After recently being privileged enough to visit the National Library’s – Sound Archives, this made me speculate on the way in which ethically we listen to music…
There’s no denying that modes of sound listening will continue developing as time goes on. Beginning with the Edison Phonograph in 1887 technology has not only grown mechanically but also physically in numbers. Hearing music is no longer an exclusive part of society; some could say it is in fact inescapable. Although it should be celebrated for its exclusivity, this can have alarming effects on the environment.
Vinyl bagan the swarm of mass record consumption during the 1950’s however since then it has made a recent comeback in pop culture. The aesthetics of owning and playing vinyl are glamorised and many huge artists have begun releasing their albums through the vinyl. Despite the nostalgic feel and sound of listening on record, Vinyl and its PVC materials is only bad news for the environment. Polyvinyl Chloride is a highly toxic and difficult-to-handle product It is actually the most environmentally damaging plastic to exist. The toxins released during production and disposal infect our food, air and water. These poisonous facts truly make you question how worth it, it is to listen on vinyl.
Moving forward with the times, these moral queries don’t stop there. In 2006 the Stockholm, Sweedish company ‘Spotify’ was created. At first glimpse streaming sites seem a perfect solution to environmental well-being as well as economical and general convenience. However, with Spotify only paying the artists $0.0033 per stream, their control and moral compass begin to drop. Generators have to be continuously run for 24/7 streaming. Spotify themselves have stated 42% of its GHG emissions come from listener streaming.
The graph shown above shows you that despite streaming sites showing a huge drop in plastic consumption the amount of greenhouse gasses caused by generating is astronomical.
As I move forward making my own work these figures have made me question the most moral way in which I will choose to present and export my work into the world. Despite our generation is fortunate enough to experience easy access to all forms of music, it is we who need to be cautious of the implications that this causes.
