Great albums are much more than just a collection of songs – they tell a story. Yet despite their cultural significance, a recent global study by Deezer suggests that 'over half of us admit to listening to fewer albums than 5-10 years ago'. Instead, 40% now prefer the convenience of a playlist.
Is the album heading for the same fate as the cassette Walkman? Not so fast, says Frédéric Antelme, Deezer’s VP Content and Productions: “Life is busy, so it’s no surprise that more music fans turn to playlists for their music fix. But listeners shouldn’t ditch albums. They represent the artist’s vision, tell a story and take you on a musical journey.”
Deezer’s research showed that people are listening, on average, to a healthy five albums per month. More surprisingly, the study found that tech-savvy millennials – a generation weaned on the delights of music downloads – are discovering the joys of listening to a carefully curated album. In fact, Deezer says that millennials are 'twice as likely as baby boomers' to deep-dive into albums.
So what’s fuelling the rising popularity of albums? Well, according to Deezer's research, 94% of participants said that higher audio quality was the most important feature for album listening. In short, more of us are seeking deeper listening experiences when audio is available in higher quality. As Antelme puts it, “the small details matter and high-fidelity sound brings that out.”
Whether you’re obsessed with iconic albums or more of a casual listener, a subscription to Deezer HiFi is a great way to get your high-fidelity fix. It offers unlimited streaming of millions of high-quality FLAC files, so you can indulge in your favourite albums as the artists intended them to be heard. Plus there’s no annoying ads to spoil the album’s flow.
Ready to rediscover that classic album in high-quality? For a limited time, Deezer is generously offering a 3 month free trial of HiFi. The offer runs until 31 March 2020, so take advantage of it while you can.
