The Streaming Saviour We Didn't See Coming
The first, and most obvious, change is streaming. To me, the shift from buying a CD to subscribing to a service like Spotify is like swapping a series of unpredictable one-night stands for a steady, paying relationship. The old model was lumpy and unreliable. A record label would spend a fortune on an artist, hoping for a blockbuster album. Sometimes it worked, mostly it didn't.
Now, companies like Spotify have millions of people paying them a fee every single month, like clockwork. This creates a predictable, recurring river of cash that the old guard could only dream of. And the big labels, like Warner Music Group, are positioned perfectly. They own the content, the vast back catalogues of classics and modern hits. Every time someone streams a song, a tiny sliver of cash flows back to them. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, turning decades of creative output into a modern annuity.