How technology is affecting the evolution of music creation and collaboration

It’s no secret that technology is constantly transforming how we create music.

In recent years, the barriers to entry in the music industry have shifted alongside advancements in technology, putting the creation of professional sounds into the hands of the average person. Take, for example, Rihanna’s 2007 classic “Umbrella,” which used a drum loop from GarageBand as its backbone, or Justin Bieber’s recent release “Running Over,” which was constructed around a royalty-free sample. Whereas creating professional-sounding music may have once been reserved exclusively for those who could afford access to costly gear and studios, today this is simply no longer the case.

“Right now, I believe that the most popular musical instrument in the world is the computer, the laptop, or the phone” managing partner of Union Square ventures Andy Weismann notes. “And we know the number of people who have laptops or phones is somewhere between three and five billion people, so there are now three to five billion potential artists. And all they need to do is actually use those devices to create music.

According to Weismann, it’s undeniable that accessibility to music creation is exploding. But in what ways? What are the greatest opportunities and limitations present in the music industry today, and what might tomorrow’s landscape look like? Osiris Media’s Let Creativity Flow podcast series dives deep into these questions and more, featuring additional insights from Andy Weismann, Splice CEO Steve Martocci, music and tech writer Cherie Hu, and others. Listen to Let Creativity Flow here.

March 13, 2020

Harrison Shimazu

Harrison Shimazu is a composer, content strategist, and writer who’s passionate about democratizing music creation and education. He leads the Splice blog and produces vocaloid music as Namaboku.