Streaming platforms offer a varied musical catalog, always available online.
With this new technology, users do not have to occupy physical space in the memories of your devices to store the contents.
Until a decade ago, to listen to the latest in music, you had to sit near a radio and tune in to a point in Frequency Modulation that, in addition, filtered the content. FM stations and record companies almost always ended up deciding what to listen to and what not.
The 90s and the 2000sThey were tough years for the music industry. Low sales and a lot of piracy hit a business hard, which in many cases has been seriously damaged.
The arrival of iTunes in 2003 meant a small relief, although it would not be until the massification of the Streaming playback services (accompanied by an aggressive policy of respect for Copyright), when the music recovered its profitability. Of course, the debate on who benefits: companies or artists.
Where to listen to music online
For the spanish people, listening to music online is a much more appealing option than downloading paid files. But what is most striking is that 94% of users use their mobile devices before computers.
Currently, the preferences to enjoy music streaming are divided into two groups: Spotify and Apple Music on the one hand, those who also concentrate the largest number of users, and the others on the other.
Spotify and Music Streaming
Spotify It is without a doubt the Queen of the market. The Stockholm-based company founded in 2006 was the first to achieve massively remove the reproduction of digital music content beyond YouTube.
Fremium or Premium are the Available options to purchase a subscription. He currently has something 100 over millions of users around the world, half of whom pay to enjoy the service.
La free version provides access to the entire catalog available, but in exchange for listening to advertising content.
However, despite the notable success, the annual balance sheets in recent years are in the red. Among other reasons, the imbalance is marked because half of the subscribers use the platform without paying. For this same reason, although there is still no official pronouncement, the company is expected to execute an aggressive content restriction strategy to free accounts, to force these users to start paying a monthly fee.
Spotify has also been involved in controversy with some artists (the Taylor Swift case is the most emblematic) who complain about the system of distribution of the income generated by the reproduction of content.
Streaming Advantages
- In addition to being a pioneer in the segment, it also quickly adapted to high-end devices beyond the computer, being compatible with any mobile operating system. The application can also be accessed from some Smart TVs, the PlayStation 4 and it comes standard on some next-generation cars.
- It has a catalog of more than 30 million songs which can be accessed without limits.
- Su interface is quite simple and intuitive.
- La integration with Facebook, as well as sharing content in Twitter or Tumblr, has created a whole community around the platform. He recovered an old option from the disappeared Microsoft Messenger, which is to show the contacts the music that is being listened to.
Disadvantages
- Most of the cons are concentrated in Fremium mode. Lower audio quality and excessive advertising content.
- La The free version also doesn't allow you to individually choose the songs to listen on the Smartphone, only the random reproduction of playlists.
- Consume large amount of data monthly, many in the background.
Apple Music
Is the Streaming option of the bitten apple company. It appeared in June 2015, with the mission not only to dispute with Spotify the leadership in the sector, but also to refresh the already sold out iTunes model.
Before the launch of this platform, there was speculation about the possibility that Steve Jobs' heirs would buy directly from Spotify to establish themselves as leaders in an express way.
So far, the forecasts are far from being fulfilled. Yes well Apple Music became fast with a significant number of subscribers (which already exceed 20 million, most of them owners of iPhone or iPad devices), it is still quite far from the first place.
It only has payment option, the old free trial for three months now has a fee of 0,99 Euros.
Advantages
- Thanks to the heritage it receives from iTunes, Apple Music's music catalog is superior to the competition, with more than 40 million songs available.
- Naturally, it comes integrated as standard in all the company's devices: computers, phones, tablets and even the Apple Watch.
- Available version for Android devices
Other platforms
YouTube It is still a powerful option to enjoy music content through streaming, although it is clear that its possibilities and its markets are much broader.
For those who work seated at the computer, it is easy to assemble a playlist and leave the Google web in the background. However, in mobile devices this is not possible.
Deezer is another platform to listen online music, with a strong position in the European market, although in our country it has been gradually losing scope. Despite everything, it is still a good option. It has a catalog of more than 40 million songs and its interface is as friendly and intuitive as Spotify.
Count with one free payment mode, in which advertisements will necessarily be heard between the tracks.
SoundCloud it's a kind of paradise for independent music and new artists. Used to host and share audio files of all kinds, it has an important collection of business themes, but above all innovative and unknown proposals.
Last.fm is the "veterans" in the sector. Seeks to apply the principle of Social Network, where subscribers set up their profile according to your tastes and musical preferences. The application keeps constant update on the most listened songs worldwide and allows the creation of user groups with the same interests. Available in free and paid version.
Image sources: Digital Trends Español / FayerWayer / Omicrono - The Spanish