Global Reports from MIDiA Research

Pixels to playlists
Music preferences and behaviours of gamers

Rhys Elliott

March 2025

Labels

US

The global games industry is a $236.9 billion behemoth. It now rivals film, television, and music combined in terms of revenues and is a cultural driver. Yet, for music companies, labels, and platforms, gaming represents more than a parallel market: it is agateway to the world’s most engaged, tech-savvy, and monetisable audience.

MIDiA Research global games forecasts 2025–2031
The market is mature, so double-digit growth is a fantasy

Cover image for MIDiA Research global games forecasts 2025–2031

Perry Gresham, Mark Qi and Rhys Elliott

January 2025

US

Global

Gaming

Interested in ' MIDiA Research global games forecasts 2025–2031' ? Access the free version here . Recent years have been tough for the games market. Like many industries, gaming overextended itself following the black swan event that was the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before and after podcasts
Mapping the podcast listener journey

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Rutger Rosenborg

January 2025

US

UK

France

The global importance of video for podcasting extends into the unique market dynamics of the US, UK, France, Mexico, and Japan. Not only does this justify Spotify’s strategic video push, but it also indicates a need for other platforms to follow suit.

MIDiA Research 2021 – 2028 global music forecasts
ARPU growth finally delivers

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Mark Mulligan

June 2021

revenue

Global

Music

This report presents the key figures, trends and drivers of MIDiA’s music forecast model. The figures presented in this report are both retail and label trade values and are in billions of US dollars unless otherwise stated. An Excel file posted alongside this report provides complete country level data, including DSP market shares and a detailed...

Podcasts Q2 2020
Spotify Takes an Early Lead

Mark Mulligan

October 2020

US

UK

France

Podcasts have become the next battle front for audio. Spotify’s ambitious content and product strategy have enabled it to become an early leader, but the podcast market is still in its infancy, with adoption far lower than radio or streaming music. Podcasts have greater long-term market potential than music streaming but with many divergent objec...

Podcasts Q2 2020
Spotify Takes an Early Lead

Mark Mulligan

October 2020

US

UK

France

Podcasts have become the next battle front for audio. Spotify’s ambitious content and product strategy have enabled it to become an early leader, but the podcast market is still in its infancy, with adoption far lower than radio or streaming music. Podcasts have greater long-term market potential than music streaming but with many divergent objec...

COVID-19
The Self-Isolation Entertainment Boom

Mark Mulligan

April 2020

Free Report

Streaming

Spotify

Artists

Following our first COVID-19 impact report, this report deep dives into how media consumption patterns have changed in the initial weeks of COVID-19 dislocation. While it is crucial to remember that these behaviour shifts are a snapshot of a unique moment in time, there are nonetheless some that will persist post-pandemic.

20/20 Vision
MIDiA Research Predictions 2020

Alistair Taylor, Amanda Stears, Karol Severin, Keith Jopling, Mark Mulligan, Tim Mulligan and Zach Fuller

December 2019

Apple

Spotify

Discovery

In this report MIDiA Research analysts present their predictions for what will be the big trends in digital media and tech across music, video, media, brands, marketing, games and sports in 2020 and the coming decade. Companies and brands mentioned in...

Spotify Podcast Strategy
Strong Start, Long Way to Go

Cover image for Spotify Podcast Strategy

Mark Mulligan

November 2019

Spotify

Pandora

Spotify has bet big on podcasts, viewing them as a means to multiple strategic ends. After a number of major acquisitions, Spotify is beginning to deliver meaningful audience and revenue numbers. Though it is still early days for Spotify’s podcast strategy, there is clear long-term potential to transform the wider audio landscape.

Radio Is Streaming’s Next Frontier
How Streaming Will Disrupt Radio Like It Did Retail

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Mark Mulligan

November 2017

Streaming

Streaming Music

Apple

Streaming’s first achievement was becoming a long-term successor to retail, now it has its sights set on doing the same to radio. Even though the revenue per user is much smaller, the addressable market is far higher. Streaming’s post-radio strategy has the potential to be much more far reaching and impactful than subscriptions have been in ter...

Global Music Forecasts 2014 to 2019
The Shift To The Consumption Era

Cover image for Global Music Forecasts 2014 to 2019

Mark Mulligan

July 2014

Subscriptions

Music revenue

Streaming

2013 was the recorded music industry’s 14th successive year of revenue decline. The prolonged death rattle of the CD continues to drag the global market down with it and things just got worse with the paid download entering its own tailspin. Streaming and Subscriptions are the great hope and are growing at unprecedented rates.

Reports: Global