With playlists representing streaming’s lingua franca, the dramatic shifts in consumption they are powering are rewriting the rule books on music marketing, music formats and revenue generation, all in one swoop. Though the rate of change is partially offset by the grandfathering of the download format and, in certain cases, the resistance of physical markets (Germany and Japan), the economics of playlist monetisation is a rude awakening for the industry at large. It has also created notable distinctions in audience consumption habits, meaning expectations in revenue must account for target audience and their format preferences.

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify, YouTube