Technologies Shaping the Future of the Music Industry
Image from Unsplash
Back in 2008, Radiohead released a music video for their song House of Cards. They used laser scanners on vocalist Thom Yorke and a residential neighborhood. Aided by flexible software sketchbook processing, they mapped out and animated the array of points produced by the laser scanners in 3D. The result is a compelling work of art that marries visual art and music with the innovative use of new technologies.
While the video is more than a decade old, its implications are the same: the music industry is constantly being shaped by new tech. Today, what are the emerging technologies that are driving massive changes in music?
Blockchain Contracts
Blockchain tech has been at the forefront of innovation in how music is distributed, shared, and funded. Most recently, this can be observed in the popularity of music-related non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Similar to a cryptocurrency, an NFT is a one-of-a-kind digital asset whose uniqueness is verified through blockchain security protocols. Veteran pop siren Imogen Heap recently released her first collection of audiovisual NFTs. The collection is called Firsts, and it’s comprised of six digital pieces “that encapsulate the magic moments that occur during a live jam session.”
Previously, Heap made headlines when she revealed the development of Mycelia, a blockchain-based platform for artists to create and develop smart contracts with their music. The goal of the platform is to leverage blockchain for creating fairer contracts between music artists, producers, distributors, and even fans. As the platform gains ground and NFTs get more popular, blockchain will continue to shape the music business.
Advanced PCBs
Printed circuit boards or PCBs comprise the circuits that allow virtually any musical instrument and audio equipment to run. In a recent breakthrough, researchers from Purdue University created a flexible PCB that can viably replace the expensive and complex PCBs found in most electric guitars. The new PCB works in the same way as the circuitry for a conventional guitar pickup – minus the material costs. This isn’t surprising, considering how today’s PCB design software is aimed at streamlining such developments by making the process easier for everyone involved. And apart from revolutionizing the way electric guitars are produced and priced, the advanced PCB by Purdue could potentially lower manufacturing costs for every other electric stringed instrument.
Considering how PCBs are needed for not just electric instruments but also for headphones, speakers, and hi-fi systems, this type of innovation is bound to have grander implications down the line. PCB design and development is an underrated driver in the digital transformation of the music industry.
Advanced Apps
Today, music distribution is a market that’s practically cornered by streaming as well as social apps. Audio streaming software like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and YouTube Music continue to be the primary platforms with which fans access new and old songs. Formerly relegated to specific genres, these apps now share similar catalogs featuring millions of songs and artists. The differences lie in pricing, song recommendation systems, and overall user experience – all of which continue to improve in each app.
Meanwhile, social media apps aren’t taking this lying down. Apps like Instagram, Facebook, and especially TikTok are becoming highly effective platforms for the promotion of new music in interactive formats. In the coming years, advanced app development will remain integral to how the music industry will evolve.
AI Algorithms
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already upending the world’s primary industries – and the music industry is no exception. Artists like Toro Y Moi, Yacht, and Betty Who are finding ways to use AI algorithms to crunch musical data and come up with new material. Apart from streamlining production, AI algorithms are also behind the song recommendations on the aforementioned music apps. As the music industry gets more digitized, there will be more unique data for AI to work with. This means more data-driven musical collaborations, music industry insights, and better song recommendations.
These developments will continue well into the coming years. And this is just the beginning of the music industry’s digital transformation.
And now for the shameless plugs.
✨ Listen to my music and follow me on Audius (a Crypto music streaming platform)
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Are you curious to hear how code sounds like?
Programming is not only useful to build applications, it’s also a powerful means of expression. When I started programming, I never thought I would one day merge both my passion for music and my passion for technology together.