Amplify Presents | The Culture of Audio by Amplify

The Culture of Audio January 2024

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Culture matters because it de ines us. Audio is how we de ine ourselves. At once collective and deeply individual, audio o ers itself as a uniquely emotive experience, unlike any other form of culture.

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We're in an era of hyper self-di erentiation.

We are what we listen to. And we want everyone to know.

A central tenet of our identities, music has always been an avenue for people to express their individuality as much as it helps bring people together and nd common ground. Your taste = your identity, guiding the communities you a liate with. Nowadays, it’s not just music that we hold up as a signal of who we are or want to be – the huge rise in

Music serves as a universal language, connecting people on a deep level and fostering a sense of community and belonging.

podcasts and audio books have expanded this expression of identity. It used to be band Ts. Posters on bedrooms walls. Scribbles on school books. Now its sharing on social. Podcast merch. Discord servers. MySpace was one of the rst platforms to make sharing your audio identity easier and more fun than ever. Today, the modern day equivalent is Spotify Wrapped - an annual social moment that is is one of the most successful marketing campaigns in the 21st century thanks to our natural want to express our identities through the things we listen to.

100M in 2022, it was estimated that Spotify

Wrapped was shared over 100 million times on social media.

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We listen to connect.

Audio helps us ind our place in the world.

Finding your fandoms

It’s given us a rebirth of mashups, propelled old classics and little know gems to prominence, and empowered

Last year saw some of the world’s biggest stars embark on massive global tours that brought the world to a standstill. Unlike fan movements of the past, they marked an evolution of fandom, shifting the role of the fan from passive audience to active participant Beyonce’s Renaissance saw her fans becoming key protagonists in creating the outsized impact of the tour - #renaissanceout tinspo and #renaissanceworldtourout ts achieved 21m and 15m views respectively. Increasingly, as the industry struggles to keep up with the speed of culture, fandoms are sustaining the artists they love, generating artist-funding ecosystems (61% buying merch, 55% media) and fuelling a resurgent but challenging live music landscape (55%).

Niche identities TikTok is the primary source of music discovery for 80% of its users. Its the new radio, and it impact on the shape of music and audio has been seismic,

artists to de ne their own genre re-inventions - from Pink Pantheress and Nia Archives’ jungle reboots to DJ Ramon Sucesso’s social-sampling baile funk. Across emerging digital channels, like Discord and even Roblox, communities are uniting under a shared love of these ever-more niche new sounds.

The honesty of audio “Podcasts have got to be platform agnostic, but the content’s got to be true to the core of what has made them so engaging, which is deeply personal and very authentic.” Podcasts have become a way to deepen the connection between fandoms and those whom they follow. Experienced increasingly as visual content + live experiences, they simultaneously o er an outlet for the authentic voices of community sentiment and opportunities to come together IRL.

driving a musical evolution towards ever more niche

Going o grid

genres and a state of play that is sound rst, artist

These tight knit communities are increasingly carving

second.

community-centric spaces IRL and URL to congregate and unite such as Up Ya Archives, Brooklyn’s Hell

Fandoms allow audiences to form bonds and express themselves.

66% Seek out fandoms for friendship*

Phone, and community- rst radio like The Lot.

*VICE Guide to Culture 2024 ff

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We listen to escape.

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Audio is a key way for us to disconnect from our everyday lives and escape, collectively or as individuals. 93% seek out fandoms around artists for exactly this reason.

Audio makes us feel transported.

