When shuffling through Spotify how quick are you to skip to the next song? Do you usually make it through the first thirty seconds of a song? Well the artist sure hopes you do. On Spotify, a song needs to be streamed for at least thirty seconds in order for it to earn royalty payouts and count toward chart tallies. If you skip the song before thirty seconds have passed, it is as though it never came on in the first place. If you’re someone who’s finger tends to tentatively hovers over the “next” button, you’re not alone. In Tom Barnes’ 2014 article for Mic, Science Has Some Comforting News for People Who Skip Tracks Constantly, he references the research of Paul Lamere, the man behind Spotify map tracking. Lamere found that “there’s a 25% chance listeners will hit skip within 5 seconds. The likelihood listeners will skip climbs steadily as a song progresses. There’s only a 48.6% chance they’ll make it to the final cadence.” Streaming offers listeners a seemingly endless supply of music at their fingertips. Thus, artists need to craft songs that standout right off the bat or they risk losing the attention of their listeners and the potential for profit.

Maybe listeners are desperate to find the perfect song for the moment. Maybe they are just trying to experience as much music as they possibly can. Or maybe our attention spans have decreased, and we no longer have the patience to finish a song or listen to it for longer than thirty seconds. With the internet and today’s technologies, we have access to an infinite amount of knowledge and stimulation. Likewise, streaming offers us infinite access to music.

As a result, musicians and producers are realizing that the beginning of a song is crucial. In the past, artists have had the luxury of easing into a song, creating suspense, and building it at their own pace. Now, the listener expects the hook to arrive almost immediately. Streaming has altered the expectations of listeners which has in turn resulted in a new formulaic approach to writing and producing music. The introduction and structures of songs is not the only thing that is being adapted to fit our streaming preferences. Additionally, songs are also getting shorter and more focus is being put on singles rather than full albums.

Streaming music appears to have both positives and negatives effects. It gives listeners the ability to listen to any type of music, anytime and anywhere. It also provides artists at all levels the opportunity to be heard. Yet, we need to question whether or not it is dwindling our appreciation for the music they are producing.

By Abby Hawkins