Topic: Why Streaming Struggles (Read 106660 times)

JimH · « **Reply #100 on:** January 28, 2020, 05:44:50 pm »

Owner Jay-Z moving away from Tidal?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/korihale/2019/12/09/jay-zs-return-to-spotify-could-be-the-nail-in-tidals-coffin/#f180b626b98e

DJLegba · « **Reply #101 on:** January 28, 2020, 06:43:45 pm »

Quote from: JimH on January 28, 2020, 05:44:50 pm

Owner Jay-Z moving away from Tidal?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/korihale/2019/12/09/jay-zs-return-to-spotify-could-be-the-nail-in-tidals-coffin/#f180b626b98e

Did you miss this bit?

"The onset of streaming has poured new life into the music industry, with revenue hitting $5.4 billion earlier this year, $4.3 billion just from streaming services."

JimH · « **Reply #102 on:** January 28, 2020, 06:57:26 pm »

Quote from: DJLegba on January 28, 2020, 06:43:45 pm

Did you miss this bit?

"The onset of streaming has poured new life into the music industry, with revenue hitting $5.4 billion earlier this year, $4.3 billion just from streaming services."

We'll support this area when the services are profitable. Top line dollars are different from bottom line dollars.

DJLegba · « **Reply #103 on:** January 28, 2020, 07:28:58 pm »

Quote from: JimH on January 28, 2020, 06:57:26 pm

We'll support this area when the services are profitable. Top line dollars are different from bottom line dollars.

Apple is closed. Amazon is closed. Spotify appears to be closed. Tidal really is struggling. Who knows how Qobuz will do. What's left anyway?

Bubble has done a good job integrating Tidal (and probably Qobuz, but I can't test that from Canada). I'd pay for a Bubble add-on to MC.

JimH · « **Reply #104 on:** August 04, 2020, 07:42:28 am »

Google Music done. Transfer to Youtube Music.

https://www.slashgear.com/google-music-transfer-to-youtube-music-one-click-transfer-site-launched-13628642/

https://www.engadget.com/google-play-music-shutdown-end-of-2020-150006046.html

https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/4/21354136/google-play-music-shut-down-end-service-youtube-music-date

JimH · « **Reply #105 on:** August 07, 2020, 08:42:14 am »

Tiidal lost $36.9 million in 2018.

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/jay-zs-tidal-saw-global-revenues-rise-to-148m-in-2018-but-us-revenues-fell-20/#:~:text=In%20terms%20of%20financials%2C%20TIDAL,m%2C%20rising%2029.6%25%20YoY.

And that was before competition from Amazon.

JimH · « **Reply #106 on:** September 11, 2020, 07:50:52 am »

Google Play Music article:
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/09/10/the-first-sign-of-google-play-musics-impending-shutdown-has-arrived/

Hendrik · « **Reply #107 on:** September 11, 2020, 12:33:03 pm »

It never made sense that Google had two music services (Play Music and YouTube Music), so one shutting down in favor of the other is not unexpected.

JimH · « **Reply #108 on:** September 11, 2020, 02:28:57 pm »

Quote from: Hendrik on September 11, 2020, 12:33:03 pm

It never made sense that Google had two music services (Play Music and YouTube Music), so one shutting down in favor of the other is not unexpected.

No, but even with Google as the backend service, we'd have a 50 percent chance of choosing which one to support.

Blooloo · « **Reply #109 on:** September 22, 2020, 05:30:37 am »

My experience is that it all depends on where you live.

At present in Australia Hi Rez streaming is only available via Tidal - problem with that for me (with a high end system) is that it sounds anemic, gutless, lacking punch and is bass-shy - can't figure that one out, it's weird. Hell even old 320 Spotify sounds more 'musical' even with it's horrible veil of sludge draped over everything. Also Tidal's algorithms would never suggest new music based on what I like to listen too. It would do so every now and then (electronica, ambient, IDM, glitch, experimental) but would always revert to things I detest - I always had rap and it's derivatives shoved at me. So bye bye Tidal.

