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You better werk your way over to the TV, as another season of Queen of the Universe is coming to screens Friday (June 2) on Paramount+. This time, a new cast of drag queens will sing in front of the Pop Diva Panel of judges and compete for the title of “Queen of the Universe,” along with a cash prize of $250,000.
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Rather than face a lip-synching showdown, drag queens will be singing using their real voices, while returning judges Spice Girls’ Mel B., RuPauls Drag Race: All-Stars season three winner Trixie Mattel, singer and Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and actress Vanessa Williams return to critique.
New episodes will arrive every Friday at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m PT, and will feature contestants from all over the world, including Jazell Barbie Royale and Militia Scunt from the U.S., Italy’s Aura Eternal, Chloe V. from Brazil, Love Masisi representing The Netherlands, Maxie from the Philippines, Israel’s Miss Sistrata and more.
How to Watch Queen of the Universe Season 2
To catch all the action from the X-Factor meets RuPaul’s Drag Race competition show, you’ll need to tune into Paramount+. Those who are already subscribers won’t need to pay additional charges, but for those without one, you’ll need to sign up in order to watch the premiere or add the premium channel to your Amazon Prime Video account.
Paramount+
$Starting at $4.99/month after 7 days
Paramount+ offers a mix of plans you can choose based on your needs. New users can enjoy a seven-day free trial of the streaming service before being charged $4.99/month for the ad-supported Essential plan or $9.99/month for the Premium plan, which lets you stream without ads. Paramount+ also offers annual plans, student discounts and a bundle deal with Showtime ($11.99/month). Click here for ways to land a 30-day free trial to Paramount+.
The platform is home to a bunch of original shows and movies such as Fatal Attraction, Rabbit Hole, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, 1923, iCarly,The Good Fight, Mayor of Kingstown, Seal Team, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Why Women Kill and Before I Forget.
Paramount+ is also on Prime Video for those with an Amazon Prime account. Not a Prime member?Launch your free 30-day trial here.
If you’re watching from outside the U.S., you can still watch Queen of the Universe through ExpressVPN, which gives you access to Paramount+, Prime Video and other platforms.
Check below to watch the trailer for Queen of the Universe Season 2.
LONDON – Key players from the United Kingdom’s music industry have pledged to improve the digital metadata for song recordings to help ensure that artists and rightsholders are paid fairly.
Under the voluntary two-year agreement published Wednesday (May 31) by the U.K. government’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the U.K. industry commits to progressively improve metadata for new music recordings and to accurately award credits on streaming services.
Signatories include representatives of major and independent record labels, publishers, creators and streaming services. Trade bodes BPI —which represents more than 500 labels, including the U.K. arms of Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group — and the Association of Independent Music (AIM), which acts on behalf of U.K. independent record labels and music companies, are among the music groups backing the pledge
The U.K. government also says that it will be setting up a new working group with music business stakeholders “to explore and consider industry-led actions on remuneration for existing and future creators” over the coming weeks. The working group will review a range of issues facing creators and rightsholders, says the IPO, including the impact of artificial intelligence.
“The U.K. is a hotbed for world-beating musical talent but as technology advances we need our thriving music industry to continue to offer viable career opportunities,” John Whittingdale, a U.K. government minister for the creative industries, says in a statement.
Whittingdale calls the metadata pact a “landmark agreement” that will help ensure musicians “in the digital age are fairly credited and compensated for their contributions and creativity.”
As streaming has grown to become the dominant mode of music consumption globally, the need for accurate metadata — the descriptive data underlying music recordings detailing who contributed what to a song’s creation and who owns it — has grown in importance in determining who gets paid what share of a track’s streaming royalties. But digital platforms, artists and rightsholders have complained that streaming metadata is often incomplete or inaccurate, which delays payments to songwriters and labels.
“Currently a fraction of recordings being streamed properly credit the people that wrote and published the song,” says Graham Davies, CEO of U.K. songwriters trade group The Ivors Academy, which has also signed the metadata agreement.
