Let’s Compare Classical Music Streaming Services
“When the power is shut off, music won’t be.”
Mark Swed, longtime staple of the classical music criticism community, writes on the changing of the musical guard when the advent of the mp3 file swept the Internet. Little to no thought was given to composers, composition titles and their movements. Liner notes, too, something important for the musical experience during the days of vinyl records, mostly went away, with the brief exception of the failed iTunes digital album booklet.
Music streaming services were built around pop music – to “promote grazing,” as Swed puts it. Not a surprise, but a difficult barrier for entry in regards to the plethora of classical music available, and the artists that produce it.
Check out the article (conveniently linked here) to read Swed’s take on the U.S.’s Apple Music and Primephonic, France’s Qobuz and Berlin’s Idagio. At the end, an interesting detail about the sustainability of streaming services, in regards to their surprising environmental impact. Read on!
