Is streaming the future?

[bigfish786]

With all these companies offering streaming for a monthly subscription, is this going to be the future of the record industry? Or is it finally going to kill it off?

As an artist, will you reap the rewards?, as a record label, is it going to be worth investing in new music/artists?

streaming is not for me, it reminds me of radio, and feels very disposable .. It doesn't encourage you to listen to music over and over, more listen for a few moments, and move on. it seems designed for a generation with zero patience and no attention span.

 

[iQ Speakers]

I certainly hope it supports artists or we are all in trouble. I love it and it's 99.99% of my listening. I listen to albums over and over again. We are all different.

 

[iQ Speakers]

I guess that's a yes then Chebby, I'm with you on this one, just waiting for my Cambridge CXN to arrive any day!

 

[chebby]

... it reminds me of radio, and feels very disposable .. It doesn't encourage you to listen to music over and over, more listen for a few moments, and move on. it seems designed for a generation with zero patience and no attention span.

Codswallop

I have spent hundreds of pounds (just in the last few months alone) on CDs of things I liked from the radio. (Probably thousands since the BBC started making CDs of their output.)

I listen to this content (after ripping the CDs) for hours at a time and frequently go back to listen to a piece 'over and over' (maybe after days or weeks or months).

I don't give a flying fig about your perception of my generation's music replay preferences (I stream Spotify Premium and BBC iPlayer every day and use tablet, smartphone and Mac with AirPlay through headphones and hi-fi) with our "zero patience and no attention span" and I can guarantee you that Spotify or BBC iPlayer Radio streaming via AirPlay - iPad and headphones are a million times better quality than the crap that most young people were having to use in whatever 'Golden era' you care to shake a stick at! (Including a few that I lived through.)

I really wish all this tech had been around when I was starting out.

 

[jjbomber]

Can't agree on that one. Streaming leaves you in charge of what you listen to. radio leaves you at the mercy of commercial interests and generally results in ''choruses and verses''.

I have a load of albums on the Spotify playlist that I play time and time again. How often do we hear a complete album on the radio?

I find streaming and radio to be total opposites. Radio is more like an mp3 player set to random.

 

[Anderson]

I have a big CD collection that I ripped and painstakingly tagged and have backed up to a storage drive and Google Music, all told there's about 70Gb of files over about 500 albums. I'm explaining all this to give a bit of perspective to my position.

I love streaming, I don't need to turn on my HTPC, I don't have to tag my music and I don't have to back it up. I can 'save' complete albums to 'my music' in Spotify or Google Music or individual tracks. I can create my own playlists, I can listen to friends playlists. My GF and kids can fire up their phones and have whatever music they want in 10 seconds playing on the stereo. I don't agree with your point that streaming is for those with no patience, I think that's a gross generalisation. But to take you up on your point, what's wrong with consuming the media you like in the way you like?

 

[Anderson]

I find streaming and radio to be total opposites. Radio is more like an mp3 player set to random.

With only the top 20 tracks in various random order.

 

[matt49]

If streaming services were as reliable as the radio and tv, I'd use them more. Sadly they're not.

My main problem with Spotify, though, is the search function, which makes it impossible to do meaningful searches for classical music.

Also, if streaming's so great, how come none of the services make money?

 

[chebby]

But to take you up on your point, what's wrong with consuming the media you like in the way you like?

'cos it's not proper music unless it's a whole album on vinyl or CD (apparently) and not unless you slavishly listen to every track in the order dictated by the artist's 'vision' whilst locked away in one's listening-room in solitary confinement, toes tapping (it's never 'feet tapping' i've noticed) and eyes half closed in rapture in the approved Linn/Naim demo manner to show approval.

 

[iQ Speakers]

If streaming services were as reliable as the radio and tv, I'd use them more. Sadly they're not.

Also, if streaming's so great, how come none of the services make money?

Matt, they are not mature yet not reached critical mass, there will no doubt be a few casualties and consolidation along the way. As for reliability I find Spotify 98% reliable, it's my only source so I would be in trouble otherwise.

 

[matthewpiano]

I happen to like radio more and more, specifically BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4, but also on occasion Radio 2 as well. One of the 'adjustments' I'm going to be making to my system is adding a Denon TU260L tuner which can be picked up for peanuts but sound great on FM broadcasts.

Despite my overall preference for listening to complete recordings and albums on CD or vinyl, I do find my Spotify Premium subscription valuable as a way of checking most new releases out before buying them and also for trying out stuff I might have otherwise ignored.

How people enjoy listening to music and speech content is a personal thing and everyone's preferences should be respected.

 

[Anderson]

But to take you up on your point, what's wrong with consuming the media you like in the way you like?

'cos it's not proper music unless it's a whole album on vinyl or CD (apparently) and not unless you slavishly listen to every track in the order dictated by the artist's 'vision' whilst locked away in one's listening-room in solitary confinement, toes tapping (it's never 'feet tapping' i've noticed) and eyes half closed in rapture in the approved Linn/Naim demo manner to show approval.

I've heard the argument before, it just doesn't make any sense does it. It's basically snobbery.

 

[bigfish786]

Responses so far, please don't take my point of view as a personal thing, but my streaming experiences have left me feeling a bit detached from the music, and the whole experience of listening to MY music.

my concerns have been highlighted by some of the other comments, if there's no money in it now, then artists and labels won't be getting much from it at all.

streaming for some is convenient, easy, and value for money. Some have found the quality to be good, I havent.

 

[EvPa]

Streaming is definitely not the future, it is the present.

 

[jjbomber]

Also, if streaming's so great, how come none of the services make money?

Clever Accounting!!!

