We are nearly a generation past the time when consumers bought stand-alone burners to copy CDs for their friends, or began downloading music on Napster. Streaming, and easy, efficient access to music was supposed to have solved many of the issues around unsanctioned sharing and piracy. Unfortunately a segment of music fans continue to acquire read more »
Spotify’s financial results are widely available and carefully scrutinized. This is a different story. It’s a tale of Spotify’s listeners, at least those who living in the US, the most important global market for music. Here’s a few reasons why 2018 was a good year for Spotify: Spotify Premium extended its share lead There are read more »
There’s a furious debate taking place about the future of broadcast radio. Some pundits believe that music streaming services, podcasts and changing technology will render “radio” obsolete. Others opine that radio offers unique advantages that can be successfully evolved in a digital age. In a series of articles we will explore the arguments surrounding radio, read more »
In a world where fame is fleeting, musicians have influence and staying power on social media. In an era when politicians are renowned for their use of Twitter, music is a primary driver of our interactions with social media. A new study from MusicWatch highlighted the contribution of music to engagement on social media platforms read more »
September 12 is expected to bring us the latest iPhone; for those of us who use them it is difficult to recall a time without one. While the iPhone celebrates its tenth birthday in style, Apple Music is making strides among iOS users. Apple Music is the most popular paid music subscription service among iOS read more »
Here Comes The Sun. The US Recorded Music industry is showing signs of recovery following a decade of mostly disappointing economic news. As reported by the RIAA, US retail revenues grew 11% and streaming revenues accounted for just over half of the $7.7B pie. Where is the music fan in all of this? Overall, in read more »
Based on the 15th edition of MusicWatch’s Annual Music Survey we were able to estimate that more than 14 million US consumers reported using an Echo device, including Tap and Dot. That’s users, not necessarily buyers. read more »
In many ways, YouTube is the most valuable asset that the music industry has. It boasts the largest audience for streaming music—in the US MusicWatch estimates their audience at 120M active users read more »
As iHeartRadio rolls out the beta of its PLUS paid streaming service, it’s fair to ask if anyone will pay for it come the live launch in January. read more »
The headlines from BuzzAngle’s mid-year music report focused on the growth of on-demand streaming and the carnage surrounding the paid digital download market. Eventually we will turn to everyone’s favorite music topic: Vinyl. BuzzAngle reported a 17% increase in vinyl sales for the first half of 2016, and while not quite the torrid pace of read more »