In 2021 the Ivors Academy estimated that at least £500 million ($625 million) in global streaming royalties a year were being wrongly allocated or not being paid at all due to missing or incomplete metadata. In a statement, Davies says the pledge “gives us the first proper step on a journey of closing the metadata gap.”
Sophie Jones, BPI interim CEO, says she hopes the agreement will lead to “immediate improvements” in the “speed and accuracy of songwriter payments.”
Other music groups and companies backing what is officially titled the United Kingdom Industry Agreement on Music Streaming Metadata include The Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA), whose members include streaming services; Hipgnosis Songs Fund; the Music Publishers Association (MPA); Musicians’ Union (MU); Featured Artists Coalition (The FAC) and U.K. collecting societies PRS for Music and Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL).
Wednesday’s metadata agreement is the latest in an ongoing series of government-led interventions into the U.K. music industry that spun out of a Parliamentary inquiry into the economics of the music streaming business.
That initial review concluded in July 2021 with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) Select Committee calling into question the major record labels’ dominance of the industry and branding the global streaming model as unsustainable in its current form, saying it “needs a complete reset.”
Since then, the government has initiated multiple investigations and inquiries into the U.K. music industry, including a market study review of the record business by the U.K. competition regulator. That ended in November when the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) determined that low returns from streaming for most artists “are not the result of ineffective competition” between the three major labels.
Last year the British government set up two working groups – led by the IPO and made up of industry stakeholders — looking at issues raised by the Parliament probe. One focused on metadata, which has now concluded. A second working group is looking at improving transparency around licensing and royalties for artists. The IPO says it is due to publish the second group’s findings, including a code of practice, in the coming months.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
After walking away from the 2023 CMT Awards with three trophies and the most awards of the night, the rap-country music star Jelly Roll is now giving up an inside look into his life with a raw and emotional documentary.
Jelly Roll: Save Me is a new ABC News documentary that will provide an in-depth look at how the “Son of a Sinner” singer went from struggling with addiction and his mental health to country stardom. You’ll be able to catch his life story when it premieres Tuesday (May 30) on Hulu right before his new album Whitsitt Chapel drops on Friday.
The documentary announcement described the film as a highlight reel leading up to his hometown show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Before then, it’ll be showing us his life before including his incarcerations as an adolescent and adult, becoming a breakout star in 2022 and how the singer grapples with his sudden rise to fame. In the midst of it all, we’ll get a peek at how he balances philanthropic work at a juvenile delinquent center (the same one he was in and out of as a adolescent) where he shares his story and attempts to help at-risk youth.
How to Watch Jelly Roll: Save Me
The country star’s documentary is considered a Hulu Original, which means it’s exclusive to the streamer and you won’t find it anywhere else. If you’re already a subscriber, then you can watch it for free for no additional charge.
For anyone looking for the best streaming platforms, Hulu is one of the most popular options due to its wallet-friendly pricing and library of shows and movies.
Hulu $Starting at $7.99/month after 30 days
Hulu offers different pricing plans that you can customize based on your needs. Currently, eligible subscribers can get 30 days free on Hulu’s standard, ad-supported package which is $7.99/month (or $79.99/year) to stream thousands of episodes of TV and movies in the Hulu library like Only Murders in the Building, The Beautiful Things, The Kardashians, How I Met Your Father, Dollface, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Handmaid’s Tale, Dopesick and other Hulu originals; along with most new episodes from network TV and cable shows the day after they air.
Hulu’s ad-free plan is $14.99/month ($139.99/year) for everything in the cheaper package but you also get to download programs and stream them offline. There’s a bundle plan with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for $13.99/month. You can even customize your channels by adding premium options like Starz for an additional cost.
And if you enjoy watching live television, Hulu + Live TV ($69.99/month) lets you access over 75 live channels in addition to the Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ streaming libraries. Hulu lets users create up to six profiles under one account. Stream from up to two different screens at once from any device including a smart TV or laptop.
