the freedom to access various music tracks independently without having to purchase an album.
The power of the artist
Trying to catch the attention of a music label to make their music heard is becoming a thing of the past for independent musicians. Loco Ink says that music distribution platforms such as SoundCloud have put power back into the hands of artists. With the use of simple software and recording techniques, aspiring artists can release their music digitally and launch an entire music career without ever having to be contracted by a record label.
Given the lightning-fast speed with which the digital world and its advancements have changed the music industry, Loco Ink believes that the power of digitalization is still only just beginning to show us how impactful it can be.