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There’s a trend in the music industry – Songs are staying on the charts longer. You would think that in an era of endless new content, the old would get replaced even quicker than before. So why is the opposite true? Let’s find out: 👇 👇
Charts:
Half of the Top 10 albums in US’ 2022 charts were released in 2021. The average song in Spotify’s top 200 is there for 39 weeks, compared to just the 28-week average in 2019. That’s 11 weeks longer, it’s like listening to the same songs on repeat for another 4 months. Yet, more songs are being released every day and we should be spoilt for choice. The quick answer: Streaming
Streaming:
Back then, when people bought CDs or vinyl, the sale is registered right away. The artist makes the same amount of money if the song is listened once or 500 times. So, the artist only gets the same amount of credit on the charts, based on sales. With streaming, artists are paid per listen, which elongates the album’s time on the charts. So, the music industry is more competitive than ever, with fewer winners. It’s difficult to break new hits, but when it does, the hits stay relevant for longer than before. In a way, older music is hurting the popularity of new music.
Tracks:
Music industry executives said it’s harder to have an album enter the mainstream and stay there. There’s just a huge volume of media competing for attention, like podcasts, TV, video games and movies. So, they’ve shifted their tactics to not chase hits and not depend on creating superstars. Also, due to TikTok, most listeners don’t even know the artists of the viral songs, they only recognize the dance. Music execs don’t see the point in spending money on big stars that are delivering a shrinking share of total listeners.
It’s uncertain if people are listening to more old music or if more old people are adopting streaming. What’s certain is that a lot of new songs come and go in a matter of weeks and the big hits last forever.
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