Battle of the music apps

Everyone knows about the competition between Apple Music and Spotify. However, these are not the only music streaming platforms, and it’s unfair to narrow our choices down unnecessarily. Music streaming is on the rise faster than we know how to adjust, and with iTunes shutting down soon in favor of more streaming apps, it’s time to end the discussion and decide where we get our music. Some users have been frustrated with the switch from iTunes to a streaming-only app because people still buy CDs to keep with them. I know that streaming is much more convenient, but owning a piece of media is different than paying each month to listen to it. Music is moving away from ownership and toward streaming services, but is that best for the consumer? In addition, Apple has been hostile towards Spotify in the past, limiting their access to updates and forcing them to work around odd rules.

This is because iPhone users pay for Spotify and Apple wanted to make sure consumers knew that Apple Music was an option for them. Since breaking into the music streaming industry, Apple has been a serious contender for the best streaming service. Piracy of music is less common when a person can listen to whatever they want “for free” (by paying a monthly rate) rather than buying songs individually. For music producers, this is ideal – they get revenue and don’t have to worry about people illegally downloading their music. Apple prefers it as well, since iTunes left room for consumers to store illegally downloaded music on their technology.

However, YouTube Music is also breaking into the industry. The more streaming sites we have on the market, the more polarizing the industry will become. Artists may be confined to one streaming service, and since consumers likely won’t pay for three or more services per month, piracy may begin to rise again.

Even Amazon now has Prime Music. When looking at past streaming services, we can see that many of them were integrated into or succeeded by larger companies like Apple. This will eventually lead us to have only a few companies controlling several services, and may end up with a more limited market. In terms of radio services, SiriusXM and Pandora remain popular, but these also may fall by the wayside with Spotify and Apple Music taking the lead. People enjoy picking their own music and playlists, which means that these services have become more popular than the radio.

What are your thoughts? Let us know on Twitter!

Caroline King - Staff Writer