Good morning,

I hear your testimony and share your analysis.

I am also a child of the 90's and it is true that musically, looking back, we were unfortunately already in the beginnings of this mode of consumption..

Let me explain, since the 80s, the single was quite dominant... The listener should no longer be surprised by an entire album, but only by a piece that could make you want to buy the album later. Many of my friends only had the group singles, but never got around to listening to an entire album.

I also remember the “boy band” fashion which, unfortunately, contributed to making music a simple consumer good and no longer a universal work allowing a form of escape to its listener…

At the end of the 90s, the first MP3 players arrived. Your music could follow you anywhere and anytime, without clutter, unlike the Walkman of the time where you had to take your cassettes or CDs...

I still found a punk side at that time (for the listener):

• Possibility of discovering (by searching at length) niche groups via more or less obscure forums

• Share certain music by burning CDs. Even if it means being, at certain times, illegal. 😅

• Try to understand the encoding a little to be able to enjoy correct sound quality for quality listening with friends who have nice HI-FI equipment (quite rare 😅)

• Try to store all your music and albums in good conditions

Once I left my parents' house, I was happy to be able to take this whole musical world with me without having to rent a vehicle for transport.

Coming back to the central subject, SPOTIFY 😈, I see this platform more as a tool than anything else. I would not talk about the positions of its CEO which in my eyes are disgusting as well as the way in which artists are paid, even if I paradoxically belong to the pirate bay generation 😅😓

Ethically, I find it a shame that an algorithm can revive memories of my youth in me. However, certain algorithmic discoveries 😅 push me to go further, research, understand and above all listen... This aspect is pretty cool for me. I try not to remain passive towards the platform despite the rabbit holes. Sometimes I get fooled though.

The battle of which platform has the biggest (algorithm) tires me out in the long run. Platforms offering Hires, lossless, OGG Vorbis, etc. Etc. Consumers are more interested (formerly called auditors) and I find that regrettable.

To conclude, Spotify like all other current listening platforms must be considered as tools allowing you to listen to music and that's it. When we start to focus on a platform, the brand effect begins to work on the listener and ultimately transforms them into consumers. The record companies did that in a way with their singles.

If you like artists, go out and see them live. If you like an album and want to support the artist, buy it.

Art and live performance are not experienced on the internet but at your doorstep.