Check below to watch the trailer for Jelly Roll: Save Me premiering Tuesday (May 30) on Hulu.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The ultimate competition of undiscovered talent is kicking off as America’s Got Talent‘s 18th season gets ready to premiere Tuesday (May 30). Judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara are returning to their table to assess a new slew of performers, ranging from singers, daredevils, comedians and more.
Talent of all ages enter the competition as they vie for the championship title, $1 million prize and a Las Vegas residency. Those with cable TV can watch the show on NBC, which will vary depending on your TV provider.
If you’ve unplugged your cable and are looking for the best streaming options, you can still catch all the action through DirecTV’s promotion going on with Peacock. Currently, when you subscribe to DirecTV Stream, you can get Peacock Premium for $2 off a month.
Peacock $Starting at $4.99/month
If you subscribe to DirecTV Stream now, you’ll also receive $10 off the first three months taking the monthly $74.99 down to $64.99/month. Since Peacock is considered an add-on, you’ll need to go to your account settings, find premium channels and add Peacock. It’ll automatically add the deal to your bill so instead of paying an additional $4.99/month for Peacock Premium, you’ll pay $2.99/month.
With your subscription you’ll not only be able to catch AGT’s season 18 premiere, but you’ll have access to over 30 regional sports networks, unlimited hours of cloud DVR space, unlimited simultaneous DVR recordings, the ability to stream on as many devices as you want and access to ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and PBS.
Your Peacock subscription also means you can watch some of the hottest TV shows and movies including Yellowstone, the Vanderpump Rules reunion, the Indy 500, The Voice, Praise This, Poker Face, Love Island, Angelyne, The Office, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, A.P Bio, American Ninja Warrior, M3gan, Baking It, Below Deck: Down Under and more.
The season 18 premiere of AGT will happen Tuesday (May 30) at 8 p.m. ET.
Check out the latest trailer for the new season below.
The Copyright Royalty Board issued a landmark determination Tuesday (May 23) for Phonorecords III, maintaining an up to 44% raise for U.S. songwriters and publishers’ headline rate for mechanicals by the end of the period of 2018 to 2022.
The ruling increases those royalties each year during the five-year period — from 11.4% to 15.1% of service revenue by 2022 — but also affirmed key requests from streaming services during their lengthy appeal, limiting royalties based on total content cost (TCC) and reinstating a rate ceiling step in the formula. While the document is restricted from public viewing, an appendix to that determination containing the regulations at the heart of the restricted document was released to the public Wednesday (May 24).
To calculate how much is owed to songwriters and publishers, streaming services use a complex, multi-pronged formula dependent on numerous considerations. Many of these elements were revealed prior to the release of this week’s documents, so while it is noteworthy that the board is now in the last stages of finalizing the rules for Phono III after an appeal by digital services in 2019 was remanded back to the CRB, this determination cements what was previously reported. It has been described in the past as a “mixed decision” by insiders, with some stipulations favoring the interests of the music business while others favor streaming services.
Proceedings to decide how to pay songwriters and publishers for U.S. mechanicals during 2018-2022 began over five years ago. In 2018, a CRB determination set the headline rate moving upwards from 10.5% of a streamer’s revenue in 2018 to 15.1% in 2022 and increased the subscriber count calculations for discounted family and student plans to 1.5 times and 0.5 times respectively.
The 2018 determination also removed the publishing rate ceiling mechanism that prevents the publishers from automatically benefiting with higher payments when their label counterparts are able to negotiate higher rates for their master recordings. This was one of many qualms streamers had with this determination, given that many details were especially favorable to the music business. Spotify, Pandora, Google and Amazon noted then that they felt the board “acted arbitrarily and capriciously by simultaneously combining a TCC prong with an increase in the percentages of revenue prong, [or ‘headline rate’].”
Because some of the digital services hoped to regain some of the more streamer-friendly stipulations from the previous period — Phono II — Spotify, Pandora, Google and Amazon launched an appeal that was successful and resulted in a “remand” process that dragged on until now — after the 2018-2022 period was over. Apple, notably, did not participate in the appeal.
