Consumers

Music Discovery and Streaming Economics in the Digital Era Music discovery is the gate that connects listeners to new sounds and to the money that pays artists. In streaming, how people find songs matters as much as the songs themselves, because discovery drives engagement and revenue at the same time. A thoughtful recommendation can turn a casual listener into a devoted fan. Discovery happens through several channels: Algorithms that learn from listening habits to suggest tracks Editorial playlists created by curators User-made playlists and radio-like stations that reflect taste On the economics side, streaming blends subscriptions and ads. A portion of each stream goes to rights holders, who pass it along to labels, publishers, and artists. Payout rates vary by country, plan type, and catalog popularity. The math is complex, and the result is that earnings per stream are often a small fraction. ...