You don't listen to music anymore and probably haven't even noticed

When was the last time you listened to music? And I don’t mean while washing the dishes, in the middle of the drive, or in the background during a workout session. It’s been a while for me, and I review audio products for a living, ranging from tens of dollars to thousands. I even buy some of the stuff for myself. For most people, a few hundred dollars in audio gear tends to be called an “investment” in music listening, but it’s still mostly a passive activity.

The barrier to entry for music listening

Many people would scoff at paying $350 for headphones, claiming anything above $50 is nonsense. Some would argue that the value is that it sounds better than a cheap pair of headphones. Other people may buy expensive headphones just for the clout or because they look extravagant. Is the point of the purchase to extract the best deal, to obtain some social status, or is it about listening to music with the best sound quality possible?

Even with the audiophiles willing to shell out thousands of dollars on equipment, some listen to music to listen to how a headphone sounds, not the song. For instance, some go out of their way to spend as much on the audio gear as possible instead of niceties such as a couch. Imagine an entire room with no furniture or anything on the walls except for a cheap plastic lawn chair in the center. In front of the chair are two expensive speakers and a large stereo system between them. There isn’t a TV or a desk. There’s nothing in that room other than those three objects. There’s a carpet in the picture, but that doesn’t count. Is this really an environment optimized to comfortably enjoy your music, to sit back and relax into your tunes, or is it meant to listen to the speakers?

The facsimile of enjoying music

In concerts, other than the crowd, there’s only the performers on stage and the loud crashing of music. Most people would have every chance to immerse themselves in the performance. Yet, most of the time, all you can see are rows of bright glowing rectangles. Each is a facsimile of that same performance happening right in front of them. These days, more concerts don’t allow phones for this reason. So are those people there to enjoy the performance?

Music has become a commodity that many people take for granted, to fill the empty space of boredom rather than being the main subject of focus. Not having music in the background can feel incomprehensible. Circling back to that question. When did you last attend a concert without recording it through a screen for a clip you plan to share on social media? When was the last time you sat down and listened to music? When was the last time you let the music flow through and engage your emotions? Spending five minutes listening to a single track. Let feelings of joy, sadness, hope, or melancholy wash through you.

I was curious, so I did some research, but finding information on intentional listening was difficult. I couldn’t find direct statistics of people actively listening vs passively listening. Instead, I was only able to find out information on what people are doing while listening to music. According to a study from ifpi.org, activities range from taking a shower to browsing social media. This kind of proves my point that many people don’t listen to music; they have it in the background. But some people would like to change that, like this Reddit thread, which goes over the lack of focus on the music.

An invitation to listen to music

The last time I listened to music was a few months ago. That’s weird considering I review audio products daily. The reason is that I listen to music in order to listen to the specifics of how sound is produced. I don’t take the time to enjoy the music as much as I listen to the product. When I decided to sit down and listen to an entire album a few months ago, I did it intentionally. I didn’t skip tracks. I made sure not to be engaged in any other activity. Only to listen to the music. This may sound boring, but I genuinely had fun. I ended up listening to the album three times in a row. I didn’t like all the tracks. I didn’t have to like every track. I simply let it play without distractions and appreciated it more than I had previously.

The album I listened to was Hope from NF. It’s not new. There wasn’t a resurgence of a track going through my social media algorithms. I picked it because I happened to be listening to one of the tracks from the album. I’d like to invite you to sit and listen to a song that you like. Listen to the lyrics, as silly as they could be. You don’t have to pick the perfect album to listen to. You don’t have to listen to an album. I had more fun than I thought I would. While it didn’t feel like a productive use of my time, it didn’t feel like a waste of time, either.

Do you listen to music intentionally? Would you be willing to try? Regardless of whether you listen intentionally or passively, as always, happy listening!