The Ins and Outs of Music Streaming: Exploring the Popular Trends of Today

The digital universe has been instrumental in changing the landscape of music in the last decade. I recall days when I used to go out to record and cassette stores and get music as a hard-copy. Then came the game-changer - YouTube. Art was not only more accessible, but also more preservable. But listening to my favourite songs on repeat, was all that it was limited to. With the introduction of music streaming apps like Saavn, Amazon Music and Spotify, music streaming has undergone a dynamic change, one that I hope to concise in this article.

For those who are confused by what music streaming means, let me tell you, you do it, you just don’t know it. It basically means having an endless jukebox in your pocket. You have the liberty to access and listen to millions of songs without ever buying or downloading them. It provides you the opportunity to soundtrack your life by playing music anywhere and at any time. 

Music has undergone an array of changes and so has music streaming. From using these streaming applications to listen to your favourite songs to discovering new artists. Everyone has their go-to application and routes that lead to these discoveries. Understanding and analysing the trends of music streaming has been essential for me as a music marketer, information that can help you as a marketer, musician or simply someone that stumbled upon this article. Let me get to the point, here are a few music streaming trends that you just gotta know about.

1.) Personalised Playlists:

Overhearing a song in a cafe or party, taking the efforts to Shazam and get the name, that was how I discovered music once upon a time. Today, music streaming apps provide us with playlists as per our interests and listening activity, music that is familiar, similar and new. From ‘Top Trending’ to ‘Pop Mix’, there is so much music to discover. Sometimes, all I do is put my playlist on shuffle and let the streaming universe determine what I get to listen to.

2.) Social Media:

One of the most sought after mediums used for music streaming, and I'm not just talking about YouTube. The last decade has witnessed a ginormous decrease in attention span of consumers. You don’t have the patience to sit and watch a music video or listen to a song that is 3 minutes long. You use Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts for entertainment in the form of short spurts of serotonin. These platforms are potentially the most effective format to establish a visual association to an audio. With high exploring power, you have the ability to discover new artists and build your fan base. A big example of this is an artist like Gravero, who has made mass-consumable remixes on his platforms, acquiring the attention of major labels who hope to promote their music in new ways.

How many times have you heard a song on a reel and gone back to your preferred streaming app to listen to the whole song? How many times have you listened to a song again and again to learn a specific TikTok dance? Yeah, that’s pretty much how social media influences music streaming.

3.) OTT Content:

The pandemic changed the entire landscape of content consumption. Musicians today hope to have their music featured in both OTT Shows and Web Series. These shows generate a high recall value for music by providing a visual association like no other. Aise Kyun from Mismatched and Ghodey Pe Sawaar from Qala are the most appropriate examples I can think of, from the playlists of these series. Other than music that is featured, many shows have gone on to create special playlists in partnership with streaming platforms that resonate with their characters. Special playlists made for the show Little Things, is an example I can innumerate.

4.) Podcasts:

Another trend in music streaming is the increasing popularity of podcasts. Many streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music, now offer a wide range of podcasts on a variety of topics, from news and politics to true crime and entertainment. The rise of podcasts has also led to a resurgence in radio-style programming, with many streaming services now offering live radio stations as well.

At the end, from one knowledge seeker to another, the best thing you can do to feed your soul is LISTEN - to music, new artists and just people talking, you might get more insights than you expected!Music streaming has changed the way we listen to music, offering access to a vast library of songs from around the world. By using algorithms to create personalized playlists, offering a wide range of podcasts, and integrating social media features, music streaming services have made it easier than ever for users to discover new music and share their favorite songs with others. As music streaming continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative features and trends in the years to come.