In our time, more and more users are paying a subscription fee to access music. According to the IFPI Global Music Report, 255 million people around the world currently use paid music streaming services
So it's no surprise that the music industry has turned its attention to YouTube Music and Amazon, both of which have begun offering limited free streaming services in the past two weeks.
The truth is, of course, that these services are only offered through smart devices (YouTube on Google Home and Amazon on Echo), so the user will have to make an initial investment to access free music.
Spotify, the streaming leader, has surpassed the 100 million subscriber mark, as revealed by Music Week, and the last thing it needs is competition in the free streaming space. However, the main concern for music creators is how this will affect the perception of music's value in the eyes of the public, which has already begun to rise.
In an ideal world, inflation alone would ensure that the cost of a streaming subscription — which has been unchanged since Spotify launched — would go up, not down. YouTube has a huge number of users who are used to not paying for music, even though Amazon customers have been digging into their pockets to access music since CDs were first released. And what if Apple Music — which has been gaining huge subscriber numbers lately and recently opted not to appeal a Copyright Board ruling that music creators were entitled to higher streaming royalties — decides it wants to join in on the free-to-play game?
After all, while some people may still want music available for free, musicians no longer want to sell their work so cheaply.
