Reports: Streaming economics

Music streaming has helped the music industry return to growth over the past decade, but many creators feel left behind. The streaming economy has reached a point where the creator remuneration gap can no longer be ignored. It is no secret that many music artists are dissatisfied with the relationship between the consumption of their music on streaming platforms and the income they receive from it.

Spotify’s 2016 accounts reveal strong growth in both revenue and user, as well as improved conversion to paid. But they also show growing losses (both in absolute and relative terms) for streaming music’s leading player. The health of Spotify is a bellwether for the health of the streaming music market and its current prognosis is that it is fit and healthy now, but that will end sometime unless it improves its lifestyle.