CS 400U Digital Media and New Aural Cultures Fall 2024

 Like the millions of other Spotify users around the world, I was excited yet not surprised to unravel my 2024 Spotify-wrapped. I enjoy the process of seeing all the music phases I lived through in 2024. I tend to listen to my favourite songs on repeat until I can no longer stand them, then move on to the next set of favourites. Spotify wrapped reminds me of each set of favourites and each set is connected to a specific moment or phase allowing me to partially return to that moment when I hear the songs again. For instance, in February I was lucky enough to attend a Burna Boy Concert. January and February consisted of me listening to his newest album on repeat. So it is no surprise that he is in the top five Artists I listened to most this year. However when the Spotify-wrapped playlist shuffles to City Boys I vividly remember the way I felt the first few months of 2024.  Have you connected any core emotions or memories to a set of songs?

  There was a time when music was tied to specific moments and places. Radios played your favourite tracks only when the station decided, and honestly, it was annoying when I couldn't hear my favourite song when I wanted to. However today, music has evolved into something that we can listen to anywhere and everywhere, thanks to digital platforms and streaming services. One statistic proves just how much this transformation has reshaped our lives, I listened to Drake for 96,000 minutes this year alone. It’s mind-blowing to consider how unimaginable this would’ve been just a few decades ago. Back then, accessing even a fraction of that would require stacks of CDs, perfect tuning on the radio, or hours spent rewinding tapes. Now, music follows us everywhere, on commutes, study sessions, workouts, parties or moments of relaxation. The ability to stream anything, anytime, has made music an integral part of our daily lives, reflecting our emotions, boosting productivity, and creating mem...

 Hey guys, for this blog post, I'd like to share my Spotify wrapped for 2021. This year in particular, is significant to me because this was my first-year of university. I have fond memories of isolation and zoom classes:p  I've been looking forward to Spotify wrapped every year because it shows you a lot about your growth through the years. The same way people attribute scents to a certain period, sound/music is no different.  When I reflect on my Spotify Wrapped, I think of my old professors, classes, friends, and mindset at the time. My eighteen year old self couldn't anticipate how much she would change or how her music taste would evolve. Spotify Wrapped evokes nostalgia in me and I'm excited to see my Spotify Wrapped for this year, as it should be coming out in less than a week! I love going back and listening to these old playlists, as it brings up a lot of hard, yet also fond, memories of my life. 

 Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how audiobooks have transformed my relationship with storytelling. For years, I was a die-hard reader, convinced that nothing could compare to the feeling of flipping through the pages of a book. But once I listened to Verity by Colleen Hoover, I was hooked on the power of sound. Audiobooks, especially in a thriller like Verity , don’t just tell a story—they immerse you in it. The narrators’ voices breathe life into the characters, their pacing and intonation adding layers of emotion that sometimes words on a page can’t capture. There’s a moment in Verity when the tension is so thick you can almost feel it vibrating through the speaker. The narrator’s voice shifts from calm to frantic, and it heightens the suspense in a way that’s hard to match with silent reading. This is what I love about audiobooks: they aren’t just a replacement for reading—they’re an entirely different experience rooted in aural culture. In this course, we’ve discussed...

 For this blog post, I thought I would take the time to share a list of my top 10 favourite podcasts. I started listening to podcasts a couple years ago when I was trying to find new ways to calm my ADHD racing mind down before bed. Before podcasts, I tried many things to fall asleep, including listening to music, counting sheep, picturing a blank page and pretty much anything the internet tells you to try. One day, I was going through my apps to figure out which ones I can delete to get more space on my phone. That's when I came across the Podcasts app. Since discovering podcasts, not only do I use them to fall asleep every night, but I also listen to them every time I'm driving for more then 20 minutes.  Anyways, here is my list of podcast recommendations (in no particular order): 1. "Call Her Daddy" 2. "The Cancelled Podcast" 3. "The Viall Files" 4. "BFFs" 5. "Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast" 6. "Hot Mess with Alix Earl...

Kuffert explains that early radio was celebrated for its potential to unify people across distances and social divides. The idea was that radio could provide something for everyone, connecting communities, and bringing new voices to the public sphere. However, this ideal didn’t last. As radio networks and stations became money-hungry, the focus shifted from serving a broad audience to catering to content that could attract the largest, most commercially viable audiences. In other words, radio stations "sold out" because stations and networks wanted to maximize advertising revenue. Today, we see a similar pattern: YouTubers who were once dedicated to creating meaningful and engaging content will now sell their souls to make some money. A real-life example of "selling out" is when YouTubers who swore they would never support gambling end up gaining a lot of followers. In return, they receive a ridiculous amount of money to promote gambling, and because this is their j...