Tune in to tune out

“Half of what we play isn’t on Spotify; very little of it is anglophone. It could be 60s Turkish music, funk from Mozambique…” Michael Sager, Sager + Wilde

93% Seek out fandoms for escapism*

Given the ever increasing speed and chaos of our daily lives, as we traverse our IRL lives and saturated social feeds, many of us turn to sound as a means of reconnecting with our inner peace and our inner selves. On YouTube, eight-, 10and 12-hour-long brown noise videos have been viewed millions of times; there are also curated Spotify playlists dedicated to the sound and specialized apps to play it. Studies suggest listening to brown noise could even have cognitive bene ts for people with ADHD.*

Getting closer to the sounds This appetite for escapism is driving a trend towards more intimate live moments in surprising places and spaces that bring artists closer to their communities. Fred Again’s recent tour of the Hebrides, Scotland is testament to this. A tour that went without advertising, instead drumming up excitement via direct interactions between artist + fans, where the remote locations of the shows, as well as their intimate and exclusive nature, helped to heighten the sense of escapism. Similarly, we see this trend across similarly remote experiences like ‘Detour Discotheque’ and the increasing popularity of phones-free, black box raves that invite ravers to reconnect with the audio.

The rise of third spaces Another signal that points to the importance of escapism as a key driver for why we listen is the recent surge in popularity of listening bars – a concept that developed in Japan during the post-war years, when cash-strapped jazz lovers wanted to listen to the latest record drop on a communal sound system. From London to Tokyo, Melbourne (Music Room) and New York (In Sheep’s Clothing), intimate spaces equipped with high end audio equipment are making a comeback. “One of our founding principles is that ‘high quality doesn’t have to mean high volume…We strive to make sure Eavesdrop is a place that is warm, cosy, comfortable, and a place where you never have to yell.” Max Dowaliby, Eavesdrop

*https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/09/23/well/mind/brown-noise.html

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We listen to feel more (or less).

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Listening to audio activates key centers of our brains, from your emotional response to memory storage to interest and engagement. This unique quality is what draws so many of us to sound as means of heightening or dealing with the many situations and emotions we experience day to day.

Audio is emotional. Therapeutic. Additive.

Elevating the everyday Whether its podcasts on our commute or playlists for our workouts, music and audio soundtrack every aspect of our lives. Audiences the world over turn to audio as a means of elevating the everyday, with 88% agreeing music makes the mundane more interesting.* 52% said that music helps brighten up their workday.**

More than threequarters of people now say they “just want to feel something, to feel alive.” Wunderman-Thompson, “The Age of ReEnchantment.”

Music as hype man Music can be an unparalleled motivator, helping to propel us through our days and overcome any challenges we might face. And when it comes to tempo, the faster the better. BPMs are speeding up, and 83% of people nd fast music uplifting.*

Vibe setting Many of us turn to audio to control our environment or curate a hyper-speci c vibe, as seen in the overwhelming of LoFi music, with LoFi girl serving as the poster girl for the genre, on YouTube.

13.9M Subscribers to LoFi girl on YouTube

*Spotify “Sonic Science” Report **https://www.earth.com/news/higher-sound-quality-music/

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We’re invested in quality audio.

Saturated sounds As the democratization of music production sees a new wave of bedroom

Good sound = more feeling.

producers, internet culture spawns new genres like Shitpost Modernism* that revel in audio degradation and ultra saturated sounds, and social and streaming platforms appear to drive popular music towards ever-shorter, viral chasing output, there’s an increasing tension between this in ux of contemporary, commodi ed culture and more polished production.

Spatial audio Despite these trends in pop culture, there are signals we can look to that point towards a want for more immersive, rich audio. Consumer demand for highdelity sound is on the rise, according to a recent report by Coseguic Business Intelligence. More than half of respondents in The State of Sound report

“High sound quality has a signi cant correlation to stronger positive emotions, a richer musical experience, and general happiness.” Daniel Müllensiefen, Professor of Music Psychology at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

claimed spatial audio will in uence their decision to buy their next pair of wireless earbuds, and 41% of respondents said they would be willing to spend more for the feature. We’ve also seen high end headphones become fashion statements in the social zeitgeist with the Airpod Max in particular creating a subcategory of over ear headphones dubbed as “hot girl headphones” by social in uencers.

Soundsystem culture As well as the rise in interest in listening bars, the pursuit of audio excellence is also seen in the cultish following around club sound systems, with myriad social bucket lists and travel itineraries shared around where to nd the best in the world.

