Today music streaming through Spotify and Apple has taken the place of CDs. However, as per the recent study it has found that these apps through phones release more greenhouses gases and affect climate badly. It highly impacts the environment at a global level.
CDs which were used before the arrival of a new application has layered polycarbonate and aluminium. In comparison to PVC, it has a less environmental impact and is manufactured using fewer materials than records. However, the major drawback of CDs is they are not recyclable due to the materials which they are made up of.
When you think about if streaming music is good for the environment, there are many points you need to understand. Just check out the amount of energy and all kinds of resources consumed while listening to music. You also need to see how much energy efficient is the device on which you are listening to music. For instance, there is a difference in energy consumption if you are using a music system with a separate amplifier or a hi-fi system but with a wi-fi speaker. The energy consumption level, therefore, varies from device to device.
In the current scenario of digitalization, one can get flawless music quality without physical deterioration. You can easily upload, download or copy any kind of music. Also, even without downloading you can streamline the music. But is the modern digital music environmental friendly? Is it good for the climate?
You must be surprised to know that although the new kind of devices is material-free, they still impact the environment largely. New devices and process do not have plastics but still, they have a great effect on climate and energy utilization.
The process involved in transferring the files is where the answer lies. Thus, when the files are downloaded using electric mode and are stored on servers, the process of energy consumption begins. Through router information which is received gets transmitted across the network. It is then sent to the electronic devices such as iPod or iPhone using WiFi. Every time this process happens, it costs a lot of energy.
On the other hand, if we are playing vinyl or CD it emits the carbon while running a record player. This emits less energy but still, it affects the environment. However, if you opt for music streaming using a hi-fi sound system, the energy consumption is approximately used 107-kilowatt hours of electricity a year. This costs £15.00 to run any device. When it comes to a CD player the energy consumption estimated is 34.7-kilowatt hours per annum with costing of £5 to run it.
Environmental Impact:
After looking at the above estimations it is definitely sure that although to listen to music, we pay less but the picture is completely opposite if we talk about the environmental costs. The point here is not to hamper the pleasure but to make people aware about whether streaming music is an appropriate way to listen to music looking at environmental sustainability.
Is your choice of device to listen to music a greener option?
To conclude, it is important to understand number of times you listen to music. If you listen to music only for some amount of time, streaming music is the right choice. But if you listen to music continuously, go for a physical copy. This is because streaming an album online will use energy 27 times more in comparison to energy produced while manufacturing a CD. In the end, everything depends on your preferences.
