What you need to know

Both the music and video streaming markets continue to grow rapidly. The value of music subscriptions increased by 49% in 2015 and the value of video subscriptions was up by 33%. Mintel forecasts that this growth will continue over the next five years as the transition from physical to digital continues and the market infrastructure adapts to consumer streaming demands.

The music market has been significantly altered over the last year with the introduction of Apple Music, Amazon Prime Music and Tidal, leaving all services looking for ways of distinguishing themselves to consumers. Music streaming services are also facing increased industry push-back in regards to artist pay and are looking to avoid alienating powerful artists who have been shown to have sway on consumer choice.

Original content has become a focal point for the major video streaming services, with Netflix and Amazon making heavy investments in regards to producing new content, including films. Mintel’s consumer research shows the draw of high-quality exclusive content, along with early access to films, highlighting the importance of such investment.

Definition

This Report looks at streaming of free or paid-for video and music using online services or mobile apps. Download-only services are not included within the scope of this Report, however, some streaming services offer the facility to save or purchase files on an individual basis, for either online or offline play.  

The market value for the music streaming industry is based on subscription revenues that typically give a user unlimited online access to an extensive range of tracks, which can normally be accessed on a range of connected devices (eg smartphones, tablets and laptops). Any revenues gained from advertising are not included in the market size.

The market value for the video streaming industry is based on subscription revenues only and does not include one-off transactions made to either rent or download TV programmes or films, though these additional revenues are referred to within the analysis where relevant.

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