In an age where almost any song can be played with just a tap, iconic tracks like “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran are instantly available. Digital technology is on the lead in this modern era. In 1936, Benjamin Walter published an essay titled “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” In his essay, Benjamin claims that the reproduction of art diminishes the aura of its work, which takes away its uniqueness and authenticity. He argues that the mass production of art leads to losing its connection with tradition and rituals, reducing its cult value. Though Benjamin focuses on art like film and photography, his arguments meet what happens in modern technology like digital music streaming. Streaming services including Spotify, Audiomack, YouTube, and Apple Music have made music more accessible than in the past, which has affected how music is experienced on a personal level. Historically, It required a turntable to play music on vinyl records, and listening was often done at home. In 1963, Philips introduced cassettes which came with more flexible features than vinyl. Unlike vinyl, cassettes can be played on portable cassette players like the Sony Walkman, enabling people to listen to music while traveling. In the mid-1980s, CD (compact disc) was introduced, offering higher sound quality and greater durability than vinyl and cassette. Michael Jackson’s albums “Thriller “and “Bad” were massive successes on cassette, Bob Marley with his album “Legend” brought reggae music to a global audience. In 2011, Spotify was launched in the US and it quickly spread the music worldwide. Millions of people continue to subscribe to Spotify because of its ability to play music anytime you want without having the physical format or downloading the song. Music streaming has made it so much easier for individuals to listen to their favorite songs and share them with others which traditional physical formats lack. Now, we don’t have to wait to buy a CD. Instead, with just a few taps, we can find any song we love and even discover new ones from across the globe. A soul song recorded in a studio on one continent can be heard and loved by someone miles away which brings people from different places into the same emotional space. Benjamin argues that the “aura” of an artwork’s original time, place, and ritualistic context diminishes when art is reproduced and widely accessible. He believes that this loss of aura shifts art from an individual experience to one that is more public and accessible, thus less “authentic” in its impact (3). In music, while we are losing a sense of individuality in our music-listening experience, we are gaining a new kind of shared, collective experience.
First and foremost, digital music streaming diminishes the “aura” of music by taking away the excitement and anticipation that individuals used to have when looking for their favorite albums in-store or waiting for the new one to be released. In the past, people kept their favorite songs on cassette tapes or records, making listening feel personal and meaningful. Each album was something precious that you had to handle with care and sometimes hard to find. Owning a song meant it mattered, and every time you played it, you made an effort. Now, with streaming, that feeling is lost as millions of songs are just a click away, turning music into something replaceable rather than something to treasure. Benjamin defines “Aura” as the unique phenomenon of a distance, however close it may be(3). In the music context, the aura of music is the personal meaning it conveys to the listener and the connection that the audience feels when listening to their favorite album or artists. This sense of aura was replaced by “exhibition value”. Benjamin says “Works of art are received and valued on different planes” that are cult value and exhibition value (5). This implies that the lesser the cult value, the more the art is accessible in large amounts. The mechanical reproduction of art leads to the mass accessibility and reproducibility of art, where the focus shifts from the uniqueness of the original to targeting the number of audiences that access the artwork. Currently, the value of music no longer focuses on how rare you can access it but on how easily it gets spread, how many likes, and comments and how many people share it. A good example is YouTube which promotes exhibition value where it encourages users to share music in short clips breaking down barriers and connecting people through shared tastes. This reach lets artists find new fans worldwide and helps listeners discover music they might never have heard otherwise, creating a truly global music community.
Moreover, while the aura of a song may fade in the age of streaming, some elements of music still preserve a sense of ritual and personal connection. For example, live performances and vinyl record collections continue to hold value for listeners who seek a more authentic and tactile experience. According to Benjamin “In photography, exhibition value begins to displace cult value all along the line. But cult value does not give way without resistance” (6). While streaming gives us quick access to music and can make songs feel almost disposable, it also helps us discover popular tracks and artists from around the world. This easy access allows people to hear what everyone else is listening to, creating shared experiences that strengthen their connections to music and their favorite artists. A great example is Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour,” which drew millions of fans, even though they already had her entire music collection available to them. Streaming can give listeners a taste of an artist’s sound, but it can’t match the excitement of seeing a live performance. By bringing fans closer to the artist, streaming often makes them want to experience the music in person. This shows that we might think that streaming takes away some of the specialness of music; however, it also encourages fans to seek out amazing live performances of the songs they love.
Following this, digital music streaming enhances the ability to share musical experiences, allowing people to connect over songs, albums, and playlists instantly, regardless of location. Benjamin states” That which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction is the aura of the work of art”. While Benjamin believes that unique experiences are lost through reproduction (4), streaming allows people all over the world to share the same music experience regardless of the distance. Unlike traditional physical formats like CDs or Vinyl which were exclusively owned, streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music allow users to listen to similar songs no matter where you’re located in the world. Distance is no longer a barrier in digital streaming, millions of songs are freely accessed which creates new opportunities for connection and appreciation. Instead of losing uniqueness, these platforms bring people together and create shared experiences. For example, fans of the same artist can discuss their favorite songs and albums online, regardless of where they live. This shared enjoyment creates a sense of community, where you’ll find Taylor Swift’s fans naming themselves Swifties or they sometimes come together to watch a streamed Tylor Swift’s live performances. This easy access to music creates a sense of community among people and has a shared experience rather than individual experiences that traditional art used to focus on.
As previously mentioned, Benjamin’s essay reminds us that we encounter changes from the past experience. He states that “the mass is a matrix from which all traditional behavior toward works of art issues today in a new form” (15). The idea implies that the shift towards mechanical production of art leads to easy accessibility and interpretation which diminishes the unique qualities that made art special and personal. In the music context, the shift from owning physical formats to listening through platforms has greatly changed how we listen to music, moving it from an individual experience to a shared celebration where distance is no longer a barrier. As we enjoy this change, we need to pay attention to how we access streaming while still keeping music meaningful. To achieve this, artists need to improve their connection with their fans outside of the digital world through live performances or small concerts which will preserve the unique bond that Benjamin talks about. As listeners, the challenge is to move through this new music era thoughtfully, ensuring we celebrate both the ease of access and the emotional fullness that music brings to our lives. Moreover, as Benjamin emphasized on art’s authenticity to preserve it, listeners need to be careful when listening to music. Instead of listening to algorithm-generated songs, create their own playlists that touch their emotion as well as continue to support live performances.