I still remember the first time I tried Pandora. It was a revelation in which I was able to hear new music that I didn't have on my iPod. Seeing that for my job I work with websites, I was always online ... I was always connected to the Internet.
Many years later, I occasionally fire up Pandora. Every now and then I listen to Spotify when I'm working from my home computer. I listen to Soundcloud when I am just browsing for new music ... same thing with Noisetrade ...
It is a great time for music because now so much of it is accessible. I can listen to streaming music on my phone. I can dial into various online distribution channels in which I don't have to pay per song but rather per subscription.
The last time I checked on the Polk Street Band's Not So Distant Future album, the purchasing of a track was rare but people listening to the tracks via streaming media was much more than I could imagine. It was a great thing to see and know that the songs are being listened to.
I guess that's a part of it all: as a songwriter I hope that people will get a chance to listen to the music I write. Back in the day when recordings first started, I wonder if a big part of the excitement was that it gave people a chance to listen to music beyond hearing music live.
Recordings in our world today are a common part of lives. There are a lot of people who are making music, many of whom are looking for someone to listen to them. I can include myself in that list.
For those who want someone to listen to them, it is probably because they have something to say. Once again, I include myself in that list.
If the goal is to be heard, then streaming media is a good thing. I have been having a great time hearing old Dire Straits tracks and listening to the Rich Mullins album that I played so much it is scratched beyond belief. As a listener, I feel blessed. As a songwriter, I am blessed.
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