Music streams surged to 135 billion songs ahead of Apple Music debut
During the first half of 2015 Americans streamed some 135 billion audio tracks and music videos over the Internet, despite the absence of any major new services such as Apple Music, according to newly-published data from market research firm Nielsen.
That number was almost double the amount from the first half of 2014, Nielsen said. The streaming tally includes not just dedicated music services such as Spotify, Rdio, and Pandora, but also YouTube, which hosts music videos and has been highlighting them through offerings like its Music Key service, still in beta.
At the same time, 2015 digital downloads dipped 10.4 percent to 531.6 million, and overall album sales fell 4 percent to 116 million.
Apple Music, which launched on Tuesday, may be critical to keeping Apple relevant in the music sphere. The iTunes Store is still the world's most successful music download outlet, but its fortunes have begun to decline as more and more people opt for streaming, which provides access to nearly inexhaustible content.
It remains to be seen how Apple will fare against its chief rival in the streaming space, Spotify. Whereas Spotify offers a free, ad-supported tier in addition to a $10-per-month Premium subscription, Apple has opted to gate all on-demand content behind a $10 monthly fee, leaving only Beats 1 and Apple Music Radio open to everyone. Users do however get three free months of full access.
Spotify is also available on more platforms, whereas Apple Music is currently limited to iOS devices and the Mac and Windows versions of iTunes. It should arrive on Android devices and the Apple TV sometime this fall.
That number was almost double the amount from the first half of 2014, Nielsen said. The streaming tally includes not just dedicated music services such as Spotify, Rdio, and Pandora, but also YouTube, which hosts music videos and has been highlighting them through offerings like its Music Key service, still in beta.
At the same time, 2015 digital downloads dipped 10.4 percent to 531.6 million, and overall album sales fell 4 percent to 116 million.
Apple Music, which launched on Tuesday, may be critical to keeping Apple relevant in the music sphere. The iTunes Store is still the world's most successful music download outlet, but its fortunes have begun to decline as more and more people opt for streaming, which provides access to nearly inexhaustible content.
It remains to be seen how Apple will fare against its chief rival in the streaming space, Spotify. Whereas Spotify offers a free, ad-supported tier in addition to a $10-per-month Premium subscription, Apple has opted to gate all on-demand content behind a $10 monthly fee, leaving only Beats 1 and Apple Music Radio open to everyone. Users do however get three free months of full access.
Spotify is also available on more platforms, whereas Apple Music is currently limited to iOS devices and the Mac and Windows versions of iTunes. It should arrive on Android devices and the Apple TV sometime this fall.
Comments
I don't listen to music on Youtube but my kids do. They also use an app called itube or some such that caches the music and lets them create playlists etc for offline playing. Everything appears to be available. The question is wether YouTube have licensing deals with all the rights holders? I assumed they didn't but I could be wrong, of course.
Almost as soon as Google bought them several years ago they put a system in place called ContentID to identify copyrighted music and see that the IP owner was paid each time the content was accessed if the artist/label wanted to allow it's use. If they don't want to Google removes/blocks the content and may even penalize the person uploading it. Vivo now use the same Google software.
With that said songwriters get but a pittance from YouTube and other streamers with the labels reaping the vast majority of the revenue.
Yes try to wean them away from Google's YouTube ASAP for music. They are not being stalked with Apple.
They will use the service all of their friends are on. Kids are more dependent on tastemakers than adults imho.
Hopefully AM can start to convert the cool kids and go from there.
PS
There is an inverse relationship to what the parents like versus what the kids like. As soon as parents got onto Facebook, it wasn't cool anymore and the kids moved on.
I would pay for the family plan to give them options, but really downplay your how much you use it /enthusiasm for it - or you will just end up pushing them in the wrong direction.
Way to skirt the issue. paxman mentioned itube. Please explain how content downloaded from YouTube using one of the many illegal Apps out there is going to make any royalties for the owner when it's played offline countless times on your PC after being "ripped" from YouTube.
Apple Music has video as well. Not a lot of people have talked about that.
I have also bought iTunes music videos in the past. Sometimes the clip just makes the song, as you said. It is actually only a little bit more expensive than just the song by itself.
"You agree that you will not engage in any activity with the Gallery, including the development or publication of Products or other materials, that [...] enables the unauthorized download of streaming content or media."
So it's certainly not something YouTube/Google sanctions if it's happening. I'll guess you had no idea that Google actively blocks illegal YouTube downloader software where they have some control over it. I think Google Search also avoid links to known sites with significant pirated content for the most part don't they? You could at least give credit when it's due.
Since i don't steal movies or songs you may be much more familiar with how it's done and where it comes from. I had always heard it was from pirate sites and using stuff like Bittorrent. That's not accurate? How do you download albums without paying for them?
EDIT: And as I thought you might, you read this and *poof* disappear without comment.
Give the Gatorguy a break, he's just doing his job promoting Google and knocking Apple on this Apple user web site.
Way to skirt the issue. paxman mentioned itube. Please explain how content downloaded from YouTube using one of the many illegal Apps out there is going to make any royalties for the owner when it's played offline countless times on your PC after being "ripped" from YouTube.
Hardly fair. Why is YouTube responsible for illegal apps? Google aren't hosting iTube, Apple are.