For my project, I am interested in researching the topic of music streaming, specifically the growth of Spotify, the digital music industry’s leading service. Over the past few years, streaming music use has become rampant over downloading, CD sales, and most importantly piracy; three different media I have come to use. As a frequent music consumer (listener, fanatic, nerd, etc.), I take advantage of any medium necessary to receive the product, even if it came to illegally downloading. I am a recently new user of Spotify for its simple, convenient, yet grand platform that offers an unlimited music library for free with limited advertisements. “Streaming’s the future, whether people like it or not” claims Jonathan Dickens, manager of Pop/Soul artist Adele. In this paper I plan on exploring the roots of Spotify and why exactly it is the future of the music industry? Why are their mixed opinions on the topic?

I feel this topic will address music fans, like myself, who are interested in the business of music and where exactly the financial gain is in using streaming services. How exactly are the artists benefitting from this? Which is where I will lead into the views of different mainstream and smaller/less popular artists. Music is my primary interest as a musician, as well as a consumer. For anyone who listens to music, Spotify is a great way to have access to your own personal library without even touching your wallet. It is a key tool for any music fan.

I plan on including specific references to the financials behind music streaming services and statistics of recent use the past few years. I will include responses from leading artists in the field as well as personal interviews with local musicians.

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For my project I want to focus on the foundation of music streaming and the leading streaming service in the digital music industry: Spotify. Surprisingly, I have just started using Spotify. It is so convenient, easy to use, and a necessity for any music fan.  An online, portable service that offers an unlimited music library… for free. Who would say know to that? As of now, I plan on explaining music streaming as a whole, focusing specifically on Spotfy’s role in comparison to other services and the opinions of the consumer versus the musician.

In the article  Spotify’s Daniel Ek: The Most Important Man In Music, Steven Bertoni interviews Daniel Ek, co-founder of the leading music streaming service Spotify, and Ek’s role as a music fan and business man in the growth of his company. Though many  have yet to agree with Ek on financial terms, Spotify is the future and  most convenient service for music listeners: “The music industry has been waiting more than a decade for Ek. Or more specifically, someone, anyone, who could build something more enticing to consumers than piracy while providing a sustainable revenue model” (Bertoni). In 2008, Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon launched Spotify: a digital music streaming service that offers access to an almost unlimited music library. Using the two facets of love for music and technology, the young entrepreneurs created Spotify with the hope of creating “an entire music ecosystem” (Bertoni). Let alone, to provide this service for free.

Bertoni, Steven. “Spotify’s Daniel Ek: The Most Important Man In Music”. Forbes. 4 Jan. 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
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