20% By listening to music with good quality sound reproduction, people appreciate music up to 20% more.

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Has tech brought us to a cultural crossroads?

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AI - Friend or Foe? Music has always had a fractious relationship with

Audio needs a human touch.

tech. Tech innovations throughout history have threatened to kill the industry in one way or another, from home taping to P2P le sharing to streaming, and simultaneously myriad musical innovations have been borne from tech - new genres, the rise of underground artists, the dissolution of barriers between musician and fan. Perhaps the biggest threat presented by AI is that it would serve as the nal step in the commodi cation

“As music becomes less of a thing – a cylinder, a cassette, a disc – and more ephemeral, perhaps we will begin to assign an increasing value to live performances again.”

of music. Passing the means of production to those in charge of distribution with artists falling by the way side. This fear reared its head when AI generated songs by Drake and The Weeknd hit social feeds in Spring ’23. Likewise we’ve seen a proliferation of techtroublemakers putting words in the mouths of famous podcasters. AI’s big limitation currently however is that it relies entirely on recycling the past, devoid of the human imagination to turn that source material into

David Byrne

something new. Creating new and interesting musical expressions has been an artistic challenge many have faced over the years. As Mark Fisher noted of Kurt Cobain, he found himself in “a world in which stylistic innovation is no longer possible, [where] all that is left is to imitate dead styles.” Yet Cobain and countless others since have fused musical in uence with artistic ingenuity to create new and utterly compelling art with the power to unite and inspire communities.

AI as a bridge between artist and fan One of the most interesting areas in which AI can play a role is in bringing artists closer together with their fans. Whether that’s through AI enabled interactions, as explored by Luk.ai, or fan engagement tactics like the recent release of Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 where the rapper invited her fans to build out the visual world of ‘Gag City’ using generative image makers like MidJourney and Bing, even using AI generated art for her record artwork.

AI as a collaborator + instrument Around 63% of young creatives aged 16-24 years old are using arti cial intelligence to help them with their artistic endeavours according to Youth Music. AI has already proved it can serve multiple uses when it comes to audio including translation, stem separation making remixing and sampling easier and more accurate than ever before, and melody and idea generation like Meta’s MusicGen which uses text or melody prompts to create all new music, based on samples of songs and instrument styles built into the back-end generative elements.

The swing back to curation + experience While AI will undoubtedly strengthen the algo’s powers of recommendation, the shuttering of major curatorial platforms like Pitchfork and the subsequent reaction from the community show the importance of protecting a human- rst approach. Likewise, we’re seeing increasing valued placed on the live music experience.

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How are audio brands leveraging people’s connection with sound to connect?

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Building cultural relevance

Go where culture goes.

Across the world of audio hardware brands and services, we see a tendency to build cultural relevance through partnerships that lean into cultural crossover, both with other brands and talent. Beats by Dr Dre already had signi cant cultural currency through the prominence of its founder: producer, rapper and

“It’s not what the product does as much as it’s what it does for you and how it can transform your mood.”

record label mogul Dr Dre. However the eponymous brand has frequently branched out to the fashion world to sustain its

Jim Mollica, Bose CMO

cultural relevance. They partnered with Amsterdam based fashion brand, Daily Paper in 2023 to create Studio Buds inspired by New York’s ‘90s gra ti and more recently collaborated with Stüssy to help the brand branch out into skate culture. Similarly important are the talent partnerships audio brands establish to ground themselves in culture, drive desirability, and emphasize the cultural authenticity of the brand as a provider of the audio, and lifestyle, that are so important to listeners - e.g. Apple’s behind the Mac campaign that positioned the brand and its products as aligned with the emerging creator class. Bose have recently announced its strategy to no longer be a product- rst brand but rather put its "brand" center stage and root itself in music culture by promoting “the feeling of sound.”

Embracing new channels Equally important as partnering with the right people to drive cultural relevance is showing up in the spaces where cultural conversations and consumption are happening. Correspondingly, we’ve seen many brands in the space take to TikTok and community-led platforms like Discord to engage modern music lovers.

