Can Spotify Dominate the Music Streaming Industry?

I listen to a lot of music and my plethora of tracks ranges from indie to pop. I like all kinds of music and I've tried to expand my musical library as I find artists to add to my collection. With that being said, the music services I've used has drastically altered over the last decade. I remember purchasing my first iPod and being ecstatic with the iTunes library. Upon entry I thought, "iTunes is going to change music forever," and it did! Now, the available services for music lovers range from iTunes radio, Pandora, and my recent favorite, Spotify.

Spotify allows you to not only stream any track with wifi connection, but you can now listen to your favorites offline. This is a huge addition to the once predominantly oriented online service that commuters and students took advantage of in the early days. You can also create playlists of your favorite songs and share them with your friends. Now you can build musical repertoire within your connections and share what you think is the hottest tracks out.

I recently read an article that stated online royalties for artists on Spotify surpassed royalties for artists on iTunes in the UK for the first time ever. So, Spotify is not only a great service for users, but the artists are being paid appropriately in an industry that has struggled to support all the hard work they do.

What's next for Spotify as they look to dominate the music streaming market? A recent article I found on Yahoo! News stated that Spotify is looking to get a lyrics button for laptop users to use during karaoke sessions. I don't know if you have ever been to a karaoke bar, but the regulars take it quite seriously. This could be just another addition to Spotify as they try and distance themselves from the dominators in the market, iTunes and Pandora.

For now though, things are looking up for Spotify and I'm excited to see where their headed next. Technological disruption has allowed newcomers to enter existing markets and shift the landscape. I'm excited to how the industry progresses and I hope, above all else, that the artists begin to be recognized for the work we continue to love.

What music services do you use?

-BQ

#Spotify #Pandora #iTunes #MusicStreaming #OnlineMusic #Artists