Reader beware, this is my one annual opportunity to write about what I think is going on with music and I’m not gonna waste it! The main thing I’m thinking is: is everything going to shit or am I just getting older? Music tends to be a bellwether for where other media will end up going and 2025 was the first year that AI “musicians” started generating millions of streams on Spotify, which sure is discouraging. Except when you realize that millions of streams still isn’t that much money going to whoever uploaded that slop, especially relative to the enormous cost they probably spent to game the system and get into peoples’ feeds. Also we’ve seen that most of us, when given the choice, will loudly proclaim we prefer actual human artistry… which is admittedly a low bar for hope in our species. But at least it seems like, right now, we clear it?
On the other hand, the art of curation seems to be on the way out. It’s getting harder and harder to find good criticism as more and more iconic outlets are shuttered or left critically understaffed in the name of short-term profit maximization. When I was in college my dream was to write at a place like The AV Club. It was too hard for me to seriously try in 2011. Is it even a viable career path at all today? I mean hell, MTV went off the air a few days ago. And the record labels themselves? They are busy laying people off and turning to TikTok to find new artists. The algorithms, man! I’ve come to realize a lot of people now fully depend on their streaming apps to find new music. It makes me feel so old that those discover playlists just don’t click with me! I still rely on places like Paste, Pitchfork, KEXP, fuckin’ TV show and movie soundtracks, and, of course whatever Colin decides is worth writing about to add to my streaming music library.
Speaking of, here’s something: Paste’s #2 and Pitchfork’s #1 album of the year is not on Spotify or Apple (don’t worry, I haven’t heard it yet either, my bad). That’s a great reminder that the resurgence of physical media has continued; with vinyl, CD, and cassette sales growing again last year and seemingly a similar phenomena happening in film with Blu-rays. Look how big the Criterion Closet has gotten on social media! And don’t forget, the problem isn’t streaming — it’s that streaming is rigged against the artists. It used to be bands toured to support the album, now they release albums so they can tour (which has turned legacy acts like Oasis into the biggest shows but that’s a whole other thing). The music industry has never been more consolidated than it is right now, with a few people at the few remaining, gargantuan labels keeping almost all the money for themselves. At the same time, it’s never been easier to make music and share it with the world. Where we are right now is unsustainable. Again, I take solace that most people want to invest human artistry and share experiences with each other. I don’t know what will happen next, but maybe there is a glimmer of hope just over that horizon?