The new Phono III determination upholds the previous headline rate of up to 15.1% of streamer’s revenue by 2022, increasing each year by a full percentage point or by 0.9 of a percentage point, similar to how it was determined in 2018. This detail was revealed by the board in July 2022, as Billboard reported at the time. It also upholds the subscriber count calculations of 1.5 times for discounted family and 0.5 times for student plans, as proposed in 2019.
The appeal did, however, result in a few key wins for streaming services. It also reinstalled a rate cap of 80 cents per subscriber. Namely, the appeal lowered the total content cost calculations — which limits songwriter and publisher payouts to a percentage of what is paid to labels — from what the board determined in 2018.
While the music business was hoping for a TCC rate of 26.2%, the streaming services requested and received a range of different rates depending on the offerings, from the lesser of 20.65% of TCC up to 22% of TCC.
The U.S. mechanical royalty owed to music publishers and songwriters is calculated based on choosing between either the royalties calculated using the headline rate; or the lesser of either the percentage of TCC or 80 cents per subscriber. Whichever of the two pools is greater is selected as what’s known as the “all-in pool.” Afterward, the performance royalties are subtracted from the all-in pool, leaving just the mechanicals behind. The mechanicals are then measured against a per-subscriber pool, and whichever is bigger becomes the final mechanical royalty pool paid out to publishers and songwriters.
The most important TCC percentage rate for Phono III, the rate for standalone portable subscriptions, is 21% of TCC against 80 cents per subscriber.
Since the all-in royalty rates for this prong of the formula are determined based on the greater of the two options — either the headline rate or the lesser of the TCC pool or an 80 cents per subscriber calculation — it is feasible that the TCC rate will not be employed in certain future situations.
In the past, this prong of the formula has helped publishers get a percentage above the headline rate. For example, in 2021, when most services had reverted to the 2013-2017 term headline rate of 10.5%, the multi-pronged formula helped yield an all-in 13.4% of service revenue for publishing royalties.
Participants in the remand included the National Music Publishers’ Association, Nashville Songwriters Association International, songwriter George Johnson — who personally fought back against the streaming services on behalf of the independent songwriter in self-filed court documents — Spotify, Pandora, Google and Amazon.
Next, there is a 15-day window for rehearing motions. Then the Copyright Office will conduct a legal review for error, which could take up to 60 days. After that, the determination will be fully published, giving streaming services and the music business six months to go review and adjust past payments made for U.S. mechanicals to the new rates for 2018-2022 — a process that will likely be a financial boost for the music business.
Still, after this determination is published, the parties will have the opportunity to file a notice of appeal for 30 days.
“We are pleased the court finally has confirmed the result of Phono 3, a case which was decided in 2018. This initial remand decision upholds the 15.1% headline rate increase we fought for, however the length of time we have waited for this decision proves the Copyright Royalty Board system is woefully flawed. Now songwriters have some certainty about their rates, and we will ensure they receive the hundreds of millions of dollars that digital streaming companies owe them during this adjustment period,” said David Israelite, president/CEO of the NMPA.
“The testimonies of the three songwriter witnesses in this trial were powerful, convincing and illustrated the difficulty of songwriters earning a living in the streaming era — as well as the importance and value of the composition in the commercial music process,” said Bart Herbison, executive director of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).
“Steve Bogard, Liz Rose and Lee Miller, all NSAI board members, were moving and informative and played a huge role in the historic increase,” Herbison added. “The process is long and difficult requiring time and preparation. We are thankful to these songwriters and to the NMPA.”
South Korea-based music and entertainment company HYBE signed a music distribution deal with Tencent Music Entertainment this week, according to media reports. Reuters, citing an article by the Seoul Economic Daily, reported Tuesday (May 23) that the agreement allows music by BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER and other HYBE artists to be streamed on Tencent Music’s platforms. […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
It’s an Everything Everywhere All At Once reunion! Except, this time we’re not watching Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh save the entire universe from a multidimensional rupture.
