I had one of those flashes of insight recently about two very different industries, which are headed in very similar directions. These near-future science fiction thoughts are interesting and more than a little scary. And as soon as figure out a short story to wrap them around and time to write this aforementioned story they will make an interesting minor addition to the time honored creepy utopia genre.
The first takes the commoditization of music, which is happening largely because of the ability to download, mix, create, alter, and save your own flavors of music. This means that over time, as the stranglehold the recording industry has over the production and distribution of music loosens, the DJ's who filter and compile music selections for your listening pleasure, will become a much stronger force, maybe even the driving force. In addition, the ability to switch between stations automatically, when a commercial comes on and select from literally hundreds of pre-selected streaming music, (some of which will not have commercials) will be built in to all of the delivery systems for music.
Here is the interesting bit, the pre-selections may come in the relatively uniform Amazon if-you-like-this-book-you-might-like-this automated preference mechanism, based on the choices of a large group of people. However, in addition, people will make a living personalizing music selection to you, based on taste, horoscope, mood, occupation, and maybe recommendation of your Physician or Therapist. There will also be cheaper mass production versions designed to enhance the mood, stability, and intelligence of the buyer or the buyers' children. These packaged music-with-a-purpose collection will be marked not unlike the workout videotapes, or learning packages like Hooked on Phonics.
Anybody will recognize that when certain songs come on the radio, they can affect your mood. If you add to that, fact that anybody my age or younger has been totally habituated to constant background noise, even to constant background music, then tailoring that background music to achieve certain goals becomes a natural extension. So it is not such a wild leap to think that for Type-A drivers, calm happy driving music might be in order. And if Bach improves your ability to think mathematically, then it is clearly a good thing to have playing in the background while you study or maybe while you work if you are in a technical job. If someone has regular afternoon slumps, then reviving up their music to 120 beats per minute may be as effective as coffee.
So, of course, there will be a big aboveground market for happy music, so the Whitneys and Brittanys and Mariahs will always have a market. (although there may not be as much money in it.) And there will be a huge underground market for angry and depressed music, because rebellious teens will not *want* to listen to what their parents tell them is OK, and because self-destructive behavior has always had its dark appeal... and its suppliers.
Well... it looks as though I have used up my time and space on just the future of music. Tune in next time for my next installment of the creepy utopia.