The way you’re listening to music is changing how it sounds. The explosive success of streaming services like Spotify means they’re the best ways to make money from online music. But their monetization policies complicate things.
Streaming only counts as a listen after 30 seconds, so artists are only getting paid if at least 30 seconds get heard. And because of the sheer volume of music available, users are hitting that skip button much more often. Statistics from Spotify show that over a third of streamers leave a song before the magic 30-second mark is reached.
That’s leading producers and writers to make their songs top-heavy, overloading hooks and choruses right away to keep you listening and keep services paying. They’re actively trying to keep our attention for those crucial.
There’s even music theory research from Ohio State University that shows pop songs are slowly becoming off-the-top songs, and it’s all streaming’s fault.
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