EYEING THE STREAMING PLAYING FIELD

Spotify and Apple Music are far and away the dominant forces in streaming music. That said, the two powerhouses, which once held over 90% of the market, are ceding share to other services as total streams this year have increased by nearly 40%. The two services now have a combined 75% of total streams. Wonderers have wondered who the next major player might be.

Perhaps most notably, Amazon’s marketshare appears to be growing. According to label insiders, Amazon’s Prime Music and Music Unlimited can now claim 9% of the streaming market. Prime Music is the service included with an annual Prime membership and includes access to about 2m songs. Music Unlimited provides access to the full catalog with individual plans costing between $3.99 and $9.99.

Meanwhile, Pandora’s Premium and Plus offerings make up a combined 6% of the market, landing the streamery in fourth place. It’s also worth noting that Pandora’s ad-free middle option is now included as part of the new weighted streaming charts.

With 4% each are Google Play and YouTube Music. Rumors earlier this year have suggested that Google will combine these into one service, which could allow it to leapfrog Pandora in total share.

Tidal, the ever-struggling, artist-owned service, claims a 1% share. Exclusives have failed to deliver the subscriber growth necessary to raise its position.