 

[TrevC]

Radio here is certainly disposable. Unless you like classical or chart pop crud it's unlistenable.

Spotify premium is great. Listen to it most of the day when working.

 

[Infiniteloop]

I happen to like radio more and more, specifically BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4, but also on occasion Radio 2 as well. One of the 'adjustments' I'm going to be making to my system is adding a Denon TU260L tuner which can be picked up for peanuts but sound great on FM broadcasts.

Despite my overall preference for listening to complete recordings and albums on CD or vinyl, I do find my Spotify Premium subscription valuable as a way of checking most new releases out before buying them and also for trying out stuff I might have otherwise ignored.

How people enjoy listening to music and speech content is a personal thing and everyone's preferences should be respected.

+1 (using Qobuz). - a great way to investigate older music then buy it for next to nothing on CD on Ebay.

 

[davedotco]

We all have our ways and I consider myself odd in that I do not really have 'favourites', be it songs, albums or even artists.

The idea of listening to 'favourites' over and over again really does not work for me, I have had people explain how they get more from the recording with each successive playing but. for me, the distraction of hearing the same thing, played in exactly the same way, over and over again leaves me in despair.

Since discovering Spotify, I simply can not go back to a limited music collection, yes I would like better quality (I've given my thoughts on this elsewhere) and better search facilities but they are small prices to play to access al this music.

I am currently listen to a playlist of house/dub material, very chilled, ideal for the early hours of monday morning.

 

[Thompsonuxb]

Not a user of any of the soft providers. YouTube being the only service I use to checkout newtracks.

My issue being one of ownership. If these services went belly up what happens to 'your' music.

I also hate the idea of 'premium' services and subscription - that really rubs me the wrong way for some reason.

Also can you record onto CD from them.

I see the convenience angle but I don't like the idea of my music in cyber space.

If it's the future I'm on borrowed time......

 

[matt49]

If streaming services were as reliable as the radio and tv, I'd use them more. Sadly they're not.

Also, if streaming's so great, how come none of the services make money?

Matt, they are not mature yet not reached critical mass, there will no doubt be a few casualties and consolidation along the way. As for reliability I find Spotify 98% reliable, it's my only source so I would be in trouble otherwise.

I'm too old and grouchy to be happy with 98% reliability for my main source. 99.5% might be acceptable.

As of the beginning of this year Spotify had 15m subscribers and 60m active users. The problem Spotify have -- or at least one of their problems -- is the 60m. Spotify have to pay royalty fees to record companies for every track played. The fees for tracks played via the non-subscription service are supposed to be funded by advertising. The problem is that the advertising revenue doesn't cover the royalty fees. The result: the more non-subscribing users it has, the less likely Spotify is to make money.

As business models go, Spotify is knackered. And it's not the only one. No wonder Apple has been so slow to get into streaming.

My hunch is that in order to survive Spotify will have to increase its subscription charge substantially. In the meantime, those who can should enjoy the free/cheap lunch while it lasts.

 

[hg]

Streaming is definitely not the future, it is the present.

Yes but I suspect it is going to be like ebay and the like in that it will be good for users in the early days while things are being sorted out but once one the monopoly/cartel gets formed the charges will go up and up and the market will get be skewed in an unattractive way.

 

[davedotco]

If streaming services were as reliable as the radio and tv, I'd use them more. Sadly they're not.

Also, if streaming's so great, how come none of the services make money?

Matt, they are not mature yet not reached critical mass, there will no doubt be a few casualties and consolidation along the way. As for reliability I find Spotify 98% reliable, it's my only source so I would be in trouble otherwise.

I'm too old and grouchy to be happy with 98% reliability for my main source. 99.5% might be acceptable.

As of the beginning of this year Spotify had 15m subscribers and 60m active users. The problem Spotify have -- or at least one of their problems -- is the 60m. Spotify have to pay royalty fees to record companies for every track played. The fees for tracks played via the non-subscription service are supposed to be funded by advertising. The problem is that the advertising revenue doesn't cover the royalty fees. The result: the more non-subscribing users it has, the less likely Spotify is to make money.

As business models go, Spotify is knackered. And it's not the only one. No wonder Apple has been so slow to get into streaming.

My hunch is that in order to survive Spotify will have to increase its subscription charge substantially. In the meantime, those who can should enjoy the free/cheap lunch while it lasts.

For a lot of artists this appears to be the issue.

To be slightly more correct, Spotify pay the 'rights holder' which may well include writers, composers, producers and of course record companies. For the artist a lot will depend on the contracts they have signed, particularly with the record companies who can be rapaceous.

In the days when product was sold as physical media. records, CDs etc, it could be argued that the record companies desrved their large percentages but now, in a market dominated by downloads and streaming that is no longer the case.

New artists will benefit from the new style of management that works to a rather different business model, making reasonable returns for a wide range of artists rather than a handful of 'superstars' making fortunes and 'subsidising' the rest of the industry.

 

[drummerman]

Vinyl is the future.

There can be no hifi without it and the sooner you stubborn lot get it into your thick skulls ...

Merry Easter x

 

[abacus]

It all comes down to personal preference as to which you prefer.

The main drawbacks of streaming, are that it relies on a lot of 3rd party providers to get the information too you, and it only needs one to have problems for you to become stuffed, whereas having the physical media you only have to rely on your own equipment.

The second problem is the cost for the subscriptions, which can be more than twice the price of a subscription to HD films, thus they get very few subscribers, as most users treat it as a secondary option and are happy to accept the reduced quality of the free service.

5 years from now (At a rough guess) it will probably have sorted itself out and become mainstream, but for now its just an expensive luxury.

Bill

 

[Um]

Its the present!