How technology is transforming the way we listen to music

‍As technology evolves, innovations like spatial audio are transforming the way we experience music, while digital platforms such as GigPig are revolutionising live performances by simplifying artist bookings and creating more opportunities for musicians and venues alike.

Music consumption has undergone a significant transformation with the rapid advancements in technology. What was once solely limited to physical media, evolved to digital streaming services, but has now reached new heights with spatial audio, which creates sound 360 degrees around the listener and can precisely place individual sounds of a track anywhere around the room to create an immersive soundscape.

In partnership with Dolby Atmos, Apple Music is reworking new and classic albums to encompass spatial audio to create a more immersive and interactive listening experience. The latest to do so is the start of the New Order catalogue, including Movement, Low Life, and the best-selling 12-inch single of all time, Blue Monday.

The Pink Room at YES in Manchester played centre stage in this innovation that demonstrated modern technology at its finest. It showcased defining sounds of the 80s with a fresh and dynamic experience for fans to listen to, with 13 speakers dotted around the room highlighting the full potential of spatial audio.

Timeless four-decade-old songs are now being modernised and reworked by Dolby Atmos and Apple Music to create new and innovative ways for people to listen to music.

Stephen Morris, the drummer for New Order, shared his thoughts on how technology breathes new life into their music. He said: “When someone does a new mix of our songs, I rub my hands together. If you’re going to make a new mix of old albums, you better do it well, and Spatial Audio has done it well. It's a different listening experience."

Steven Wilson is the pioneer behind mixing spatial audio for Dolby Atmos and was tasked with turning the era-defying song Blue Monday, which sounds like it could’ve been recorded yesterday, into spatial audio. About turning a timeless classic into spatial audio, Wilson said: “The bass drum is sampled as my most important goal is to always be as faithful as possible to the original mix, and with Blue Monday that was impossible to recreate that sound. The bass drum is iconic, its music heritage, and if that is slightly off it will be instantly recognisable.

“It was difficult to recreate these albums in Dolby Atmos, as some of the recording techniques aren’t recorded like that anymore, and the band don’t even know how they did them at the time. When the original master tape isn’t available, that makes it even more challenging.”

Unlike traditional stereo sound, limited to two channels (left and right), immersive audio simulates a three-dimensional environment. Creating a more dynamic and engaging experience, with this evolution in sound technology is a game-changer for music fans.

Beyond the transformation of recorded music, technology is also reshaping the live music industry, with GigPig’s digital platform streamlining the booking and management process for artists and venues. Gone are the days of booking agent black books, which presented barriers for emerging artists. The passion GigPig has to create a fair and equal music industry is empowering, connecting and enabling the sector through technology to connect artists and venues on all scales.

GigPig's mission is to harness the power of technology to remove the traditional gatekeepers and entry barriers into the music industry for artists, venues and bookers; ultimately enabling gigging artists to make a reliable living and venues to thrive.

Mark Bennett, partner for Haatch and GigPig investor said: “GigPig is one of the most exciting start-ups in the UK right now, having developed a platform that connects venues and artists at unparalleled scale.

“While gigging in pubs and bars has long been the bedrock of the UK music scene, GigPig’s technology and industry expertise are set to drive the explosive growth of live music in the hospitality sector. This will not only help give thousands of venues a proven way to increase sales, but importantly provide artists with a platform to launch their careers and earn money doing what they love most."

By using the digital marketplace, GigPig is transforming the way the industry discovers and books artists across every hospitality venue in the county, and not only supporting these venues but also helping to amplify their atmosphere by connecting them with talented local artists.

The innovations brought to the industry by GigPig, Dolby Atmos and Apple Music show that technology isn’t just transforming how we listen to music, but redefining how we experience music.

Feature Image Accreditation: Ewan Ogden