 As I mentioned in my presentation, podcasting and YouTube draw many parallels in their trajectory and formalization. One of my favourite YouTubers, Emma Chamberlian has been on YouTube since 2016 but over the years has taken many breaks from posting and now posts much less frequently. Emma was one of the first YouTubers to start a podcast and when she started she was posting on both platforms but has eventually shifted to strictly podcasting for the most part. Her move from YouTube to podcasting brought her many already committed fans like myself to the new platform which also introduced us to find other podcasts similar to hers but from smaller influencers. Since she already had an established brand of being considered one of the most authentic YouTubers sharing many aspects of her life, podcasting only felt like an extension of herself and made sense for her branding. Since she already had a team of people her podcast had a sense of professionalism and set a new standard for pod...

Growing up in Kleinburg, it’s hard not to feel a sense of connection to someone like Maria Georgas. She’s more than a familiar face from The Bachelor; she went to high school with my older cousins, and she even lives in my subdivision. So when I heard her featured on Call Her Daddy, it felt strangely personal, almost as if I was listening to a friend. Over the past few weeks, our class has debated if podcasts can truly create intimacy. One key takeaway is that they can make listeners feel close to hosts, thanks to the personal, unfiltered nature of the medium. For me, Maria’s story on Call Her Daddy really exemplifies this. Hearing her perspective on love, life, and fame made me reflect on my own sense of familiarity with her. It’s fascinating to think how this format, layered with local connections and shared experiences, can create such a powerful sense of intimacy between hosts and listeners. Additionally, since podcasts are often recorded in home settings and focused on private or ...

     For my presentation readings, I have learned a bit about the history and mechanics of podcasting. I find the history of podcasting, it developing from talk radio, very interesting because the first internet radio broadcast highly resembles modern podcasts to me. They are both pre-recorded, downloadable, on demand, and shareable. While I enjoy music radio, talk radio has never really caught my interest and seemed boring to me. Though this was probably mainly because I was encountering it as a child, the themes and discussion was not interesting or entertaining to me and I always skipped those stations to get to the ones playing music. Lately though, unless I'm in the car, or I’m walking somewhere, I usually opt for podcasts or youtube video essays when I want to listen to something. I think the difference for me is the ability to choose what I want to listen to based on my interests. I enjoy topics like specific histories of things, mystery and crime, or psychology an...

    In the movie Pontypool , speech as a medium and orality as a practice of communication create the possibility of the virus, exclusively with the English language, because of the attributes speech has as a medium, the idea of oral repetition and understanding in people's minds, the differences in linguistic meanings between languages. We know speech and hearing are linked with the sharing of knowledge, culture and meaning. Through this auditory medium, we create a shared understanding of this shared information. Speech draws listeners into understanding certain meanings which embeds ideas into people's minds. In Pontypool , the virus exploits this shared understanding so as soon as the listener understands the words being spoken, they are infected. After infection the person repeats words or sounds over and over again, this repetition, we learn, is likely the body’s reaction to fend off the virus. As we repeat words over and over, they become just a constructed sound a...

 Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how Spotify and other streaming platforms “know” my music taste. On one hand, it’s amazing—each week, my “Discover Weekly” offers new tracks I’d probably enjoy. But after our discussions in this course, I can’t help but wonder how much of this personalization actually reflects my taste and how much it’s actively shaping it. There’s a subtle but powerful difference between being exposed to music that aligns with my taste and being guided into a carefully constructed “musical identity.” With every song I stream, these platforms collect data, refining their model of my preferences to keep me listening. While this might feel like discovery, it’s actually a deeply calculated experience, leading me into a cycle that reinforces familiar sounds rather than broadening my horizons. Over time, my “unique” music taste might end up looking suspiciously similar to everyone else’s within my demographic—predictable and profitable.          ...

The global music industry is mostly controlled by a few corporations, the majority of which are American, putting a hold on performers and limiting their chances. The music production and publishing sector is dominated by three major record labels: Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, and Warner Music Group, which account for the large amount of the market. LiveNation, which controls Ticketmaster, and Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) have market control on live concerts and ticket sales, owning major venues and events while placing restrictions on musicians.  In radio, a few American businesses, such as iHeartMedia and SiriusXM, hold the majority of terrestrial and satellite radio stations, combining power and reducing variety. Even internet radio, which once promised greater variety, is now dominated by corporations such as Liberty Media, which owns holdings in other large music-related organizations. Although streaming services offered greater chances, in reality, they have...

The recent breakup between country singer Zach Bryan and social media personality Brianna Chickenfry has been one for the books, and fans have followed every twist and turn across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and the BFFs Podcast. With their romance playing out so publicly, the breakup hit a dramatic peak when Zach ended things via an Instagram Story—a move that fans are still talking about. And if that wasn’t enough, BFFs co-hosts Josh Richards and Dave Portnoy added even more fuel to the fire with a diss track directed at Zach.     Since the beginning of Zach and Brianna’s relationship, social media has been at the heart of their story. Brianna’s appearances on BFFs offered fans a unique window into her life with Zach, sharing updates on their budding romance. When their Instagram stories reached their sizeable fan base, rumours began circulating rapidly. Brianna’s candid on-air discussions about her relationship struggles only intensified the speculation, making the...

