Streaming Royalties in 2026: Why the Revenue Model Remains Under Fire
The economics of music streaming continue to spark intense debate across the industry. While platforms have successfully transformed access to music, their royalty structures are increasingly scrutinized for concentrating revenue among a tiny fraction of tracks and artists. As new “artist-centric” payment models emerge, the conversation is shifting from raw…
Deezer Flow Tuner: A Human-First Shift in Music Streaming Personalization
In an era where algorithms increasingly dictate listening habits, Deezer is taking a decisive step to rebalance the relationship between machine intelligence and human preference. With the introduction of Flow Tuner, the platform strengthens user control over recommendations, signaling a strategic shift toward a more transparent, human-centric streaming experience. This…
Spotify Enters the Era of AI and Immersive Content
Spotify is no longer just a music streaming service — it is rapidly evolving into a multimedia entertainment hub where audio, video, and AI-driven personalization converge. As competition intensifies across the streaming landscape, the platform is embracing artificial intelligence, integrated video content, and cross-service interoperability to redefine how audiences discover…
Deezer Reinvents Personalization While Taking a Stand Against AI Noise
In a streaming economy dominated by algorithmic opacity and content overload, Deezer is charting a different course. The French platform is doubling down on user control, ethical discovery, and transparency — positioning itself as the service where listeners reclaim influence over what they hear and where artists benefit from a…
Napster Reborn as an AI Music Lab
From Piracy Icon to Generative Streaming Pioneer For a generation raised on dial-up modems and MP3 folders, the name Napster evokes equal parts nostalgia and disruption. Once the emblem of peer-to-peer file sharing that shook the foundations of the music industry, Napster has returned with a radically different ambition. Its…
YouTube Music Introduces AI Playlist Creation
A Strategic Shift Toward Conversational Discovery In the increasingly competitive streaming landscape, incremental updates rarely move the needle. But YouTube Music’s latest AI-powered playlist feature signals something more strategic than a simple UI tweak. It represents a deliberate push toward conversational music discovery — and a redefinition of how users…
Spotify’s XXL Growth: 751 Million Users and the Quiet Consolidation of Audio Power
Spotify is no longer just a streaming platform posting strong quarters. It is becoming the gravitational center of the global audio economy. At the end of Q4 2025, the company reported 751 million monthly active users, including 290 million paying subscribers. Those figures are not incremental progress. They represent one…
YouTube Tightens the Screws — and Quietly Redefines Premium
YouTube is once again reminding users who’s in charge of the rules of the game. Over the past few days, the platform has begun enforcing stricter blocks on background playback through mobile browsers — a long-standing workaround used by listeners who wanted music or podcasts playing with the screen off,…
AI Music Is Flooding Streaming Platforms — And the Industry Is Pushing Back
Artificial intelligence didn’t knock on the door of the music industry — it walked straight in. What started as a promising creative tool has rapidly evolved into a systemic challenge for streaming platforms, artists, and rights holders. The question is no longer whether AI belongs in music, but how its…