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American Born Chinese, premiering Wednesday (May 24) on Disney+, aims to focus on the Chinese-American experience. Based on the bestselling, award-winning graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang, the series tells the story of Jin Wang (played by Ben Wang), a high schooler dealing with the complexities of being a teen who is tasked with showing the new student, Wei-Chen (played by Jim Liu), around school. What happens next is an action-filled adventure as Wang becomes embroiled in a battle between mythical Chinese gods.
Everything All At Once actors including Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan are also featured in the show as the Chinese goddesses Guanyin and Shiji Niangniang, and Freddy Wong a fictitious ’90s sitcom star.
The show will span eight episodes total and features comedy, adventure and Kung-Fu. In order to catch the premiere and every episode following it, check out how to watch the series below.
How to Watch American Born Chinese
American Born Chinese is Disney+ Original series, which means it’s exclusive to the streaming platform and will only be available there. Subscribers can stream it for free, but for non-subscribers you’ll need a subscription to catch all the action.
Disney+
$starting at $7.99/month
Disney+ provides various plan options depending on your budget and needs with the basic plan being $7.99/month (or $79.99/year) with ads. You can also save additional money with Disney+ bundle, which includes ESPN+ and Hulu from $13/month (for more deals, see our roundup of affordable streaming services).
Disney+ doesn’t typically offer free trials but there are a few budget-friendly ways to save and at least one promo that will get you a free subscription for up to six months. For starters, the monthly plan is great option because you’re not tied to a contract and can cancel at any time.
Another money saver: join Disney+ through Verizon. Right now, Verizon customers can get Disney+ or the Disney+ Bundle for free for six months with select Verizon unlimited plans.
Disney+ subscribers can access the ever-expanding streaming library in stunning 4K and download titles to watch on the go. Stream on up to four different devices simultaneously on your TV, laptop, smartphone, notebook or tablet device — or host a virtual movie night with up to six friends via GroupWatch.
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming destination for must-watch, commercial free content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.
Users will find thousands of hours’ worth of movies and TV series including Peter Pan & Wendy, Muppets Mayhem, Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All, J-Hope in the Box, SUGA Road to D-Day, The Prouder Family: Louder & Prouder, WandaVision, The Mandalorian, Loki, The Book of Boba Fett, The Beatles Get Back, The Simpsons, Welcome to Earth and Called to the Wild are included in the massive Disney+ streaming library.
Watch the trailer for American Born Chinese below.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Need a little action this coming long weekend? Well, as of Tuesday (May 23) you can officially own John Wick: Chapter 4 digitally, which means collectors and fans of the series can finally own the full saga. After dominating the box office, we can return to our seats (or, in this case, couches) and relive the last installment.
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This isn’t just the last installment of the Keanu Reeves hitman series; it’s also Rina Sawayama’s feature-film debut. The singer takes on the role of Akira, a concierge at her father’s hotel, and a well-trained killer herself. When Reeves’ character enters the hotel seeking asylum, it’s up to him, his friend Shimazu Koji (played by Hiroyuki Sanada) and Akira (Koji’s daughter) to protect Wick and kill any assassins after him.
How to Stream John Wick: Chapter 4
First-time watchers and viewers who saw the movie more than once can purchase the film on Amazon Prime Video for $19.99. If you prefer to own the Blu-ray/DVD, then you can pre-order it here, but it won’t be released until June 13. Fulfill your John Wick marathon dreams and watch how the series comes to a conclusion by ordering the final chapter below.
Amazon Prime
$14.99/month after 30 days free
In order to watch Reeves and Sawayama in action, you’ll need an Amazon Prime account. Currently, the retailer has a free trial promo for 30 days, so you can test it out before committing. Afterward, you’ll pay $14.99/month (or $139/year). With a Prime membership you’ll be able to customize your viewing experience and add channels to Prime Video like Max, Paramount+, Starz and Showtime. That doesn’t even include the massive library of Prime Originals, including Citadel, Daisy Jones & The Six, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Summer I Turned Pretty and many, many more.
