Back when I was a kid, you could pick up CDs at a pretty big range of stores. Record stores sold them, Walmart had a section, and digital music was basically limited to the ten songs you could fit on an early-stage mp3 player.
Today, though? Today there’s pretty much one name that dominates music distribution. And that name is Spotify.
Founded in 2006, Spotify has become one of the biggest music streaming platforms in the world with over 433 million monthly users. Offering all types of audio content, from music to podcasts, and available on nearly every device imaginable, Spotify is the go-to place for all my (and your) listening needs.
It’s important to acknowledge that Spotify weren’t the first players in the audio streaming game. That title goes to Napster back in ‘99. True, they were slapped down pretty hard for copyright infringement, but Napster still showed the world the true potential of music streaming services. From their first steps, platforms like iTunes and Pandora (remember them?) were born.
But it was Spotify who really took what worked and ran with it. And let’s be real — Spotify just goes harder than anything else on the market right now. Their playlists are curated to perfection, their music recommendations are scarily on point, and the in-app merch store and ticket sales are a lifesaver, too.
Of course, we can’t claim to love and support artists without referencing Spotify’s biggest criticism. The current royalties system, which is based on market share, notoriously pays artists a fraction of a penny per stream — this is particularly bad for smaller artists who do not have a big market share or reach yet.
Having said that, with the ability to upload your music or podcast cheaply and quickly, it has never been easier for artists to get their work out there.
Spotify has become central to the way we share, consume, and discover audio treats. I reckon it’s here to stay — and I’m happy with that!
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