Music has evolved just as the outlets for listening to it have progressed with time. The world has experienced music through CD players, boom boxes, MTV music videos, and the heartfelt activity of formulating a mix tape. When mp3 players and the iPod hit shelves in the late 90’s/early 2000’s, it introduced a whole new concept of music and convenience to listeners. Consumers no longer had to purchase an entire album in order to enjoy only a few songs; instead, individual songs became accessible, inexpensive, and available for download through the Internet onto the device. Mp3 players and iPods were simple forms of technology that shocked yet satisfied music lovers. It has only grown easier since then.
Today, consumers stream their music. iTunes seems to be heading out of style, and record players are trendy, but the simple action of streaming music from a digital outlet is the solution that most people follow to listen to music. The Pace Press conducted a Twitter poll regarding how University students primarily listen to music. The choices consisted of Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Other. The poll was left up for 24 hours, and University students replied with feedback.
Spotify won the poll by 80 percent of the vote. Apple Music was the runner-up with only 10 percent of the vote while Amazon Music and Other tied each with 5 percent of the vote. Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music are all streaming platforms. However, college students and young adults evidently seem to gravitate towards Spotify.
Jayme Mika, University junior, listens to Spotify because she “felt pressured to use it.” She stated that all of her friends used Spotify, so she decided to download it as well. “It ended up being a great listening experience, so I went on to purchase Spotify premium.”
Spotify premium is $9.99 per month. However, the outlet also features a student discount provider and a Spotify/Hulu bundle, at a rate of $4.99 per month, which is appealing to college students.
According to “BBC News,” Spotify began as a small start-up in Stockholm, Sweden, and was developed in 2006 in response to the piracy problems within the music industry. The idea of charging a reasonable amount of money per month for access to an immense library of songs and musicians was appealing to consumers. As the door opened for Spotify, the idea of streaming music came to light. As per “The Guardian,” shortly after Spotify’s success, Apple decided to create a streaming platform as well, known as Apple Music. This sparked competition within the two businesses, but according to University students, Spotify indeed offers more appealing features than other streaming competitors.
University junior, Amanda Velazquez, said, “I listen to Spotify over other streaming companies because this is the first one I noticed. It was launched before Apple Music and I did not want to keep using iTunes, so I immediately chose this option,” she said. “I still, however, prefer Spotify over the newer selections because of the playlists provided, the convenience of listening to any song I want at any given moment, and the cost.”
Apple Music offers a universal family-sharing option. This can be helpful for larger families who are all avid music listeners. For six family members, all Apple Music playlists and songs are available to stream for a monthly payment of $14.99 per month.
Joe Nabavi, University junior, said, “I listen to Apple Music. I prefer this platform because of its simplicity,” he said. “It is almost effortless to search for artists and songs since the layout of the app is organized and structured for consumer ease.”
Today’s digital generation have the advantage of experiencing music in ways that were once intangible. Every song is available at the fingertips of those who stream music on a regular basis. The convenience and ease that music outlets like Spotify and Apple Music offer seamlessly convey just how University students primarily listen to music. Due to the modern fast-paced society, especially in New York City, instant music streaming seems to be the way of the future. “I prefer [streaming] Apple Music over the other streaming platforms because I feel that the songs are released much faster,” said University junior, Josh Guerrier.
