Blog

Read our latest daily deep dives, hot takes, and exciting updates about the entertainment world. Check out the latest insight from your favourite analyst, or search by coverage areas - music, entertainment and fandom, creator economy and social.

Playlist malfeasance will create a streaming crisis

Mark Mulligan

9 May 2019

Artists Labels playlists

Streaming economics are facing a potential crisis. The problem does not lie in the market itself; after all, in Q1 2019 streaming revenue became more than half of the recorded music business and Spotify hit 100 million subscribers.

5 min read

Cover image for Playlist malfeasance will create a streaming crisis

Music sync: A market ripe for change

Mark Mulligan

3 May 2019

music publishers music sync music sync market

Florence and the Machine’s performance of Jenny of Oldstones, which appeared over the closing credits of the April 21st HBO’s Game Of Thrones episode, hasregistered the most Shazams in 24 hours ever (per Music Business Worldwide ).

4 min read

Cover image for Music sync: A market ripe for change

What Epic Games’ acquisition strategy tells us about the company’s long-term plans

Karol Severin

3 May 2019

Epic Games Fortnite Games

Epic Games has announced it is acquiring Psyonix, the creator of Rocket League. As we’ve reported in the past, the coming games streaming revolution, which is already shifting market dynamics to a much more device/platform-agnostic paradigm, will see a small set of large publishers make their own ...

4 min read

Cover image for What Epic Games’ acquisition strategy tells us about the company’s long-term plans

An alternative future for televised sports

Hanna Kahlert

2 May 2019

egaming esport esports

This article is derived from MIDiA’s report, 'eSports: An alternative future for televised sports?' The days of overpriced suspect hotdogs and rioting stadiums are far from over. Sports, despite their inability to retain cord cutting TV viewers , remain an immovable part of the attention economy.

3 min read

Can PlayStation 5 compete successfully amid the coming games-streaming disruption?

Karol Severin

2 May 2019

Games Gaming PlayStation

As Mark Cerny, the lead system architect of PlayStation, implied in an exclusive interview with Wired , PS5 is coming likely in fall 2020 – and it is not just meant to be a mere upgrade of the PS4. The key question remains, however, whether even a big upgrade to the hardware and gaming experience ...

4 min read

Cover image for Can PlayStation 5 compete successfully amid the coming games-streaming disruption?

Walmart the video innovator?

Tim Mulligan

1 May 2019

Online video VUDU Video

This week in New York Walmart is holding a presentation for leading ad agencies. The world’s largest retailer will pitch the advertising opportunities around a combination of original shows and new tech on its streaming service Vudu, which potentially could provide it with a domestic edge in the r...

3 min read

Cover image for Walmart the video innovator?

Why Airbnb making content for Apple is radical

Georgia Meyer

30 Apr 2019

airbnb Apple Video

On 24th April, Reuters broke the news that Airbnb is creating a docuseries ( Home ) for Apple’s upcoming streaming service. Over on Amazon Prime Video’s Direct service, Jaguar, Lexus, and Shell have all uploaded branded entertainment documentaries available for Amazon Prime Video subscribers to ...

4 min read

Cover image for Why Airbnb making content for Apple is radical

US Cord Cutting Full-Year 2018: Transition Uptake

Hanna Kahlert

30 Apr 2019

cord cutting cord shaving Online video

This article is derived from MIDiA’s US Cord Cutting Full Year 2018 report. Cord cutting is now an established part of the US pay-TV landscape, illustrating the impact of streaming video on demand (SVOD) and changing consumer habits globally.

3 min read

Cover image for US Cord Cutting Full-Year 2018: Transition Uptake

Creator support: A new take on user-centric licensing

Mark Mulligan

26 Apr 2019

Music music industry music licensing

User-centric licensing (i.e. stream pay-outs based on sharing the royalty income of an individual user split across the music they listen to) has stimulated a lot of debate.I first explored the concept of user-centric licensing back in 2015and stirred up a hornet nest, with a lot of very mixed feedb...

4 min read

Cover image for Creator support: A new take on user-centric licensing

Free streaming goes to voice: Should radio companies be worried?

Zach Fuller

25 Apr 2019

voice control Radio voice

History doesn’t repeat itself. It does, however, rhyme. Amazon have followed up the announcement of its free music streaming service by elaborating on its integration into Alexa and its Echo device. Not coincidentally, Google swiftly followed suit by announcing a similar service.

