By Sarah Gilder, Spoke News
Music — it has a major influence, not only on our lives, but also the way we think and remember topics and issues.
There are a variety of different apps and websites out there to help people get the latest albums. That fact raises the question of what is the most popular app or website to use to get the music that is in demand. It also raises the question of why pick a particular one and, more importantly, what does it have to offer in order to make it so popular?
When asked what app he regularly uses, Alex Zimmerman, who studies computer engineering technology at the Conestoga Cambridge campus, said that when he did listen to music on a daily basis, his app of choice was Spotify.
Spotify has many different genres and artists and allows a user to compile a list of songs that they prefer to listen to. Some users find the free version a little hard to navigate, though the majority who use it have not had many complaints. The paid version offers a smooth user experience.
“I mostly get my music from Spotify. I can just use my computer or phone to find an artist or album to listen to,” said Malcolm Kidnie, also from the Cambridge campus and studying computer engineering technology. “Plus there is a wide range of music that goes back to least 20 years.”
These services make it easier for students to access the music they enjoy without necessarily having to spend so much on the new albums that are being put out. This not only saves students a little bit of money but also creates a good marketing strategy.
“Usually I just find what I like and search it on Spotify,” said Shawn Liang, a student at Conestoga’s Doon campus. “Or YouTube as well. So those are my main two sources of music.”
By marketing free music apps or websites to students, music streaming companies are more likely to have their apps downloaded and more likely to create more ad revenue based on the amount that the students view any ads that the company is able to place on their app in order to generate income.
“I usually purchase on iTunes or I buy CDs — I’m old school,” said Devon Macey, another Doon campus student. “Or records. I’m old school; I think it is right to pay for my music. I do use streaming services. I use Spotify if it is not something I am listening to all the time. . . . I have it on my phone, I play it in the car. But usually if it is music that I am going to listen to over and over, on an album or something ,I will have it on iTunes so I can listen to it and support the artist.”
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