Interesting, but hardly surprising - no?
Curious article. Itās not about giving up on music altogether, it is about less interest in ānewā music as we grow older. This isnāt a new phenomenon, and I find the article mischaracterizes the phenomenon. As we mature, we become more selective about what we listen to. Iām no less passionate about music at 63 than I was at 23. Iām also not disinterested in ānewā music either (there were two world premieres at the Grant Park Music Festival this season and I was there to hear them both, good or bad). In short, I donāt think a mature approach to what we listen to as we age is āgiving up on musicā.
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Most people listen to what was popular/they were exposed to in their pre-teens to early twenties. This is why there are so many radio stations/streams dedicated to specific decades.
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I read this article as one personās opinion. It reads like an editorial. No real study, no real stats.
āA 2015 study of peopleās listening habits on Spotify found that most people stop listening to new music at 33; a 2018 report by Deezer had it at 30.ā
Who uses Deezer?
2015 Spotify study?
Sigh.
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Whatās Deezer?
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Yes, and people still being stuck in their 20sā music are a quite safe indication for never have been involved into or interested in different music too much since then. Ok, but not much more.
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Iām not surprised. Iām 71, and within my circle of acquaintances I know of one other person who has a good stereo. Given what my generation was like when we were young, this is astonishing. A lot of people my age listen constantly in the car or on their laptop/through earbuds, but as a component of multitasking, not as an activity worthy of undivided attention and financial commitment. I rarely hear friends discussing music ā and this is in Athens, Georgia, a music town if ever there was one.
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I grew up listening to 60ās and 70ās pop/rock and noticed I was losing interest as I progressed through the 80ās, just didnāt find the music interesting any more. A few years ago I reawaken my interest in music by shifting to music new to me - 40ās, 50ās and 60ās jazz. Sometimes new is old.
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My kids are 19 to 32 and are about half and half. The ones that arenāt typically listening never really did. Funny thing is I have a bunch of stuff I listened to in my 20s and 30s that I donāt listen to anymore but my 21 year old does. āGuardians of the Galaxyā had something to do with that.
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āThey donāt make music like the used to!ā
Yes they do. It just is harder to find. I like old and new. I really like new.
Not radio music, not popular music, no. The stuff I find I really love.
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How is this to be interpreted? Is ānew musicā newly composed and recorded or simply new to the listener from whatever period or maybe a different genre. I listen mostly to classical music and there is a vast amount of recorded music available to explore. While I donāt have much time for newly composed music, now at age 83 I do love to hear new recordings of masterpieces from the past that have long given much pleasure since I started collecting stereo LP records in 1960 when I started my working life with EMI.
And here is me who refuses to listen to Spotify at all.
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Happy Birthday @softlight64
Music is like everything else today, oversaturated. Never before has there been such an abundance of readily-available products aimed at a person with money to spend. Like anything else, too, you just have to maintain your discerning tastes. There is more music out there now than there ever was. Some 14 year girl who plays guitar and lives in some remote village on the other side of the planet can be heard because of modern technology. Are we overwhelmed by the constant bombardment of everything being aimed at us all at once? Yes. The trick is using that wealth of resources to your advantage as best you can.
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I thought I was the only one. At least I can say I know what Spotify is when I see it in a post. 
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As long as people are listening, I donāt really care how. Artists need fans, artists need income. Otherwise we are all going to suffer.
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Artists donāt get very much from Spotify. The number one reason why I donāt choose to use it.
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I was generalizing. I imagine each service has its positives and negatives. Perhaps Spotify users go to more shows?
ā¦ I have no idea. I have several friends who are musicians, their revenue stream is always in flux. I assume every little bit helps.