How the pandemic changed music

In some ways, COVID shrank the distance between musicians and listeners. But then, it also threw nearly everything about the industry into disarray, and for many, things have never been the same.

Mar 15, 2025 - 12:52
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How the pandemic changed music
The coronavirus pandemic reordered almost everything about the music industry, from touring to streaming, interrupting careers and stealing lives.

In some ways, COVID shrank the distance between musicians and listeners. But then, it also threw nearly everything about the industry into disarray, and for many, things have never been the same.

(Image credit: Illustration by Jackie Lay. Photos by Frazer Harrison / Stephen Shugerman / Matt Winkelmeyer / Clive Brunskill / Pascal Le Segretain)