How we pay for our streaming habits: priced-out artists and server CO2
11th April 2019
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The University of Glasgow, in collaboration with the University of Oslo, has released joint research that shows that while the amount spent on music per person has reduced dramatically, with the advent of streaming services, the environmental costs have shockingly increased.
In the run-up to Record Store Day 2019, which takes place on 13th April, the project finds that we pay less for recorded music than ever. At the same time, the way we consume means that the impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions is at an all-time high.

Image by deepanker70 via Pixabay
While Norway-based Dr Kyle Devine, whose past research includes work on the loudness wars, tackled the environmental effects of contemporary listening habits, Dr Matt Brennan of the University of Glasgow took on the economic side of the question. The latter places a particular emphasis on the current injustice of the industry and how things are becoming increasingly harder for up and coming artists who see little revenue from popular streaming platforms. For Brennan, however, a boycott is not the answer. It’s more about examining our habits, raising our awareness and consuming consciously. This means engaging with music in a different way. For example, if you can’t directly buy a vinyl record, go direct and attend gigs and don’t just bolt past the merch stand. Remember that, in a very real sense, and especially for smaller acts, you are crowdfunding for the next album.- Article continues below...
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