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RE: The Format that Killed the Music Industry

Posted by Todd Krieger (A) on July 2, 2015 at 12:01:58

In Reply to: The Format that Killed the Music Industry posted by jedrider on July 1, 2015 at 21:13:03:

I wouldn't blame a file format per se.... When music became digitized, and then copyable and storable, this created an environment where piracy became inevitable.... It just so happened the MP3 format was an early form of compressed storable media. If it wasn't MP3, it would have been some other compressed format.

There were also several elements at work killing the industry. First, the CD, which can be a great format if executed well, but has rarely attained its potential. Most CD playback sounds awful, to a degree where compressed formats didn't seem to be a compromise to a lot of people. I've just encountered too many people who think MP3 is an "advancement" over the CD. I do think the audio industry's inability to come up with CD playback (and high-rez playback) that was satisfying to the masses is partly to blame. (I think the discounting of end-user/audiophile feedback as "crackpot" might be the core problem. The "militant objectivist" faction of the audio engineering community.)

Another factor is the digitized "enhancements" applied to the music.... (Auto-Tune maybe the biggest culprit.) Most of them have made unsuspecting listeners "impressed" with the performing at the surface, but people no longer enjoy music from a "hitting the soul" perspective.... The music has become quantitative and disposable, and nothing is memorable or "timeless" anymore. These "enhancements" have also enabled prefabricated stars to surface, and has stunted motivation of singers and musicians to refine their craft. (If the Monkees surfaced in recent time instead of the 1960s, it would likely be perceived by the mainstream as a real band.) And for those who do appreciate fine aspects of musical performance, this is downright depressing.

The "cheapening" of music, as a result of all of these factors, is also responsible for the loss of interest in high-fidelity sound reproduction. To millennials in particular, such concept almost seems foreign to them. (The only hope is the resurgence of vinyl, which might help younger audiences grasp this concept.) But if the standards for musical performance, recording, and reproduction further deteriorate, high-end audio might truly be dead in 50 years.

Edits: 07/02/15

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