This week we discussed DAWs or Digital Audio Workstations. A DAW is an electronic device or application that allows the user to record, edit, and produce audio files. DAWs come in different configurations or setups, for instance Garage Band is a much simpler and user-friendly version, while LoopMasters can be more difficult to understand. Regardless of the software, all DAWs are used for the production of music, radio, television, multimedia, and any other product in which complex audio recordings are needed. DAWs began to become available in the 1970s, but they were very expensive and very limited. Throughout the late 1980s they became increasingly more available and affordable, until today when building a powerful system like that could be done inexpensively. I have personally never used a DAW, until attempting to begin my final project for this class. I have played around on the Garage Band application, but never anything serious. It is definitely not something you can understand at first glance, but upon taking the time to look through everything the application provides you with, it is fairly manageable. I do not think there is a right or wrong way to use a DAW, as long as you consider certain factors such as compression and which loops sound better together.

http://thegaragebandguide.com

This week we discussed music streaming, taste, and delivery. This is a topic that greatly interests me, given the fact that many of my favorite artists have chosen not to allow their music to be streamed. While many streaming services such as Pandora and Apple Music ensure the artists are paid for their work, Spotify runs a little bit differently. Since they offer a free service in which you can listen to any song you want, with the potential for commercial interruptions, the artists are not paid the way they should be.

http://time.com/3554468/why-taylor-swift-spotify/

I believe that streaming services are very important in today’s society of instant gratification, however there is a better way to conduct them. I am less likely to use Pandora or Apple Music, just because I want to be able to select the song I want to listen to. However, I am also less likely to pay for a streaming service. There really is no happy medium right now. Another interesting aspect of music streaming is Pandora’s music genome. Rather than computers or robots rating the songs they play, there are actual people selecting the music. 25 music analysts “grade” 10,000 songs a month. They assign one to five rankings for as many as 450 genome units per song. They are able to work on about four songs every hour. Pandora used to make the music suggestions based upon the “thumbs up” feature, but is now realizing people use the “thumbs down” and “skip” feature even more. This allows them to follow total listening hours, rather than personal rating of the song. Pandora’s goal is prediction accuracy, in that they want to match the right music to the right listener. This differs from Spotify in that their goal is to introduce the listener to music they do/will enjoy, rather than just giving them the music they want. I believe this is indicative of the type of music culture we experience today. Some people have fallen into a routine and they are comfortable with the music they listen to, while others prefer to be introduced to new artists or songs. This is why both Pandora, Spotify, and even Apple Music can all be successful at the same time.

This week we discussed two different forms of compression. One makes things physically smaller, like an MP3, the other one effects amplitude or volume.

MP3s are products of compressing music, or removing sounds that are unlikely to be heard from recordings. We discussed the book MP3 by Jonathan Sterne in class. It is important to understand the meaning of the MP3 format because it allows you to rethink the roll of digital technology in the 20th century. From research conducted on hearing throughout the 1910s, to the mid-century creation of perceptual coding, to the controversial life of the MP3 throughout the 1990s. Sterne considers the history of compression throughout his book, while addressing the relationship it has with sound, silence, sense, and noise. He also goes on to discuss the important of understanding the governance in today’s media culture. When considering media it is important to remember the formats, standards, and infrastructures, and the fact that content must fit inside them. These components are as as essential to communication as the actual public media we experience