The article by Leslie McMurtry, "Transgressing Boundary Rituals on Radio," and adapted by Crisell, refers to "boundary rituals" as those cues or transitions that signal a listener that a certain format, genre, or segment of radio programming is about to commence. Those early rituals standardized content to make it more predictable and listener-friendly. Whether it is television, radio, or social media, there are always characters, voices, or algorithms reproducing traditional values and norms. Using gender as an example, earlier media forms always portray women as stay-at-home moms, responsible for caretaking, cleaning, or cooking, and men as the primary providers and protectors. These roles are still prevalent in media today but they are openly discussed and challenged. This is more specifically evident in podcast culture. Podcasts today are more often than not, unfiltered, unscripted, and authentic to the people involved in the conversation. Jordan B. Peterson, Jo...

SMART HOME DEVICES After talking about smart home devices in class I wanted to focus this blog on Alexa and smart devices such as echo and google home. These devices are becoming increasingly common in households, offering convenience with features like voice commands, music, smart home control, and information retrieval.  However, when it comes to personal safety, there are several considerations. One concern is the device's ability to listen continuously for its wake word, which may raise privacy issues, as conversations in the vicinity could be recorded or transmitted to data collection. While these device companies assure that recordings are only stored temporarily and can be deleted, the mere possibility of accidental data collection can be unsettling.  On the positive side, Alexa and other smart devices can play a significant role in enhancing convenience and personal safety. Users of these devices can set up emergency contacts and have the ability to call for help with ...

With AI increasingly generating songs, remixes, and even full albums, the music industry faces a transformative wave that blends technology with creativity. This trend isn't just about convenience or automation, it reshapes what it means to create and consume music. AI programs like OpenAI's Jukebox and Google's Magenta can now produce music that mimics the styles of renowned artists. But should AI-generated music be considered "real" music, or does it risk diminishing the human element essential to musical expression? In my opinion, while AI can assist musicians by expanding creative boundaries, it can’t replace the emotional depth that human composers bring. Music, at its core, is an emotional and personal experience. AI may be able to replicate a pattern, but it lacks the soul and context that human experiences bring to art. This echoes our class discussions on how sound isn’t just about the audio itself, but the power and context behind it. For a deeper dive i...

 I always find old technologies very interesting. Whether it's the turning phone or the wall phone, I'm always intrigued by them and how they were used during my parent's younger days. This usually stems from the fact that TV shows and movies that I watch sometimes had these old techs, so it made me aware of them more often than not. That is to say, when it comes to music, learning about the old days of listening to music such as the vinyl, Walkman, i-pod, boom box etc., was and still is fascinating to me. I've never had these technologies, but my parents did, and I would see these tools on the screen, so it created a sense of intrigue and curiosity to either witness one or learn about one's experience during the time that it was popular. I believe that looking at these tools and thinking about how they were important not only in their time of invention, but as a precursor to what we have now is interesting in its own right. Thinking back and investing myself in the...

                                                                             During my presentation, the idea of “phenomenological representativeness” was discussed concerning the Jody Berland reading “Contradicting Media: Towards a Political Phenomenology of Listening.” As outlined by Berland, phenomenological representativeness is how music can articulate or reflect broader cultural narratives and identities, articulating different kinds of aspirations for listeners (p. 44). Moreover, Berland argues that the elements of “Canadian-ness” are not present in Canadian music. As discussed during my presentation, it is challenging to think of songs that would go on a quintessentially Canadian playlist, as many songs we think of as Canadian are established on knowing...

  Something that I have been wanting for a few years  now and cannot wait till I am able to buy is a record player. I will admit that my interest came from when records started to become trendy, but ever since then the idea of collecting records from my favourite artists is something I can’t wait to do.  The resurgence of the record player both goes against and supports themes about the development of sound that we discuss in class. The waves of mediatization have made listening to music digitized. An appeal of constant new listening technologies is the promise of improved quality of sound and personalized music content. Record players do not offer the best quality sound, or a personalized experience and you must manually cue the music yourself. Even though we now have every song and album at our fingertips with our phones, people are still buying record players. With records there is a sense of nostalgia associated with it that even appeals to generations who did not gro...

Spotify’s AI DJ transforms music listening by combining advanced personalization, OpenAI-powered insights, and a lifelike voice, modelled after Xavier “X” Jernigan. The DJ curates tracks based on each user’s unique tastes, drawing on nostalgia, new releases, and personalized recommendations ( Spotify, 2023 ). With input from Spotify’s expert music editors, listeners also receive context about songs and artists, making each session feel curated just for them; DJ X will give a little context as to why the next set of songs will be played. But does the Spotify AI DJ truly reflect a listeners taste or simply narrow it down to familiar patterns making the listening experiences more predictable and, potentially, limiting? For me personally, when I use the DJ often, it will repeat the same songs as it is reflecting on familiar patterns but when I use it once in a while it will introduce me to new songs in the genre of music that I am enjoying at that time. Therefore, by encouraging listeners ...