The Distortion of Sound

This is, almost certainly, a very clever and subtle advert for Harman products that will drive you to seek out their solutions rather than batter you around the head with them. It also fails to mention production and mastering techniques that further add to making much of today’s music a sonic mush.

However, many a true word is spoken here and it really is very scary how most of us have accepted convenience over quality. I truly believe that we’re at a tipping point when it comes to how we consume our music in the future. Download sales are down, streaming is up, CD sales continue to nosedive, vinyl continues to enjoy a second coming, Apple are close to launching hi-res downloads, Blu Ray Audio seems to have stalled.

We no longer live in a world where audio compression is necessary. Internet speeds and bandwidth can allow us to download or stream lossless audio. Digital storage capacities today can hold as many lossless albums as an MP3 player could just a few years ago. And I can sell you a pair of headphones that are half the price of Beats but are infinitely better sonically.

I’m all for convenience when it suits, but quality IS everything when it comes to music. You wouldn’t accept watching a VHS cassette over a Blu Ray, so why do we allow music to suffer? It’s the “Quantity over Quality” business model and we have fallen for it.

I don’t have the answer. I can give you options, but it is clear that we want choice, convenience and instant gratification but at the same time we want quality, tactility and physicality. If I am given the choice, I am far more willing to buy a vinyl album that comes with a hi-res download. That way, I’m covered. I have the artefact and I have the ease of use. One will get played at home, the other in the car.

As Hans says, it’s up to the artists and the listeners, not the labels.