Music quality is taking a hit as shortcuts become the norm.
The music industry is going through A LOT of changes in 2024, with new audio production trends reshaping how songs are created, distributed, and consumed.
Rapid release cycles, AI-assisted compositions, and shortened song structures are becoming the norm.
Sure, they are convenient. But, they’re also raising big questions about how they affect the quality of music and artistry in the long run.
The Rush to Release
Artists no longer spend months or years perfecting their work in the studio. And that’s because today’s music world is all about making and releasing songs as fast as possible.
Yes, we love discovering new music every time. But, if artists are just forced to release music only for the sake of doing so, the quality of their releases will begin to falter.
“Artists these days take the shortest time in the studio,” says rapper Mun G. “Generally, the music is rushed.”
This fast pace isn’t just about artists being impatient. It’s driven by tough competition for chart spots and streaming numbers.
Take Travis Scott’s recent chart battle with Sabrina Carpenter, for instance.
To get the top spot on the Billboard 200, Scott released many digital versions of his album “Days Before Rodeo” in the last week of sales tracking. He added bonus tracks and remixes too.
The strategy paid off, with 361,000 equivalent album units sold. But, at what cost to the music itself?
Well, the answer is the classic “quantity over quality” problem.
Some eagle-eared fans have spotted instances where chart-topping tracks allegedly used YouTube rips instead of properly mastered studio recordings.
This practice involves using lower-quality audio files taken from YouTube rather than well-made studio recordings. The result? A noticeable drop in audio quality that’s particularly glaring on high-end sound systems.
But, this trend of putting speed before quality has bigger effects on the industry.
For one, it might make people think less of music production skills. Rather than making polished, high-quality recordings, the focus is now on pushing out content as quickly as possible.
This super-fast approach also puts a lot of pressure on artists and producers.
They are forced to stop taking time to improve their work, try new sounds, or get better at their craft. Instead, they’re being pushed to make content at an unsustainable speed.
AI in the Studio
Perhaps related to the need to release music as fast as much as possible, artificial intelligence is now showing up in studios.
Tools like Google’s Magenta and Meta’s AudioCraft are becoming as common in recording sessions as a trusty SM58 microphone.
These AI systems can create melodies, harmonies, and even whole arrangements in seconds – something that used to take songwriters and producers hours or days.
And, while this efficiency can be beneficial, it makes us worry that music might all start to sound the same.
There’s a real chance of losing the special human touch that often makes songs memorable. This includes the happy accidents, the quirky imperfections, and the raw emotion that no algorithm can truly replicate.
But AI’s role isn’t limited to just composition.
Automatic mixing and mastering tools are also becoming common, promising professional-quality sound with little human help or skill.
Less Is Less
Song structures are also changing to match shorter attention spans and streaming habits.
For example, the average length of a Billboard Hot 100 hit has gone down from over four minutes in 1990 to about three minutes today. Some songs in the charts are even less than 2 minutes long!
But this trend goes beyond just trimming the fat off song durations.
A study from Queen Mary University of London found that melodies have become much simpler since the 1950s.
This “less is less” approach is also clear in how songs are put together.
Many tracks now skip the bridge entirely, opting for a faster-paced, hook-driven approach.
And, even lyrics haven’t escaped this trend towards simplification.
Since the 1980s, lyrics have become more repetitive and emotionally charged, showing changing listener likes and the need to make an impact right away. It’s like we’re boiling songs down to their strongest parts, for better or worse.
Changes in Production Techniques
The move from real instruments to digital tools has also completely changed how music is made.
Back in the day, the range of possible sounds was limited to what you could get from real instruments and whatever extras you had. It was a world of trying things out, happy accidents, and sometimes, pure frustration.
Now, anyone with a laptop and internet can access almost any sound they can think of.
That’s not entirely bad, of course.
Digital audio workstations (DAWs), along with huge libraries of samples and loops, has made it possible for anyone to create music in ways we could only dream of a few decades ago. It’s opened up new areas of creativity and experimentation, letting bedroom producers compete with established studios.
Artists and producers can now also change and layer sounds easily, creating complex pieces that would have been hard or impossible with just traditional instruments.
However, this shift has also led to changes in how music is perceived and valued.
Plus, the ease of using pre-made loops and samples has also raised questions about originality in music creation: