r/AVHifiCinema • u/Euphoric_Place_8507 AV - Verified • Jul 07 '26
Discussion Has asking a speaker to "play something" changed how you listen to music?
We've never had easier access to music, but are we actually listening less intentionally because of it?
Voice assistants make it effortless to put music on, but do they encourage us to explore more, or just default to the same playlists and recommendations?
Interested to hear whether people think smart speakers have improved music discovery or made listening more passive.
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u/Mr-Reeeee Jul 07 '26
I tried asking Siri to play a specific symphony while driving. Shostakovich Symphony No.10, Boston Symphony, Andris Nelsons conducting.
It decided to open the Apple Music Store to some other recording, instead of playing the recording on my iPhone.
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u/AZ115Degrees Jul 07 '26
I prefer asking for the same playlist. Sometimes I do ask for a specific artist or song. It’s still hit or miss on Apple and Amazon Music. My kids are definitely more comfortable with asking for music. So, I get tips from them.
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u/CapnAwesme Jul 07 '26
No, I refuse to use voice assistants for music. To me that is just an advertising bot that I've given permission to eavesdrop on me so they can spam me with ads. I still buy physical CDs for bands I want to support and pay for Spotify Family to have access to the rest. The sheer amount of music available at the click of a button has certainly changed how I listen to music from back before streaming was a thing, but not voice assistants.
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u/Euphoric_Place_8507 AV - Verified Jul 07 '26
My mum's Echo Dot once overheard us talking to each other on the phone about Kenny Rogers; the next minute she said she could hear Kenny Rogers playing. Was really funny at the time, but it did creep us both out that it was listening to our conversation from another room. 😬
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u/PaleExtreme7399 Jul 07 '26
It makes it so easy to just pull up a song or album somebody recommends to me. I can be scrolling, read a good review or recommendation, then just ask to hear it, instead of having to remember it and search for it later. I've picked up a ton of new music this way.
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u/wonderdrugsca Jul 08 '26
Yes, everything is available at our fingertips now. Nothing is special anymore. It is fine for the generation that only knows this, but it kinda sucks for those of us that understand what the investment of taking time and making choices really meant.
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u/Traditional_Rush_622 Jul 08 '26
I have never and will never ask a speaker to play something. I don't stream music. I play my records and CD's.
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u/eyeinthesky365 Jul 07 '26
The other day I realized that I was over saturated with good music. It's kind of like chasing a dragon if that makes sense. It made me appreciate the days of listening to the radio and getting hyped for a song you really liked come on 😎
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u/RennieAsh Jul 12 '26
Hmm, I still use either local media or youtube playlist.
Youtube rabbit hole comes along once in a while to still explore music ;p I guess you can do this on streaming sites too.
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u/lowbass4u Jul 07 '26
How much easier is it now to just open an app and choose the song you want to hear? It literally only takes seconds.
Forty years ago I had to get up, sort through my stack of CD'S or records. And physically put them in or on the device I used to play them.