Blog: audience

Read our latest daily deep dives, hot takes, and exciting updates about the entertainment world. Check out the latest insight from your favourite analyst, or search by coverage areas - music, entertainment and fandom, creator economy and social.

“Just because a song is viral doesn’t mean it’s good” and that’s a real problem for artists

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Laura Fisher

1 May 2025

I saw this statement shared (ironically, virally) as a post on Instagram over the weekend. My initial thought – from the perspective of someone who has never paid much mind to chart placements – was:...

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Online culture is fragmenting: Why White Lotus spoilers are not flooding the internet

Cover image for Online culture is fragmenting: Why White Lotus spoilers are not flooding the internet

Hanna Kahlert

9 Apr 2025

Cultural trends

Key takeaways from this blog: Audience fragmentation is growing, with platforms like TikTok losing influence and shows like White Lotus thriving in niche, offline conversations Oversaturation of content...

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Fandom reciprocity: Why sustaining a community requires give and take

Cover image for Fandom reciprocity: Why sustaining a community requires give and take

Laura Fisher

9 Apr 2025

Key takeaways from this blog: Fandoms are becoming two-way relationships, with artists like AJ Tracey and Maverick Sabre involving fans through grassroots gigs, remix contests, and fan-led tour decisions...

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How streaming platforms are adapting in the race for affordable content

Cover image for How streaming platforms are adapting in the race for affordable content

Rutger Rosenborg

19 Feb 2025

Business Strategy

Music is expensive – not for consumers, but for companies who have to license music copyrights from rightsholders. It is a large reason Spotify did not have a full year of profitability until 2024 ....

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Craft versus character: the equation the music industry needs to fix

Cover image for Craft versus character: the equation the music industry needs to fix

Mark Mulligan

18 Feb 2025

I recently wrote about the unflattening of music :how creativity, craft, and fandom can – if done right – counter the growing commodification of music. Not surprisingly, I focused on the music side...

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The audio listener is too valuable for the music industry to ignore

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Rutger Rosenborg

13 Feb 2025

On the heels of positive Q4 2024 financials for Spotify , the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) has not lost a step in holding the company accountable for what it sees as unauthorised music...

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The unflattening of music

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Mark Mulligan

30 Jan 2025

Cultural trends

[This post builds on two other recent MIDiA posts: Background music and What got you here ] At the half way point of the decade it is a good time to reflect on how the business of music is reshaping the...

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Ban or no ban, what comes next for TikTok creators?

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Hanna Kahlert

22 Jan 2025

Marketing Strategy

The TikTok ban saga continues. The official date of the ban saw the app go dark in the US and Canada, replaced by a notice that the law had come into effect. However, only a few hours later, the app came...

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AI, dead internet theory, and why analogue is a future-proof business strategy

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Hanna Kahlert

8 Oct 2024

analogue revival

The internet is abuzz over Google NotebookLM’s eerily realistic-sounding podcasts. Last week, MIDiA wrote about how it will disrupt primarily information-driven podcasting, rather than entertainment...

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Social is the new entertainment; enter MIDiA’s new social vertical

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Hanna Kahlert

24 Jul 2024

Audience behaviour

Social platforms are now inextricable from the digital world and every aspect of entertainment. Fans and A&Rs alike discover new music on social platforms. Marketing strategies for artists and concerts...

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Spotify podcast earnings: Moving beyond the investment phase

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Annie Langston

3 May 2023

Spotify’s Q1 2023 earnings revealed its growing userbase — now at 515 million monthly active users (MAUs) — and some key insights into its podcast vertical. First quarter revenue fell short of expectations,...

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Spotify is radio’s middleman to podcasts – but will this guarantee new listeners?

Cover image for Spotify is radio’s middleman to podcasts – but will this guarantee new listeners?

Annie Langston

19 Apr 2023

Although radio set the stage for podcasts, its transition into the digital space has been challenging. Now, Spotify is simplifying this process. With its 2021 acquisition of podcast tech company Whooshkaa,...

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Spotify launches audiobooks in the US – but you have to buy them

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Annie Langston

22 Sep 2022

Spotify has officially launched its audiobook vertical for US listeners. Spotify previewed this vertical at its Investor Day in June, in addition to announcing its purchase of Findaway , an audiobook distributor....

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Apple’s latest podcasting moves poke holes in Spotify’s strategy

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Annie Langston

24 Aug 2022

Apple has been quieter than its other podcast competitors in the past, but it is continuing to develop its audio offerings. Apple’s most noteworthy attempt to expand its platform thus far was introducing...

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Acast shifts focus to centralised audio distribution

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Annie Langston

6 May 2022

Following its formal announcement in March, Acast tweeted last week that its app is shutting down. Although this may be a surprise to some listeners, Acast explained that being platform independent allows...

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The ‘new normal’ starts… when?

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Hanna Kahlert

20 Apr 2021

Media and Marketing

covid-19 research

covid-19 impact

The social and psychological toll of beginning nearly every conversation or think-piece with the current state of pandemic affairs is now a year in the accumulation. Vaccine rollouts have begun – but...

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WWE Q3 Earnings – An innovative digital strategy helps WWE overcome COVID-19 disruption

Cover image for WWE Q3 Earnings – An innovative digital strategy helps WWE overcome COVID-19 disruption

Alistair Taylor

12 Nov 2020

World Wrestling Entertainment

WWE’s Q3 2020 results provide a fascinating insight into how a live event-focused entertainment business has successfully navigated a global pandemic. In its financials for the quarter , WWE saw a 19%...

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Bundesliga Offers Reality Check for What to Expect of Sport Post-COVID-19

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Alistair Taylor

21 May 2020

Football (via the Bundesliga) finally returned to screens last weekend, not only serving starved sports fans with content during lockdown, but more importantly demonstrated what we can expect live football...

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Consumer Engagement: The Brand Solution in a Digital Era of Churn

Hanna Kahlert

21 Apr 2020

Chart Of The Week

The digital marketplace has been the setting for innovation in every way that business is conducted, not least for advertisers, entertainment propositions and consumer adoption –and the current COVID-19-induced...

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Discovery Taking PGA Tour Golf Global

Alistair Taylor

24 Oct 2018

Eurosport-parent Discovery and the PGA Tour have unveiled GolfTV , an upcoming international golf-centric subscription video on demand (SVOD) service. The announcement follows a 12-year, $2 billion June...

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