Sped-up and nightcore in the platform paradigm: genealogy, aesthetics and creative practices of fast-paced music

Abstract

This article analyses how the musical practices of acceleration that began circulating on production-oriented platforms have been co-opted and redefined by mainstream consumption streaming platforms, social media, and multinational record companies. Through the systematisation of secondary sources, it examines how mainstream consumption platforms and the music industry adopt musical practices from accelerated music subcultures. Their aesthetic characteristics are analysed, and the leading actors who promote and exploit them are identified. The results reveal a feedback loop between the effects of platformisation and the musical practices of participatory culture. On the one hand, platform producer-oriented like SoundCloud serve as spaces that foster creativity and the dissemination of accelerated music from alternative subcultures such as nightcore and hyperpop, which challenge copyright laws protecting existing songs. On the other hand, the high engagement and viral spread of sped-up content on social media platforms like TikTok have influenced industry tactics, leading to the release of official accelerated versions. Meanwhile, mainstream streaming consumer-oriented services, such as Spotify and Apple Music, create playlists to attract mass audiences through opaque algorithms. This demonstrates the co-optation of cultural expressions by record companies and the mainstream platformisation geared towards consumption, which strips the cultural complexity of subcultures associated with accelerated music of its meaning.