Classics in the Cloud : A discussion of the problems of classical music and streaming

Abstract

Streaming services have become the main method of music consumption the last couple of years, and the classical audience have moved to the cloud as well. This paper aims to uncover some of the issues that classical consumers encounter while using streaming services, what the reasons may be that there are problems, and discussing possible solution to benefit either the connoisseur or the novice listener. It brings a topic there is little literature on into the light, and includes the niche genre, and possibly “the world's oldest” genre, into the academic discourse of the music industry today. My own experience with streaming classical music led to the problem Are the streaming services a good option for the classical audience? What can be done to take the classical audience into the digital age? The paper is based on some previous literature, mainly focusing on the music industry, and in-depth interviews with two students at UiA and a music critic employed at NRK regarding their experience with the streaming services, as well as possible solutions.