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Support the scene.

Cultural partnerships and talent alignment are one thing, but in the new music ecosystem there’s an increasing expectation for brands to build bridges from creative experimentation to commercial viability. The shuttering of Red Bull Music Academy and global pandemic led to a spike in branded music incubators, setting the tone for brands looking to play a role in music culture.

Live Nation Next Gen A new career development program launched by the world’s leading live entertainment company focused on helping young people, primarily from Black and Latinx communities, prepare for careers in the live music business. Launched via a partnership with SoLa Impact and it’s new, state-of-the art Technology and

Bose Turn the Dial

Entrepreneurship Center in the heart of South Los

As part of their shift to culture rst marketing, Bose’s Turn the Dial platform looks to address a key issue within the industry - the fact that only 2.8% of popular music is produced by women. Turn the Dial ghts to increase that number, diversifying those making the music to match those listening. Partnering with She Is The Music, H.E.R., PinkPantheress, BLOND:ISH and WondaGurl to bring awareness and voice for change, the platform aims to close the gender gap in the industry.

Angeles, where the organization is providing free education to train and inspire future Black and brown leaders.

Dr. Martens Tough as You The brand’s long standing initiative cementing their role at the heart of music culture by giving back to the communities and scenes that sustain the brand. Tough as You supports emerging and underrepresented creative talent, funding and opening access to creative opportunities and connecting young artists with established mentor talent to supercharge their growth.

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Brands can also harness the power of audio to help audiences connect, feel, and escape.

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Rediscovering the art of audio. Creating experiences that are as visual as they are aural to help audio-led experiences further immerse audiences IRL and travel further than the con nes of a venue.

WE ARE AMPLIFY KRUG X RYUICHI SAKAMOTO

DEVON TURNBULL LISTENING ROOM

HERMES SILK MIX EXPERIENCE

JONSI OBSIDIAN

BEN FROST - THE PREDATORY CHORD

GOOGLE SHAPE OF WATER

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Amplifying the emotion of audio. Leaning into the science of sound to create experiences that make people feel more.

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SONOS FRISSON TRIGGER

BENEE BAGELS

MAX RICHTER SLEEP

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Tech artistry meets audio in a new vision of sound. Harnessing the latest tech as a collaborator and additive layer to audio experiences to amplify their ability to facilitate escapism

WE ARE AMPLIFY RYUICHI SAKAMOTO “KAGAMI”

DAITO MANABE X NIKE AIRMAX

RYOJI IKEDA

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Audio as immersive + interactive spectacle. Dialling up theatrical immersion around audio experiences to encourage and enable connection.

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DAVID BYRNE HERE LIES LOVE

BJÖRK KÓRSAFN

MONCLER GENIUS

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Four ways to dial things up.

Elevated listening experiences

Bring back human-centric curation

Deliver against a clear need and want for ever more intimate, live experiences that unite communities and

Answer the need for more human curation in the face of

o er fuller, more comprehensive experiences of audio.

algorithmic dominance, connecting audiences with unknown and surprising audio experiences made possible

From high-end audio destinations to intimate,

by, and facilitating, connection. Harness tech as an additive

community-centric live experiences, Sonos can cater to

tool to provide elevated experiences with humans at

the increasing need for quality audio experiences and

their heart.

provide opportunities for fandoms and communities to carve out cultural safe spaces to immerse themselves in sound.

In ltrate culture

Support the ecosystem

Embrace the cultural importance of audio and cement a role

Be a force for good in the world of audio and music

in the worlds that audiences are passionate about and that

through programs and initiatives that address

form the building blocks of their identity. Supercharge the

challenges within the industry and support a new wave

brand’s authority and authenticity through cultural

of talent to create and share with audiences.

partnerships and storytelling, constantly re-evaluating who those right partners are amidst a shifting landscape of music and audio.

Image Credit: xxx

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