Combating the Emergence of a Two-Tier Music Streaming Market...

Combating the Emergence of a Two-Tier Music Streaming Market: Analysis and recommendations to support a future industry of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth

The report analyzes the music streaming industry's growing divide affecting independent artists due to market consolidation, pay-for-play models, royalty distribution changes, streaming fraud, and AI's impact, recommending reforms for fairness, transparency, and inclusivity.

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There is currently a general lack of transparency around Discovery Mode . At the market level, it’s unclear who is engaging with the programme, whether the major rightsholders are using it or gain similar bene fi ts through other means, and how other interested parties are affected when it is utilised on a track. These concerns are compounded by th... See more

Dan Fowler • Combating the Emergence of a Two-Tier Music Streaming Market: Analysis and recommendations to support a future industry of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth

There is also a slightly subtler impact, noted by labels that we interviewed, on new artists, whereby their growth trajectory has been impacted due to the chilling effect on their ability to monetise the earliest stage of their career, and their access to support and services from platforms. Applying arbitrary thresholds to artists who are just sta... See more

Dan Fowler • Combating the Emergence of a Two-Tier Music Streaming Market: Analysis and recommendations to support a future industry of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth

At a time when cultural homogenisation is on the rise, where generative AI is increasingly putting innovative creativity in competition with mass derivation, we risk a future where music diversity is also being actively commercially suppressed. The introduction of thresholds, especially where they de-monetise repertoire , but also where they apply ... See more

Dan Fowler • Combating the Emergence of a Two-Tier Music Streaming Market: Analysis and recommendations to support a future industry of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth

This occurs across a competitive backdrop in the industry that has seen increased M&A activity, be that major labels acquiring indie labels and distributors, or catalogue acquisition. Heritage rights retain a premium, and market share is being bought, arguably, at the cost of investment in new, innovative music. Independent labels talk of it be... See more

Dan Fowler • Combating the Emergence of a Two-Tier Music Streaming Market: Analysis and recommendations to support a future industry of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth

While changes to a market are expected as it evolves, the interconnectedness of music streaming means that impacts are felt throughout the entire ecosystem. This is to say that there is a responsibility for all parties concerned to transparently engage in wider consultation before such impactful decisions are made. There is a shared responsibility ... See more

Dan Fowler • Combating the Emergence of a Two-Tier Music Streaming Market: Analysis and recommendations to support a future industry of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth

To prevent a future where cultural output is shaped by economic power alone, this report calls on digital services, rightsholders, regulators, and policymakers to take shared responsibility for ensuring that the streaming ecosystem supports innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth .

Dan Fowler • Combating the Emergence of a Two-Tier Music Streaming Market: Analysis and recommendations to support a future industry of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth

The music streaming industry is at a critical juncture . While revenues are at an all-time high, driven by 800 million premium subscribers and a global market worth c. $22 billion, market developments threaten to create and entrench a two-tier system that disadvantages independent music stakeholders. This report evaluates industry changes through a... See more

Dan Fowler • Combating the Emergence of a Two-Tier Music Streaming Market: Analysis and recommendations to support a future industry of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth

Warmer. Very warm. Stratification here we come.