Besides video content, you’ll be able to take advantage of access to Prime Music, Prime Gaming (not to mention the Gaming Week deals) and Prime Reading. Plus, as a Prime member you get free same-day, one-day or two-day delivery on millions of items, exclusive deals, groceries, savings on prescriptions and more. Amazon also provides 50% off Prime memberships for qualifying students and EBT/Medicaid recipients.
And, for more product recommendations, check out our roundups of portable phone chargers, the best record players and turntables and TV deals.
Check out the trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4 below.
Last year, Pandora started to get suspicious about the streaming activity of a prominent act. “This is a top artist by every measure,” George White, senior vp of music licensing at SiriusXM and Pandora, said during a panel at the Music Biz conference in Nashville on Wednesday (May 17). Some of the interest from Pandora users was clearly genuine. But at the same time, the platform picked up “abnormalities” — “lots of quick skips,” White noted, and “very unusual ratios of radio listening to premium listening” — along with “social media sites actively posting tutorials for how to game the Pandora system and teaching potential users how to drive those streams even higher.”
“This is challenging and more difficult to detect because it’s under a background of legitimate activity,” White continued. And he said that Pandora is seeing more of this type of behavior around “established artists.”
White was one of 11 different speakers across a two-hour, three-panel fraud extravaganza — which covered a lot of ground, jumping from bot farms all the way to thieves falsely claiming publishing ownership on songs to collect money that belongs to someone else — at Music Biz. The tone stayed upbeat, though the message was glum and occasionally paranoia-inducing, with lots of talk about cybercriminals hacking into the accounts of innocent unsuspecting users for nefarious purposes.
“We’ve been seeing lately that as technology advances, the fraud is supercharged,” said Mona Simonian, a partner at the entertainment law firm Pryor Cashman. It’s important that “people start really recognizing how much money is at stake here,” she added. And as Shuman Ghosemajumder, Google’s former “click fraud czar” (real title: head of global product for trust and safety), put it: “It’s always a little bit scary before you get your arms around the problem.”
While some panels stay general, these three sessions (an interview with Ghosemajumder about the ubiquity of fraud, “52 Flavors of Fraud,” and “Fraud Use Cases: What Can We Do?”) brought some hard numbers to a fraud conversation that often remains frustratingly diffuse, because the behavior is difficult to quantify. White had his Pandora case study. And Andrew Batey, co-founder and co-CEO of the fraud detection company Beatdapp, came armed with numerous examples and a boatload of graphs.
There was the account that recorded 33,500 plays in one week. (“The average user has a few hundred to a thousand plays a week,” Batey said.) There was the user with 96 devices “playing from 47 cities in 17 countries in the same week,” a geographical impossibility for even the most devoted jet-setter. There was the group of thousands of accounts all targeting the same songs with 155-ish plays a week, and the batch of 53,000 accounts playing around a dozen acts to camouflage the one artist whose numbers they’re actually trying to inflate.
If this behavior continues undetected, it represents “billions [of dollars] that are being sucked out of this industry,” Batey said. This sentiment was echoed by Christine Barnum, chief revenue officer of CD Baby: Fraudsters are “diluting the pool for everyone.” (She spoke about ways for companies to improve their fraud detection capabilities on a budget, including using ChatGPT to help write programs that can detect anomalous activity.)
Why the upbeat mood, despite the grim news? For years, many music executives, especially in the United States, were unwilling to publicly acknowledge that fraud was a problem. The fact that there was a 120-minute block — enough time to watch two episodes of Succession, quipped Beatdapp co-founder and co-CEO Morgan Hayduk — devoted to the topic at a major music business conference is indicative of an attitude shift. “I’m so happy there’s a room full of people talking about fraud,” Barnum said.
