Music Streaming Needs Social Features and Better Artist Economics

Artists want to communicate directly with their audiences, but Spotify and Apple Music lack meaningful social functionality. The assessment is that streaming could become “minutes away from being obsolete” unless services adapt to artists’ needs; Spotify is expected to change, although its current direction may reflect a different paradigm.

The streaming payment structure is described as flawed: on family plans, the person paying may not determine which artists receive most of the listening-driven value. Labels and artists are also seen as relying unnecessarily on third parties for distribution and communication.

A team is developing an idea with one of the main companies that it believes could be unique and beneficial to both artists and labels. Spotify’s possible use of frequent listeners’ access to concert tickets is viewed as potentially self-serving rather than a complete solution.