5 Music Business Articles You Should Read – Jan 29, 2016
Streaming continues to dominate the music industry conversations this week. Here are some of the latest articles highlighting the latest happenings with the ever-changing the streaming phenomena.
Spotify launches video shows on iPhone and Android
Unsurprisingly, Spotify is solidifying its position as the leading streaming service by expanding its horizons. Now, the streaming mogul has expanded to offer not only music, but videos and podcasts as well. The video and podcast feature is being slowly introduced, but there is no doubt that this could revolutionize how we as media consumers utilize streaming services.
Spotify’s Investment Striptease is an Ugly Necessity – But an Insult to Artists
(Just to be upfront, the word “striptease” is being used figuratively in this article, sorry to disappoint those of you hoping for something else.) Spotify is looking for investors, and the promise of investing in the company seems to be a guaranteed win for anyone with pockets deep enough to do so. With Spotify sustaining nearly 100 million users (28 million of which are paying subscribers,) anyone willing to take part in investing the $500 million Spotify is looking to raise over the next seven months is sure to make a nice return on investment. Unfortunately, almost all streaming services still have the reputation of under-paying their artists. So the questions remains: how long will Spotify continue to use their artists to make themselves money before the correct revenues are paid? Time will tell…
Information is Beautiful: Music Streaming Services Comparatively
Speaking of artists’ royalty payments from streaming services, this infographic does a beautiful job of comparatively displaying the leading streaming companies against each other in terms of user numbers, royalties paid, and more. For a quick scope on what the music streaming industry looks like right now, be sure to give this infographic a onceover.
Report: Amazon Wants To Kill Spotify
Amazon has done a record-breaking job at diverting business away from “brick and mortar” stores in favor of its convenient, one-click shopping alternatives. That said, the fact that Amazon has announced their intention to “kill Spotify” should raise some eyebrows. Admittedly, Amazon’s current steaming service is less-than memorable, but their innovation and evolution has made them a giant in the shopping world, so it will be interesting to see what happens when Amazon’s revamped music streaming service gets in the game.
Pandora Revamps Its App To Better Compete With Spotify, Apple Music
Pandora has made a move to compete with Spotify, and it seems to be a step in the right direction. Their restructured app allows for easy access to the music that is playing via a “Mini Player” banner along the bottom of the screen. Additionally, the app has added a “browse” capability (similar to Spotify’s) but with a personalized spin on allowing a user to search for new music. All of these updates and more offer a promising future for Pandora in the ever-competing world of streaming services.
