2010s in the music industry

The second decade of the 21st century has continued to usher in new technologies and devices built on the technological foundation established in the previous decade . Technologically speaking, our personal devices and lives have evolved symbiotically, with the personal computer at the center of our daily communications, entertainment, and education. What has changed is accessibility and versatility; users can now perform the same functions and activities of their personal computer on a wide range of devices: smartphones, tablets, and even more recently, smart watches. The increase in personal computing capacity has a profound impact on the way people listen to, promote, and create music.

Digital music distribution is still the primary form of music consumption, with three main business models dominating the scene: subscription-based services, a-la-carte, and advertisement-based services (see 2000s in the music industry).

There are currently five big players in the digital music distribution space: Spotify, Apple Inc, YouTube, Tidal, and Amazon (in order of number of users).

Launched out of Sweden in 2008, Spotify has become the leader of subscription-based digital music consumption with 40 million subscribers worldwide. They have a database of over 8 million songs and offer accessibility via a web, desktop, and mobile application. Spotify currently employs over 1,600 employees and operates as a private organization.

Pricing: $9.99 per month for single users, $4.99 per month for students, and $14.99 for families (up to 6).

Business Model: subscription-based streaming.

Launched in 2003, the iTunes Music Store is the global leader in a-la-carte digital music downloads, with over 26 million songs being offered in their database as of September 2012.

Pricing: The iTunes music store has a three-tiered pricing system, with songs selling for either $.69, $.99, or $1.29 depending on popularity and demand.

Business Model: a-la-carte downloads.

Apple Inc. responded to the increasing demand for subscription-based streaming services (evident by Spotify's success) in June 2015, with the release of Apple Music. Operating in over 100 countries, Apple music offers users their own take on 24/7 radio stations and music suggestions: and "for you" and "new" tab managed by talented music experts.

Pricing: $9.99 per month for single users, and $14.99 for families (up to 6).

Business Model: subscription-based streaming.

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Wikipedia