WEEKLY WHEATIES #2520
Music Streaming, Android, Social Media, Streaming Wars
In this newsletter:
📝 Post: The Great Music Migration: Are We Ready for Streaming's Successor?
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: Android Updates
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: Social Media Updates
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: The Streaming Wars Are Gearing Up
😎 Pick of the Week: Music Picks
📦 Featured Product: Pocket Synthesizer
📝 The Great Music Migration: Are We Ready for Streaming's Successor?
Last week, a friend shared a post with me that joked about the music struggles of Generation X. As much as they may be the ‘forgotten generation,’ they’ve also had to deal with particular struggles specific to them. And one of the biggest (at least in the tech space) and perhaps most overlooked is that of music. The joke goes like this:
Gen X had to replace their record collection with a tape (8-track and/or cassette) collection. Then had to replace their tape collection with a CD collection. Then had to replace their CD collection with an MP3 collection. And now they need a subscription. Or maybe they’ll be able to use their vinyl again…
But they’re not alone with their Spotify or Apple Music. A record 100 million Americans now pay for a music subscription. While the chart shared in the article could be construed as showing the music industry is leveling off and possibly ready for a decline in streaming as something else takes over (if history is doomed to repeat itself), there’s nothing coming in to take its place.
Something else the chart doesn’t account for is how many people stream music, but do not subscribe to a monthly plan. In this case, they are served up ads that still help to pay the musicians their royalties, but that discussion is much deeper, and I’m not educated enough in that area to talk intelligently about it.
What I do know and can witness in the music world is that we have been seeing much more individual singers rather than groups or bands, along with them staying independent artists and not signing with a record label. This may be because there are a lot more ways creatives can make money online today, outside of just selling their music.
Another reason the streaming space may appear to be leveling off may include podcasts and audiobooks. They take up a lot of ‘screen time’ that would otherwise be taken up by music. While they can have advertisers and also make money through alternate means, no one typically pays for access to a given podcast or pays for a subscription to audiobooks. You may pay for the Patreon or other type of extra access for a podcast, and may have a monthly subscription to Audible or the like, but that would typically come with a credit that you specifically dictate towards one book - it’s not a subscription to access thousands of other books.
On a podcast I listen to, one of the hosts made a comment about comedians that also may fit in this discussion. Essentially, most comedians nowadays do one of two things. They either work the crowd like a champ, or they tell longer stories with smaller jokes within, and a few that pay off at the end. There aren’t many popular one-liner comedians anymore to follow Mitch Hedberg and Demetri Martin.
So, along those lines, I would like to end with one other potential reason I would argue music streaming may be dwindling. At least by comparison. Put simply, I’m just not sure people are listening to as much music anymore. Or at least by itself. Our short attention spans are replaced with social media (which may include music), and our ‘working sessions’ are being replaced with audiobooks, podcasts, or lofi background music accessed elsewhere.
If you do still listen to music regularly and are trying to decide what path to take or what apps are available, you can see my post on Music Streaming Services in Weekly Wheaties #2315. Should you be a Spotify user, make sure to check out the new Spotify DJ that now takes requests.
So, if streaming does go away, what would take its place?
🗞️ ICYMI: Android Updates
Google, the primary developer and keeper of the Android Operating System, announced Material 3 Expressive, a colorful evolution of Android design. They also just changed their ‘G’ logo, so don’t let that confuse you. With this update to Android, there were a bunch of features and updates shared on The Android Show: I/O Edition. These include: a major redesign as mentioned, with new colors, animations, and typography (all customizable); live updates; Gemini AI updates - including availability across the Google lineup of hardware devices; security updates, a new Find Hub to track your devices, and much more.
Another device running Android was announced, too: The Samsung S25 Edge. As one of the thinnest and most powerful flagship devices on the market, you can place pre-orders today. Watch the announcement replay on YouTube, and visit Samsung.com for options.
🗞️ ICYMI: Social Media Updates
TikTok introduced AI Alive, which “transforms static photos into dynamic, immersive videos directly within TikTok Stories.” Many people have used third-party tools to do this in the past, but being built directly within TikTok may allow many users to take advantage of it. Inching us closer to a real-life version of Hogwarts Portraits.
A competing platform may start gaining a bit more traction as users are finally remembering that it’s called X now, not Twitter. With that said, Pope Leo XIV is continuing the tradition of sharing on social media. Check out Pontifex on X and Instagram.
🗞️ ICYMI: The Streaming Wars Are Gearing Up
If you still haven’t cut the cord yet, you may be getting closer, whether you like it or not. For an update, check out my post in Weekly Wheaties #2503. With the many announcements in this space just last week, more and more shows, movies, and sporting events will only be accessible through some streaming outlet and not the typical cable packages. And either way, it’s becoming much easier to get everything via streaming, even if it isn’t as easy to find everything.
First up, the Fox streaming service will be named Fox One, and will include Fox News and NFL games. Next, an updated ESPN direct-to-consumer streaming service is set for a fall launch and will include the roster of sports networks under the ESPN brand. Following suit and banking on their namesake, Warner Bros. Discovery announces Max will rebrand to become HBO Max this summer. You know, the same name they first had… Lastly, to give you a reason to subscribe to their service, Peacock finally adds 'The Office: Superfan Episodes', unavailable anywhere else.
As one of the most popular non-network streaming services, Netflix says their ad-supported tier is doing really well. Ad plans are great for people who don’t mind them and would like to save a few bucks, so this is welcomed, and it’s great they can make money with it, because that indicates it will stay around. What you may not believe, though, is that YouTube’s ad division is almost as big as Netflix’s entire business, as well as being the most-watched TV platform. Keep in mind, this is YouTube.com, not YouTube TV.
😎 POTW: Music Picks
In line with this week’s topic, here are some fun picks from around the web regarding Music:
📦 Featured Product
Again, keeping the music theme going, have you ever heard of The Original Pocket Electronic Synthesizer? Because I didn’t and thought it was pretty cool. I wanted to order it for my kids, but then I realized how crazy it would make me if they were playing it all the time. Although this review on YouTube may have sold me. It also has a Star Wars-esque appeal to it, yes?
