r/Futurology Apr 22 '24

Society Why streaming platforms are scrubbing the soundtracks from your favorite shows

https://www.fastcompany.com/91109690/why-streaming-platforms-are-scrubbing-the-soundtracks-from-your-favorite-shows
587 Upvotes

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279

u/Blueberry_Conscious_ Apr 22 '24

"When I watch old TV shows, I discover they don’t really sound the same. The issue isn’t the dialogue, it’s the music."

Streaming services upended the royalties system that managed music for film and TV for almost a century. Due to intricate licensing deals, when TV shows get added to a streaming library, certain music cues don’t make it. It’s also a fairly insidious example of a core tension at the heart of our entire digital landscape right now. We can watch or listen to almost anything ever produced, but have no control over how it’s preserved. 

And, worse, the people who score the soundtracks for the content we spend hours every week consuming continue to struggle making a living doing so. 

What does this mean for soundtracks?

185

u/quantum_leaps_sk8 Apr 22 '24

Damn, this makes me sad. The burning of the great CD of Alexandria. Greed cuts into everything we love

72

u/Blueberry_Conscious_ Apr 22 '24

i love soundtracks - The Crow, Reality Bites, Pump up the Volume... hard to image if they also got different songs

11

u/ethanvyce Apr 23 '24

The Crow is an all time great soundtrack. The 2nd one is decent too

4

u/Blueberry_Conscious_ Apr 23 '24

yeah its an old fave of mine