4 min read

Luminary media bets big on ad-free podcasts

Georgia Meyer

24 Apr 2019

Ad Supported Luminary Luminary Podcasts

The long-awaited podcast subscription service, Luminary Media, went live on 23rd April 2019. The service has raised $100 million from investors with the aim of distributing ad-free exclusive podcast content to users for $8 per month.

4 min read

Cover image for Luminary media bets big on ad-free podcasts

Voice control: Smartphones, in-home speakers, and the digital attention economy

Hanna Kahlert

24 Apr 2019

Digital economy voice voice command

This article is derived from MIDiA’s Voice Market and Behaviour Trends Overview report. The use of voice command continues to be niche, with overall consumer penetration at a mere 9%. Predominantly that usage is on smartphones, with “asking for directions” one of the key use cases.

3 min read

Cover image for Voice control: Smartphones, in-home speakers, and the digital attention economy

Why AT&T cashed in on its Hulu stake and what this means for Disney’s direct-to-consumer strategy

Tim Mulligan

23 Apr 2019

direct-to-consumer Disney hulu

Last week US communications giant AT&T announced that it had sold its 9.5% stake in US subscription video on demand (SVOD) service Hulu for $1.43 billion, valuing the third largest US SVOD operator at $15 billion.

4 min read

Cover image for Why AT&T cashed in on its Hulu stake and what this means for Disney’s direct-to-consumer strategy

Opportunistic K+ swoops to acquire Premier League rights for Vietnam

Alistair Taylor

23 Apr 2019

K+ live sports Online video

K+, the joint venture between VTV and Canal+, has acquired exclusive rights in Vietnam for the English Premier League (EPL) (per SportsPro ). The three-season deal starting this August spans the 2019/20 – 2021/22 seasons.

4 min read

Cover image for Opportunistic K+ swoops to acquire Premier League rights for Vietnam

The future of artist marketing is multivariate testing via playlists

Zach Fuller

18 Apr 2019

Streaming Music music industry

Artist marketing remains a costly and often thankless endeavour. Inclusive of artists and repertoire, record labels spent approximately $1.6 billion on marketing in 2017 with 73% of that ($1.2 billion) being spent by majors.

4 min read

Cover image for The future of artist marketing is multivariate testing via playlists

Amazon’s ad supported strategy goes way beyond music

Mark Mulligan

17 Apr 2019

Ad Supported ad supported strategy ad supported streaming

According to Music Business Worldwide , Amazon is reportedly close to launching an ad supported streaming music offering.Spotify’s stock price took an instant tumble. But the real story here is much bigger than the knee-jerk reactions of Spotify investors.

4 min read

Cover image for Amazon’s ad supported strategy goes way beyond music

Profiling the live consumer: Streaming and the live music business

Hanna Kahlert

17 Apr 2019

live music Music music industry

This article is derived from MIDiA’s Profiling the Live Consumer report, available here . The power balance in music has swung from recorded to live, but will it stay? Live productions have been the prime revenue pusher for the music business since peer-to-peer (P2P) downloading undermined the inh...

3 min read

Cover image for Profiling the live consumer: Streaming and the live music business

Four principles for marketeers to achieve business growth

Georgia Meyer

16 Apr 2019

business growth Digital economy marketing funnel

The ascent of the digital content economy has wrought radical change to marketing principles, the consequences of which have not yet been sufficiently internalised in marketing strategy and tactics. MIDiA Research has published a report detailing four principles that will equip marketeers with the m...

3 min read

Cover image for Four principles for marketeers to achieve business growth

Last Call for Our Artist Survey

Mark Mulligan

15 Apr 2019

Amuse Artist survey Artists

This is your last chance to take part in our global artist survey - we are closing the survey this Friday (19th April). As a reminder: In partnership with independent distribution company Amuse, MIDiA Research is undertaking a detailed study of the music artist landscape.

2 min read

Snapchat announces ad business – but is it time up for third-party targeting?

Georgia Meyer

15 Apr 2019

Media and Marketing Snapchat advertising

On Thursday 4th April 2019 Snap Inc, which owns Snapchat, announced that it is building a mobile ad network. The announcement came at its first ever partner conference, akin to – but much smaller than – the developer conferences run by Facebook, Google and Apple each year.

4 min read

Cover image for Snapchat announces ad business – but is it time up for third-party targeting?

© 2026 MIDiA Research Ltd. All Rights Reserved.