By: Meghan Mahaffey
For many listeners, the modern music experience consists of carefully curated playlists. Users can create a library of their favorite songs for any mood or occasion. Streaming platforms have recognized this trend and carefully curate playlists for users based on the time of day, genre, and preferences inferred from their listening habits. Playlist curation has become integral in how people consume music, while traditional album streaming is less common. Most albums are carefully crafted with meticulous thought to deliver a cohesive package of tracks. Is there lost value with the increase in popularity of playlists?
Artists and their teams understand that fan bases are consuming music through playlists, rather than traditional album streaming. This affects the songwriting and production of their work. Artists must keep in mind that their albums are less likely to be streamed from start to finish. Instead, their fans will pick a few favorites from the project to add to their playlists. This means that the album is not developed with the same mentality of creating a full-picture album. Artists and labels are more likely to concentrate on how their songs will mesh with playlists, which “can stifle creativity, as artists may feel obligated to fit into certain sonic molds to achieve success.” Artists are increasingly working to make each track stand alone, which may result in a sacrifice of album cohesion.
The way people consume music has a greater impact on the music industry and the type of music that artists create than we realize. This speaks to the mutual relationship between artists and their fan bases. It is unlikely that playlists will lose significant popularity. However, fans should remember the value of an album. It is not simply a list of songs that were ready to go out at the same time,e but rather is a curated and purposeful project.