How Digital Tech Is Changing the Way Music Is Made

From accidentally discovered machine sounds to holograms of long gone artists, technology is infusing itself into the very fabric of music.

- Dhinoj Dings

The 90s were a time period when, musically speaking, the world was kind of directionless– with mainstream musicians not quite sure how to take things forward from the disco vibe of the preceding decades. Meanwhile, on the technology front, the digital revolution happened in that same decade. And that certainly shook things up more than a little in the musical landscape. The shake up was felt most by those artists who were already set in the old ways. This meant that a lot of ‘veteran’ artists found the going tough. But on the flipside, the new wave of change also gave a younger generation of aspiring musicians the possibilities to create music which their predecessors would have killed for in their younger years.

And even now, technology is changing the way music is made and shared everyday. Internet has single handedly pushed music’s reach to new levels.

It’s interesting to look at how digital platforms change the way music is produced or recorded too. For one thing, the story points to the significance of embracing changes and what incredible things could happen when you do so. Also, it gives some fresh insights into the interesting auditory landscape in which we find ourselves in the present day.

How affordable digital audio workstations change the art of making music

While the aesthetics of music have certainly been altered dramatically thanks to digital technologies, the main reason why a lot of music production has transitioned from analog to digital isn’t artistic. In fact, you can say that there are two main reasons: cost and convenience. While puritans argue that digital music-making sacrifices sonic purity, the aforementioned factors are also significant.