The last few decades have seen some astounding technological advancements. The way we engage with the world around us has actually undergone a significant change. We can hardly go five minutes without checking Facebook, purchasing unnecessary extra flatware from Amazon, or searching for everything that comes to mind on Google.

The result is that civilization is evolving quickly. And the music business is following suit, adopting new technology to fundamentally change how we listen to and make music. We examine eight of the biggest technological developments that have influenced the modern music business, from streaming to software.

Multiple-track recording

When it first became accessible in the middle of the 1950s, multitrack recording was the musical equivalent of humanity's first forays into aviation. Today, it may be completely taken for granted. Multitrack recording allowed musicians and sound engineers to record individual parts of a song and then piece them together, when previously they had to record a track in its whole - in just ONE take. Additionally, it enabled the addition of numerous layers to a single instrument, enabling precise adjustments to be done in certain song segments (i.e. vocal harmonies by the same singer, recorded separately and layered together). The recording industry was instantly altered, and it never recovered.

Auto-Tune

Everyone, including our favorite talents, is not TOTALLY flawless. It's usual for the odd note to occasionally be slightly off-pitch while vocal recordings are being made. Of course, it only occurs seldom and rarely in a significant way. But with the introduction of Auto-Tune, notes that were out of tune could be quickly and covertly corrected to the closest semitone, resulting in consistently pitch-perfect voice performances. Auto-Tune is typically employed gently, although some musicians have utilized it to exaggerate their vocals, giving their music a fresh and distinctive feel. Along with musicians like T-Pain, Kanye West has led the way in this movement.

Electronic software

The development of digital music production software has arguably changed the game the most by enabling musicians of all skill levels to create, record, and produce their own songs to a respectable standard, frequently from their bedrooms. To help enhance the audio quality of music, programs like Logic and Protools provide a variety of fascinating effects, plugins, and tools. Garageband, an included piece of software for Apple computers, is essentially the first step toward a home recording studio despite being quite basic. In the same manner that producer Ryan Lewis, who will play with Macklemore at The O2 in April, many of today's top bands and musicians started their careers by making music in this fashion.

Digital streaming applications

This one was significant. We suddenly had access to any music we wanted, whenever we wanted it, seemingly out of nowhere. Early adopters of streaming included websites like Napster, YouTube, and MySpace. These platforms allowed musicians to upload their music for free and instantly have it heard all over the world. Recently, we've seen the advent of specialized streaming platforms like SoundCloud, and while free, downloaded services like Spotify, Apple Music, and TIDAL enable fans to take in music from every genre, country, and background without ever leaving their living rooms.

Stomp boxes

Before, performing a song live required the participation of the full band. However, other musicians started to become a more luxurious option the day loop pedals were discontinued. These useful tiny gadgets enable lone musicians to effortlessly play a complete song—with a variety of beats and instruments—by themselves at the touch of a button. The most well-known loop pedal user is perhaps Ed Sheeran, who can captivate crowds with just an acoustic guitar and a loop pedal, just like a full 12-piece band can.