Streaming: The Future of the Music Industry

Music streaming services such as Spotify, Rdio and Deezer offer a new and legal way to listen to music via the internet without purchasing an entire album. In 2011, the number of streaming service users rose by 65 percent worldwide. One benefit to consumers is the exceptionally large music selection. Because several listening devices can be associated with one subscription, synchronizing is no longer necessary. But there are disadvantages as well - once the subscription ends, all the music is gone. And there’s also controversy within the music industry. Some streaming providers say that the services help draw in young music fans, who otherwise would have illegally downloaded their music from the web. If that’s true, streaming could even help curb music piracy.