Everyone knows streaming services have changed the way we watch television (TV), but they’ve also changed the way we listen.
It’s no secret Netflix transformed how we consume TV and film, leading to the death of broadcast schedules, the rise of binge culture, and the algorithmic era of streaming video. But another media revolution has taken place, one remaking how we listen to music. Streaming has altered not just what we hear, but how we hear it—prioritizing playlists and fragments of songs over the full, immersive journey of an album.
When Spotify and its peers ushered in ubiquitous access to nearly every song imaginable, the way we relate to music shifted. Music once demanded ownership; you bought a CD, saved an MP3, and built a collection. Streaming changed that. Listeners no longer own songs; they access them instantly and on demand. For many listeners today, buying an album feels antiquated, something reserved for vinyl obsessives or audiophiles.
This access comes with a cost: the rise of playlist culture. Playlists now dominate how people experience music. Whether curated by platforms, friends, or listeners themselves, these collections tailor soundtracks to moods, activities, or algorithmic predictions. Personalized playlists existed as early as the ‘70s in the form of mixtapes, but modern platforms have doubled down on them. From Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” to brand new AI-generated playlistsresponding to custom rules, playlists have become a core part of the streaming giant’s business model.
A global survey by music streaming service Deezer captured this shift vividly. 54 per cent of respondents said they listen to fewer albums now than five to 10 years ago. Reasons included an overwhelming abundance of music, busy lives, and a preference for mixed tracks rather than committing to a single body of work. Nearly 40 per cent of people preferred playlists, while only nine per cent said albums were their main listening format.
The effects ripple outward. Many artists now release singles instead of albums because placement on popular playlists drives streams quickly. Songs themselves have evolved too, with shorter structures and early hooks reducing skips and maximizing streaming numbers.
In this context, I made a deliberate change. I left playlists behind and began listening to albums from beginning to end. The difference I felt was profound. Albums offer stories, thematic cohesion, and emotional pacing single songs can’t replicate. You don’t just hear a track in isolation, you experience it as part of an entire work of art.
Albums demand attention and patience, but in return, they reward you with depth, context, and meaning. Listening to albums has taught me to sit with moods rather than shuffling through them, and to appreciate the artistry of song sequencing. Although a playlist will still occasionally sneak into my rotation, after thousands of full-album listens, I can never return to the realm of playlist-dominated listening.
This doesn’t mean playlists are inherently bad. They help listeners discover music at an unprecedented scale and offer curated experiences suited to specific moments. But they flatten music into bite-sized moments and prioritize mood and algorithmic fit over narrative and artistic craft.
Listening to even just one album end to end with its imperfections, dips, and peaks feels like a journey, and it’s one people should consider taking.
Tags
albums, Apple Music, listening, Music, music streaming, Playlists, Spotify, Streaming
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