The music industry is an ever-changing field. As do musical genres change, so does the way we consume our music. From CDs, to MP3 players and for some, their smartphones, the way we listen to and get a hold of our music is only diversifying.
Most recently, Samsung bought the rights to distribute the new Jay Z album “Magna Carta… Holy Grail” to Samsung users through an Android app days before its official release. The first one million Galaxy users got to hear the album first and for free. Users could then share the album through social media platforms like Facebook and even the Galaxy’s S-beam feature.
This feature seemingly would set the stage for a potential mainstream method of distributing music. Jay Z said it himself in his infamous advert for the album app – “we need to write the new rules.”
Well, he tried. The reception for the “MCHG” album app was less than stellar. The app was marred with glitches and what many users felt as an encroachment on their privacy. To even download the app users had to give permission to gather data from their location, phone calls, emails, and even app usage.
This begs the question: Is the privacy infringement even worth it? People could buy a physical copy of an album and still get the satisfaction of listening to music without having to disclose any private information. The “MCHG” album app seems to be overstepping its boundaries more so than providing users with an innovative way to listen to their music.
The reception to the “MCHG” album app isn’t stopping any musicians from following in its footsteps. Just recently, Lady Gaga announced that she would be releasing her upcoming album “ARTPOP” through iOS, mobile and computer compatible applications, combining music, fashion and technology in true Lady Gaga style.
The concept of the album app so far seems promising. Along with the tracks, the app will offer films for each track, interactive chats, fashion updates and games. Lady Gaga also stated she would be updating the app constantly, just like she does through her Twitter and official website, Little Monsters.
Amidst criticism of the album app, “ARTPOP” shows potential. The app will facilitate constant contact between Lady Gaga and her fans through a substantial basis – unlike the manner in which “MCHG” was released, which relented little to no artist-fan interaction – another possible aspect of its failings.
Album apps aren’t a new advent though. A few artists have already released interactive apps. Bjork released her album “Biophilia” through an iOS app last year that offered interactive games and videos. The xx also released one for their album “Coexist”, offering exclusive music videos and artwork. The interactive apps offered a unique experience to fans as they were able to obtain additional material that might otherwise be absent from a physical album.
So what makes a good album app? Artist-fan interaction? Innovative features? And an even bigger question: Are album apps even lucrative?
The truth is no one knows yet. The album app is still a relatively up-and-coming concept. The ultimate intrigue behind the album app is the artist-fan interaction it stimulates. Though I think we can all agree that album apps can try and ditch the excessive privacy infringement. They should also be accessible to more users – for instance, make them not only exclusive to Android users, or exclusively iOS users.
Above all, I’m interested in seeing how mainstream the album app will become and how it might revolutionize the music industry. Amidst some of the concept’s flaws, the album app is an engaging tool that could bring us fans a little closer to the artists we revere.