White was similarly optimistic. While recent studies have concluded that around 80% of fraud is financially motivated — grifters running bot networks to white noise recordings, for example, rather than the work of actual artists — White said, “We’ve seen enormous strides in identifying that [activity] really early.”
“I won’t say that’s in control; it’s an issue that requires ongoing investment,” he added. “But it’s at least something we feel like we have a handle on.”
In a presentation at the Music Biz conference in Nashville on Wednesday (May 17), MIDiA Research’s Tatiana Cirisano revealed the company’s predictions about the future of music streaming. Namely, the firm suspects that music streaming revenue growth, which has been in the double digits for years, will slow to the single digits, eventually cooling off from about 10% growth in 2024 to 3% growth in 2029.
“We’re in a crazy time for competing for consumer attention,” said Cirisano during the presentation, titled Where Does Streaming Go From Here? She noted that after the pandemic subsided, content providers of all kinds — from music to gaming to video — have had to accept that more traditional, in-person activities are absorbing large amounts of time for consumers once again. “The era of build it and they will come is starting to come to a close,” she continued. “You need to give people reasons to spend time on your platform.”
As part of the return to in-person experiences, MIDiA Research has found that background consumption of entertainment is on the rise, with 18.1 hours of background consumption in the first quarter of 2021 having escalated to 20.6 hours in the second quarter of 2022.
Traditional streaming services — Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and other competitors — also face competition for users’ attention from “non-[digital service provider] streaming,” or platforms where music is part of the experience but not its sole focus, such as Peloton and TikTok. “We are starting to learn that non-DSP streaming is not just additive, it might actually also diminish the cultural capital of [traditional] streaming,” said Cirisano.
While the cultural capital of streaming reached a fever pitch as Spotify editorial playlists, like Rap Caviar and New Music Friday, became many listener’s go-to source for music suggestions, MIDiA’s data suggests that that “soft power” is starting to wane, giving way to sites like TikTok which promote what Cirisano called “lean-through” music consumption.
This can be a positive thing, she explained. While “lean back,” or background, consumption — such as pre-programmed playlists and radio play — is on the rise, young people are also more likely than ever to not just “lean forward” (meaning they program what music they listen to themselves) but to “lean through,” which Cirisano defined as creating social content, curating content and re-creating content with music. MIDiA has found that the average 16 to 19-year-old spends 3.7 hours per week creating content as of the fourth quarter of 2022. More than ever, young people want to be actively playful and interactive with their music, not just listen to static playlists on streaming — though that form of listening will still surely persist.
To Mark Mulligan, MIDiA’s founder, this is a repeat of history, said Cirisano. Prior to recorded music, live bands’ music would be impacted by the audience in front of them. Now, this has taken on a new form in the age of social media, AI and at-home recording technology, signaling a return to interactivity present throughout the long history of music — and marking a change in appetite from the “isolating” and “hyper-personalized” nature of today’s popular music streaming services. “This new generation wants to be more actively involved in music… I think you’re going to have an advantage if you’re an artist that is comfortable engaging with your fans,” said Cirisano.
MIDiA Research has also found that with the emergence of hyper-personalized algorithms on streaming and social platforms, listenership fragments significantly. This leads to superstars having less of an impact, making it harder for that class of artists to earn a fruitful living from just streaming alone. In tandem with creating content and forging brand partnerships, however, these bigger names can capitalize on their fandom. This atomization of the mainstream is also pushing DSPs to differentiate themselves by, for example, focusing on genre, like Apple Music Classical, or targeting audiophile listeners, like Tidal.
In the future, MIDiA’s data suggests that next-generation platforms will create three-sided marketplaces that operate as self-contained virtuous circles. Audiences will consume music, some fans in the audience will also create using the music, and that consumption and participation will signal the algorithm and distribute the music to new fans.
UPDATE: This story was updated May 17 at 7:59 p.m. ET to note that music streaming revenue growth — not music streaming subscription growth, as incorrectly stated in a previous version of the story — is expected to fall to 3% by 2029. It was also updated to note that background consumption of all entertainment, not just music, is on the rise.