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The Rising Popularity of Older Music Streams

Older music is overshadowing new releases on streaming platforms.
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In the world of music streaming, older songs seem to be much more popular than new releases. Data from platforms like Spotify and Deezer shows that despite a massive daily release of new songs, the majority of streamed music is from five or more years ago. The phenomenon suggests a growing nostalgic trend among listeners.

Older songs like Zara Larsson's "Lush Life" and classics from Michael Jackson and Fleetwood Mac continue to top charts years after their initial release. This trend creates a difficult environment for new and emerging artists to gain recognition and achieve chart-topping success. Newer songs struggle to compete with nostalgic favorites despite receiving millions of streams.

In both the UK and US, what the music industry calls its "deep catalogue" or older catalogues are performing better than fresh hits. This outcome is not just a challenge for artists striving to make new hits but also for music platforms trying to encourage new music discovery.

As platforms like TikTok continue to spotlight viral tunes rather than sustained artist success, many argue for a need to promote greater connectivity between artists and listeners. It suggests a societal preference for the familiar, highlighting challenges for creators of new sounds. Streaming services and music companies recognize these trends and are actively seeking solutions to support emerging talent amid this wave of nostalgia.

Original news source: Music streaming: Why we're listening to so many old songs – BBC News (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

📖 Vocabulary:

1. nostalgia
2. release
3. emerging
4. recognition
5. highlight
6. connectivity
7. promote
8. sustained
9. preference
10. classic
11. trend
12. phenomenon
13. catalogue
14. viral
15. spotlight

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

1. Discuss a song that you loved five years ago.
2. Name a classic song that you still enjoy today.
3. What was the most recent song you discovered?
4. How do you usually find new music?
5. Share a moment where nostalgia hit you recently.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the main idea of the article?

2. Which platforms provide data about music streaming trends?

3. How are new and emerging artists affected by current music trends?

4. What is performing better than fresh hits in the music industry?

5. What societal preference is suggested by the article?

6. What role does TikTok play in music trends?

7. What are music companies and streaming services doing about the trend?

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In the world of streaming, older seem to be much more popular than new releases. Data from like Spotify and Deezer shows that despite a massive daily release of new songs, the majority of streamed music is from five or more ago. The phenomenon suggests a growing nostalgic trend among listeners. Older songs like Zara Larsson's "Lush Life" and classics from Jackson and Fleetwood Mac continue to top charts years after their initial release. This trend a environment for new and emerging artists to gain recognition and achieve chart-topping success. Newer songs struggle to with nostalgic favorites despite receiving millions of streams. In both the UK and US, what the music industry calls its "deep catalogue" or older catalogues are performing better than fresh hits. This is not just a for artists striving to make new hits but also for music platforms trying to new music discovery. As platforms like TikTok to spotlight viral rather than sustained artist success, many argue for a need to promote greater connectivity artists and listeners. It suggests a societal preference for the familiar, challenges for creators of new sounds. Streaming services and music companies recognize these trends and are actively seeking solutions to support emerging amid this wave of nostalgia.

💬 Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think people enjoy older music more?
2. What role does nostalgia play in your music choices?
3. How might this trend affect future musicians?
4. Are there any old songs you didn't like initially, but appreciate now?
5. How do you usually discover new music?
6. Do you prefer viral songs or consistent artist albums?
7. How important is music variety to you?
8. How do streaming platforms influence your music taste?
9. Should streaming services promote new music more?
10. What makes a song a 'classic' to you?
11. Does TikTok impact what music you listen to?
12. How do you think the music industry should support new artists?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.

Words

1. nostalgia
2. release
3. emerging
4. recognition
5. highlight
6. connectivity
7. promote
8. sustained
9. preference
10. classic
11. trend
12. phenomenon
13. catalogue
14. viral
15. spotlight

Meanings

(A) to emphasize or bring attention to
(B) ability to connect or make connections
(C) continuing for a long time
(D) the act of making something available
(E) becoming very popular quickly
(F) becoming apparent or prominent
(G) a remarkable development or event
(H) judged over a long period as being of the highest quality
(I) a list of items in order
(J) widespread change or development
(K) longing for past times
(L) to encourage or increase
(M) acknowledgment or fame
(N) a greater liking for one thing over another
(O) to shine light upon

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the main topic of the article?
(a) The rise of TikTok
(b) Popularity of older music over new releases
(c) Comparison of UK and US music charts
(d) Successful new artists
2. What do platforms like Spotify and Deezer show?
(a) New artists are always at the top
(b) Older songs are streamed more than new ones
(c) New songs are more popular than ever
(d) Streaming numbers are declining
3. How do older songs perform on charts?
(a) They never make it to the charts
(b) They only occasionally appear
(c) They continue to top them
(d) They are banned from charts
4. What industry term describes older music catalogs?
(a) Fresh hits
(b) Viral songs
(c) Deep catalogue
(d) New releases
5. What challenge do new artists face?
(a) Writing high-quality music videos
(b) Touring worldwide constantly
(c) Having fewer streaming platforms
(d) Achieving recognition amid nostalgia
6. What societal preference does the article highlight?
(a) A preference for the familiar
(b) A constant desire for new sounds
(c) An indifference to music
(d) A focus solely on modern art
7. What are streaming services and music companies seeking?
(a) Ways to promote only old music
(b) Methods to decrease song releases
(c) Strategies to block TikTok
(d) Solutions to support emerging talent
8. What do TikTok and similar platforms do?
(a) Spotlight viral tunes
(b) Only highlight past music
(c) Refuse to play new songs
(d) Promote disconnected tracks

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. New bands face challenges topping charts due to nostalgia.
2. The music industry's deep catalog outperforms fresh hits.
3. Music companies overlook opportunities in promoting new sounds.
4. There's a passive search for ways to hurt emerging artists.
5. Data from platforms like Spotify show a nostalgic trend.
6. New songs stream less than older releases.
7. TikTok ignores viral tunes for artist inconsistency.
8. The article mentions a societal preference for familiar music.

Writing Questions:

1. Write about your favorite nostalgic song and why it means so much to you.
2. Describe the impact of streaming services on your personal music taste.
3. Imagine you're an emerging artist; how would you promote your music?
4. Discuss the importance of music diversity in today's streaming world.
5. Analyze how TikTok changes the music industry for upcoming artists.

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