Music Ally Focus - Music streaming platforms in 2023: the challenges, questions, and issues they face – expert analysis from Stuart Dredge, Music Ally’s Head of Insight

Music streaming platforms in 2023: the challenges, questions, and issues they face – expert analysis from Stuart Dredge, Music Ally’s Head of Insight

06/07/23 • 53 min

Episode 109: Music Ally’s Head of Insight, Stuart Dredge chats in depth with Joe Sparrow about the big picture issues that music streaming platforms, its users and economy will need to face this year. We’ve just published our latest Quarterly Report which comprehensively breaks down each of the big global DSPs in a “Report Card” format – and to accompany it, Stu forecasts what might happen around various key topics:

The Transition from “music” to “audio” – music streaming services are becoming audio streaming services. Music is competing with other kinds of audio, be that podcasts or white noise, so what does that mean in terms of royalties and ear-share?
Price rises – for users and for artists – there’s pressure from the music industry to raise the prices of streaming subscriptions: will adding a dollar or two does lead to a mass of cancellations or not? Can – or should – the pie be grown? And what about changing the whole system of payment from pro-rata to something else?
Direct artist support – DSPs are providing other ways to support artists: buying merch, buying tickets, and subscriptions are appearing more widely on streaming apps. And how do artists feel about introducing tipping to DSPs?
User interfaces and AI – DSPs are introducing many new ways to interact with, and discover music, from TikTok-like feeds to AI DJs. So is the next leap for music discovery going to be conversations with AIs?
The mid tier DSPs (and remember web3?) – Deezer, SoundCloud, Tidal and Napster have all positioned themselves as disruptors in different ways. They're nimbler than the big DSPs and can experiment with novel ideas like web3 music – but what are the long-term prospects for these services?

Music Ally’s Quarterly Report: https://musically.com/category/reports/

34 dozen oysters in 8 minutes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Bertoletti#2012

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The Transition from “music” to “audio” – music streaming services are becoming audio streaming services. Music is competing with other kinds of audio, be that podcasts or white noise, so what does that mean in terms of royalties and ear-share?
Price rises – for users and for artists – there’s pressure from the music industry to raise the prices of streaming subscriptions: will adding a dollar or two does lead to a mass of cancellations or not? Can – or should – the pie be grown? And what about changing the whole system of payment from pro-rata to something else?
Direct artist support – DSPs are providing other ways to support artists: buying merch, buying tickets, and subscriptions are appearing more widely on streaming apps. And how do artists feel about introducing tipping to DSPs?
User interfaces and AI – DSPs are introducing many new ways to interact with, and discover music, from TikTok-like feeds to AI DJs. So is the next leap for music discovery going to be conversations with AIs?
The mid tier DSPs (and remember web3?) – Deezer, SoundCloud, Tidal and Napster have all positioned themselves as disruptors in different ways. They're nimbler than the big DSPs and can experiment with novel ideas like web3 music – but what are the long-term prospects for these services?

Music Ally’s Quarterly Report: https://musically.com/category/reports/

34 dozen oysters in 8 minutes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Bertoletti#2012

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👋 The Knowledge, Music Ally’s free weekly newsletter: musically.lnk.to/knowledgepo

M️ Subscribe to Music Ally's industry-leading analysis, reporting and news: musically.com/subscribe

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/musically

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicallyfb

Previous Episode

“Speculative ticketing is, essentially, fraud!” The state of secondary ticketing in the UK – with Adam Webb of Fanfair Alliance

Episode 108: in this episode we’re joined by Adam Webb, from FanFair Alliance - a UK-based organisation campaigning against industrial-scale online ticket touting- or scalping if you prefer. I chatted to Adam about the state of ticketing in the UK, and what does FA see as the most pertinent issue that needs fixing/changing? He also talks about speculative ticketing is, why he thinks it’s harmful, and what should be done, and the difference in approach between artists in the UK and the US when it comes to dynamically priced tickets.

Supported by managers and teams for artists including Arctic Monkeys, Ed Sheeran, Biffy Clyro, Pixies, Iron Maiden, George Ezra, PJ Harvey, Niall Horan and many others, FanFair, it says, “has successfully helped change the regulatory and legislative landscape in the UK, leading to the widespread adoption of consumer-friendly practices for ticket resale.”

FanFair Alliance: fanfairalliance.org

Adam’s guest post on dynamic pricing for Music Ally: https://musically.com/2022/03/13/is-dynamic-pricing-containing-the-battle-against-ticket-touting-or-undermining-it-guest-column/

Most shaving cream pies thrown in 30 seconds by a team of 2

Pet Sounds: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mJN3N2XYKY6P2RpKP_-Zk20HwDSewNAYY

Next Episode

What does the support of a global DSP do to your career? London songwriter Ines Dunn, featured on Spotify’s RADAR programme, explains.

Episode 110: We speak to Ines Dunn, a young songwriter from London, who has writing credits in songs like Maisie Peters’ “Not Another Rockstar”, and is one of the first songwriters to be featured by Spotify’s RADAR programme. One of the biggest fillips an artist’s career can receive is by being part of one of the major streaming platforms’ artist programmes – which at its most flashy, can result in your face being plastered across a billboard in Leicester Square in London. That’s what happened to Ines Dunn, and so we spoke to her about her nascent career, how she ended up on Spotify’s RADAR programme, and what the tangible benefits are of getting high-profile support like this, and what she sees as the benefits for DSPs in offering these kind of programmes.

Written by Ines Dunn playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EFLbEbClSreiP

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👋 The Knowledge, Music Ally’s free weekly newsletter: musically.lnk.to/knowledgepo

M️ Subscribe to Music Ally's industry-leading analysis, reporting and news: musically.com/subscribe

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicallyfb