A Comparison of Changing Music Mediums and the Impact on Social Listening

Recorded music is a significant part of daily life for most people and has been for about one hundred years. In this time there have been many advancements in how the average person has access to music. Changes in physical mediums have only added to the overall experience of listening. From extremely tangible mediums, such as vinyl that cumulates into large physical collections, to streaming which arguably allows for larger collections without the limitations of physical space, music will always fundamentally be the same. That is not to say that the experience of listening to music does not change. Each physical medium is accompanied by a unique ritual of listening that enhances the experience for listeners. With each new advancement, there have been new possibilities for listening to and sharing music. This paper examines the evolution of recorded music technology and provides an analysis to the impact on social listening because of that evolution.