Chasing Lions

Is the Digital Music Revolution a Return to the 1930s?

Recorded music has existed for 130 years, since Edison’s phonograph cylinder began to challenge the way people thought about music. Before the 1880s music was only available if someone would perform it. This intimate connection between the artist and audience could not be replaced with grooves carved into tinfoil.

When Berliner Gramophone began to slap their label on records in 1894, the concept of record labels, manufacturing music and the music industry was conceived. During the first thirty years the songs were limited to four to five minutes, due to the limited diameter of the record and rates that the they rotated per minute. Song A was fitted with Song B, not always by the same artist.

Many of the early recordings were made while artists performed live on radio, dressed as though the audience were watching. Connecting with the listener was not lost, and live performances retained its life. Radio stations began to sell soap and needed something to draw listeners. Four minute songs were the perfect length to fill the empty broadcasting slots.

Collecting recorded music was also a new concept. In the 1930s record collections were stored in record albums, a book with ten sleeves that protected the fragile discs from breaking… and so the concept of the album was born.

In 1948 the long-player, or LP, caught on, and multiple songs were pressed on both sides of the record. The record album took on a new life, from an album of records to an album of songs. The album needed cover art; being sold in a thin paper sleeve would no longer suffice. The 7″ vinyl provided Extended Play, or EP, used for singles or short albums.

In many respects, the current state of music resembles the 1930s and 1940s… returning to EPs and singles, fewer LPs, and a growth in live entertainment. If so, we may be poised for a rebirth of creativity. Much like the early radio stations using music to sell soap, blogs use Mp3s to sell advertisement.

The emphasis for live intimate shows is seeing an explosion as a result of the internet. More artists are taking on more of the costs of recording by going independent, and choosing to market their own music.

With the fluid movement of progress and regress in the music industry, it seems that the concept of the album may see a decline. The internet is providing artists with the option to release their music independent of a traditional record label. As a result, costs of recording in professional studios pressure artists to record several songs at a time until they can afford to record an LP. The frequency that EPs and singles can be released allow the artist to connect with his listeners several times a year, instead of one LP every two or three years.

Sixty years later it’s interesting to see how the first thirty years of records still influence our expectations of recorded music. Three to four minutes still dominate as the common song length, in spite of the lack of time limits in digital recordings. The concept of the album continues to live, even though we store our recorded music on hard discs or flash drives. Artists still sign to record labels, even though discs are no longer labeled. Cover art is attached to the song files, though digital 1s and 0s no longer need a cover.

Dorsey Brothers - Mood Hollywood (recorded September 24, 1932)

16 Comments »

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1. “The emphasis for live intimate shows is seeing an explosion as a result of the internet.”

   Do you have any non-anecdotal evidence of this?

   Comment by Patrick — November 16, 2007 #

2. Try this:
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   Comment by Flick — November 16, 2007 #

3. Good article and points.

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   Comment by Slacker — November 16, 2007 #

4. That’s evolution for ya: Looking to the past to predict the future.

   The best format is still vinyl, that sound is really great and rich, old-fashioned and can’t be duplicated 100% by any means. A lot of bands still release on LP because there’s a genuine market in it. Its great too, I haven’t owned a record in years but those were something else. Plus the artwork was great too, there’s just no substitute for that

   Comment by River Styx — November 17, 2007 #

5. [...] Interesting post at Puddlegum, related to the Radiohead pay-what-you-want thing I blogged about the other day. In many respects, the current state of music resembles the 1930s and 1940s… returning to EPs and singles, fewer LPs, and a growth in live entertainment. If so, we may be poised for a rebirth of creativity. Much like the early radio stations using music to sell soap, blogs use Mp3s to sell advertisement. [...]

   Pingback by POLYSEMY Online: The Electric Mirror — November 17, 2007 #

6. Great article. I agree that the “live” band has taken on some importance, in that if a band wants to make a living free of the major labels, the touring is going to pay their bills. Because the ‘net does allow us access to so much more music then we’ve ever been able to listen to, that seeing a band live means so much more.

   However, I do believe that album art is just as important today as it was in the past, if not more.

   Comment by eric hebert — November 17, 2007 #

7. [...] “Sixty years later it’s interesting to see how the first thirty years of records still influ… [...]

   Pingback by Marco Raaphorst » Blog Archive » Behoudende types: musici en de ‘industrie’ — November 17, 2007 #

8. Hello, i liked very much your article and i published it in spanish language:

   http://queseduerman.blogspot.com/2007/11/la-revolucin-de-la-msica-digital-es-un.html

   Please, if this is a problem for you, email me and i delete or rewrite the article.

   Sorry for my english, i read ok, but not write as well! Thanks.

   Comment by Emilio — November 17, 2007 #

9. [...] » Is the Digital Music Revolution a Return to the 1930s? :: Puddlegum :: History of music: fullcircle. (tags: music history) [...]

   Pingback by links for 2007-11-17 « InfornographY — November 17, 2007 #

10. [...] » Is the Digital Music Revolution a Return to the 1930s? :: Puddlegum :: Interesting music history analysis. (tags: Music history Business Media) [...]

    Pingback by links for 2007-11-18 « Romulo Lopez Cordero — November 18, 2007 #

11. Before the 1880s music was only available if someone would perform it.
    what? no love for the player piano?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Player_piano

    Comment by eferfeg — November 18, 2007 #

12. [...] Nota: Este artículo es una traducción libre de “Is the Digital Music Revolution a Return to the 1930s?” [...]

    Pingback by Proyecto83 - Diseño e Internet. Necochea, Buenos Aires, Argentina. » Archivo del weblog » ¿La revolución de la música digital es un retorno a los años 30? — November 18, 2007 #

13. “we may be poised for a rebirth of creativity”

    I would argue that we’re in a time of burgeoning creativity right now, based on the scientific evidence that my approving ears provide. It seems like every kind of music is being made at all levels. I can’t quite imagine what the reborn creativity would be.

    Comment by Martin — November 23, 2007 #

14. [...] Taken from puddlegum.net [...]

    Pingback by d squared » Blog Archive » Is the Digital Music Revolution a Return to the 1930s? — November 26, 2007 #

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16. “A growth in live entertainment” — I don’t think so. There are fewer opportunities for live music than ever before, and fewer opportunities to make decent money playing live. This is not just from my own experience; people in the industry will tell you it’s getting harder to fill clubs. There are isolated exceptions, but everything I observe points to a dying music scene.

    Comment by Jon O. — December 1, 2007 #

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