11:45
King's College London
October 15
Strand CampusStrand, London, WC2R 2LS
This event is held in honour of Dr Ruth Adams (1969-2026).
Prof. David Hesmondhalgh (University of Leeds): Is Music Getting Worse?
It seems something is very wrong with music. There are widespread claims that musical quality is in decline, that listeners no longer listen, that powerful streaming companies are eroding important aspects of our musical lives, that musicians can no longer earn a living from music, that music has lost its political force. And the impending threat of AI is said to be on the verge of making things much worse, replacing human creativity with generatively-produced slop. In this talk, in tribute to Ruth Adams, I probe some of these claims and question their reliance on dubious forms of nostalgia.
David Hesmondhalgh is Professor of Media, Music and Culture in the School of Media and Communication at the University of Leeds. His authored books include The Cultural Industries (5th edition, 2026), Why Music Matters (2013) and Creative Labour (2010, with Sarah Baker), and his edited collections include Music Streaming Around the World (2025) and Media and Society (6th edition, 2019, with James Curran). From 2021-26, he holds a European Research Council Advanced Research Grant on Music Culture in the Age of Streaming.
The lecture will be live-streamed. Please register to receive streaming information.