Beware Of Streaming Music’s Emotional Lock-in

It’s Apple’s turn this month to?ratchet up the price of its media subscription services. Apple Music, Apple TV+ and Apple One are getting a few dollars added to the monthly payment to access their streaming services. Meanwhile,?Spotify is preparing the ground for its own price increase?in 2023.

If the money is too much for you (and in these difficult economic times that’s something many will be considering carefully as household budgets are squeezed) then it is just a few clicks to leave the service. But this is not going to be a smooth experience. Your online service has a huge list of favourite songs, albums, artists, and playlists.

All of those are locked away behind the monthly subscription.

Music is one of the most emotional connections you can have to the world. Songs can capture you and take you to wonderful places, revisit treasured memories, and ease the pain of loss. For better or worse, the industry is pushing streaming, a system where people have little choice but to pay the almost feudal rent to simply listen… a stealthy emotional tax trying to turn music into a utility bill.

Once again I am reminded of the value of owning your own stuff in a format that can move between all your hardware and software, be backed up, and always be available. I’ve experienced streaming services suddenly removing my access to an album, a situation where I was glad that I had purchased the same album from Bandcamp.

Music streaming services are easier to use, more accessible, and offer the tempting possibility of every song for a small monthly fee… but those monthly fees add up even before the price increase hits. It might not be a complete lock-in, but you are paying to build the barrier that makes it harder to leave every month.

Maybe there’s another way. Maybe old school still has something to teach us after all?

Originally posted on my blog, Thursday 27th October.