Neither of my kids drive (aged 27 and 24). They use public transport or walk, and the occasional Uber.Bunch of guys in Detroit, Tokyo and Stuttgart have similar worries as young people are no longer interested in getting their drivers license. Ride sharing is their mode of transportation. Times change, evolution?
The amount of music consumption and music appreciation has increased dramatically in the last 40 years, as a result of global economic development and expansion of the middle classes and greater leisure incomes.It is dying, as it should. Younger generations experience music differently than many of the older generation. Music will still be appreciated, just by a smaller subset of people.
My elder son is hugely knowledgeable about music, goes to lots of gigs, has an impressive record collection and an audio system that cost him less than $1,000. I have an absurdly expensive audio system by most people's standards (modest by WBF standards). He has no aspirations in that regard. The only time I ever heard him get the least bit excited about hifi was when he tried a pair of Audeze headphones in a store.The situation with physical music media CD and LP is serious but not hopeless.
I think this is wildly inaccurate. It does not contain streaming revenues. It does not contain quantity of streams. It is possible with streaming, far more music is being absorbed by the public than in the past. Its just not purchased.Here’s some data to consider:
In 1978, with a population of 225 million people, 341 million vinyl records were sold in the US and 726 million total units sold for all music formats for a 1978 total revenue of $19 billion (adjusted for inflation.) (RIAA data)
In 2023, with a population of 336 million people, 43 million vinyl records were sold in the US and 249 million total units were sold for all music formats for a total 2023 revenue of $17 billion. (RIAA data).
In 1978–3.22 music units were sold for every person in the US. In 2023–0.74 music units were sold for every person in the US. That works out to music purchases per person decreasing by 4.35X over the past 45 years in the US.
My kids 26, 24 and 21 could not wait to get their licenses but it is TX, all 3 are musicians and got the audiophile bug from me.Neither of my kids drive (aged 27 and 24). They use public transport or walk, and the occasional Uber.
Why would it be appreciated less? One doesn't need a system to appreciate music, and specifically the music they like. The statement seems to imply that only those listening to a certain genre of music and/or means of listening to it appreciate musicMusic will still be appreciated, just by a smaller subset of people.
I have three children, aged 22 to 32. They all love music, as all kids do, and use bluetooth speakers and headphones as many kids do as well.I really don't belong on this forum (based on my gear and depths so many of you plumb that hold no interest to me) but some of you might take a sliver of hope with this story.
My son, now 27 and living on his own, even though he grew up in a house with a couple decent analog and digital systems, would listen to his phone (Spotify and YT) using cheap ear buds with only one in his ear. After he moved out, I gave him a Bose Colorsound bluetooth speaker that I didn't care for. All of a sudden, he was at least listening to a speaker instead of one channel. On his visit home this past Thanksgiving, I was trying to get him to understand what he was missing and had two pieces of gear I wanted to give him - a Marantz PM5005 which I'd replaced with a PM6007 as they were being heavily discounted. I also had a pair of the legendary Minimus 7s which, while small, work pretty well in a small apartment and are neighbor friendly. I showed him how to stream with a hardwired iPad and demonstrated said system. Pointed out the basic hookups and give him some decent speaker wire and a 3.5mm to RCA cable. He's not going to do records or CDs but he has a huge library on Spotify with an account that gives him better audio and no commercials. The story ends with him having his eyes opened to the possibility of true stereo, even at this entry level. He could become a powered speaker guy but the PM5005 is quite decent for an entry level IA. He's also hooked up his TV and is thrilled. One day, he'll have to decide what to do with my gear, albums, CDs, and tapes. He listens to much of the same music I do but I doubt he'll fuss with turntables, CDs, or tape decks. But the amps I own are a few notches up as are the speakers. I think he's got the bug but which way it turns is anyone's guess. But the main point is, he gets it now.
One of the problems too many audiophiles have is a reputation for snobbery and unfriendliness. If that doesn't change, if we aren't more welcoming and continuing telling younger people (or each other) if they don't get this or that then their systems are crap, well we're responsible for the demise of the form of audio reproduction we all like. One can put together a decent streaming system for less than a thousand dollars if they have a phone and/or iPad and a vinyl/CD system for another thousand. Not including software of course. That's the way I see things having a 27 year old and 25 year old.
Hi Rex,I think this is wildly inaccurate. It does not contain streaming revenues. It does not contain quantity of streams. It is possible with streaming, far more music is being absorbed by the public than in the past. Its just not purchased.
The RIAA data I cited is not just for vinyl record sales. It is for all music format sales. You find exactly what it covers on the RIAA website.Though that is just the specific decreased sales of vinyl albums over 45 years on their own (sadly)… from the later analogue era as it all moved across into the digital era.
Though that doesn’t indicate ultimately about the purchases and consumption of music over that period or the amount of music produced or listened to. Those figures would be interesting and possibly more reflective of trends in music listening. The data is all valuable though for sure.
My bad Al, I misread your post. New Year’s resolution… I must play more music.The RIAA data I cited is not just for vinyl record sales. It is for all music format sales. You find exactly what it covers on the RIAA website.
While I don't have a huge circle of friends, I don't know of a single one that has an audio system other than a bluetooth speaker and phone.I have three children, aged 22 to 32. They all love music, as all kids do, and use bluetooth speakers and headphones as many kids do as well.
The thing is, none of my friends (including some who are musicians) - aside for a few I have l met through audio forums - are audiophiles either....
I'm 58, and when I was a kid I don't remember any of my friends tinkering with audio. This was obviously before "digital" (and computers at home, cell phones, etc...). Perhaps it was more popular in the 1950s.Audio as a hobby is kind of like the hobby of restoring old radios from the 1930s, its dying off with the people who once did it. But audio was the thing to do in the 1950s. Too many other things for kids to do now which don't have the costs and baggage of big speakers and expensive gear, and I don't blame them. If I were a kid now, I wouldn't touch audio as a hobby - in fact, I'd probably not have a 'hobby' at all.
Audio isn't anywhere on there unless it fits into "tech/computers".I'm 58, and when I was a kid I don't remember any of my friends tinkering with audio. This was obviously before "digital" (and computers at home, cell phones, etc...). Perhaps it was more popular in the 1950s.
By the way, here is a list of top hobbies in the US in 2024:
View attachment 141493
I miss that Al.Hi Rex,
The RIAA data I quoted includes everything you stated it doesn’t include. Specifically, it includes all forms of paid subscriptions, on demand streaming (ad supported), other ad supported streaming, sound exchange distributions, limited tier paid subscriptions and of course, much more. You find everything it includes on their website. RIAA are the folks that specifically track music sales revenue for record labels.