We cannot as yet get Qobuz or Amazon hi rez down here, so that left Deezer, which while not hi rez does at least offer hi-fi, CD quality - better than Spotify and will have to do until something changes. It presents very well on my system - detailed, airy with great bass that is clean and well articulated (even in the car via Android to bluetooth). Sorry Tidal, you suck.

I have a huge digital collection of ripped and paid for downloaded Flacs at various resolutions which I listen to mostly, using the streamers to find what I like and then buy and download (if I can)..ha ha, that's Oz issue #2 - we cannot legally buy from US stores such as HD Tracks or Super HiRez, nor from European 2L without a VPN AND (in the case of US) a valid US address. All this can be spoofed if one is desperate enough, but while I have in the past, now I cannot be bothered - too many hoops. Don't they want to make ligit money?
So, because I like a lot of experimental music I can search and buy via Bandcamp at Flac quality and do so most of the time, supporting artist more directly and being very happy to do so.
Cloudplay is great, have uploaded a few playlists and downloaded many - thanks everyone!

Future of Streaming?
Here to stay for quite a while I think BUT, and this for me is a big BUT - with video and music subs it's becoming way too expensive on a monthly basis. I've dropped Spotify, Tidal, Netflix, Stan and at present stay with Deezer, Disney+ and Prime Video. Those, along with my monthly ISP bill push me to the edge of my wallet - if I factor in buying from Bandcamp as well.

Sheeesh! - in the old days it was free am/fm radio, free to air tv and LPs at $5.99!

JimH · « **Reply #110 on:** October 13, 2020, 07:31:16 am »

Google Play Music Store has shut down:
https://9to5google.com/2020/10/12/google-play-music-store-shutdown/

JimH · « **Reply #111 on:** October 22, 2020, 09:54:15 am »

More on Google Play Music's end:

https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/10/22/google-play-music-is-now-officially-dead-dead-dead/

JimH · « **Reply #112 on:** November 11, 2020, 02:19:37 pm »

Quibi, who offered short video episodes, designed for viewing on a phone, just closed. They raised $1.8 Billion and lasted just six months.

Splat.

https://www.theverge.com/21559189/quibi-final-days-streaming-platform-coronavirus

https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/quibi

JimH · « **Reply #113 on:** January 28, 2021, 04:22:49 pm »

Not their latest financial report, but in 2019, Tidal lost $55.8 million on sales of $166.9 millions, most of which probably came from Sprint.

https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2021/01/13/tidal-2019-earnings-report/

https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/project-panther-bidco-report-2019.pdf

That loss is like building a business by selling $100 bills for $67. Somebody is keeping them on life support. Possibly Sprint. Possibly the labels who may not be getting paid very promptly.

JimH · « **Reply #114 on:** March 04, 2021, 09:07:27 am »

Square intends to purchase a majority interest in Tidal for $297 million. No mention of Sprint, who reportedly bought half of Tidal for $200 million a few years ago.

https://squareup.com/us/en/press/tidal?utm_term=_qujoysr9akkfqzmykk0sohzgkn2xppcztfqxh2r200&irgwc=1&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=impact

As the article says, "Why?" Tidal still doesn't come close to making money.

JimH · « **Reply #115 on:** April 30, 2021, 07:10:28 pm »

Spotify financials for 2020:
https://s22.q4cdn.com/540910603/files/doc_financials/2020/q4/4e770a8c-ee99-49a8-9f9e-dcc191807b56.pdf

Scroll down a page and look for this line:

Net loss attributable to owners of the parent (581)

(581) represents a $581,000,000 loss for the year 2020.

JimH · « **Reply #116 on:** May 30, 2021, 12:14:55 pm »

MobiTV raised $163 million, but filed for bankruptcy this year. TiVo bought its assets for $18.5 million.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobiTV

JimH · « **Reply #117 on:** April 10, 2022, 06:31:28 pm »

Not exactly streaming, but still ...

Plex has raised a lot of money.

April, 2021 $50 million.

February, 2022 $20 million

https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/plex/company_financials

So why? If a company raised $50M a year ago, why are they raising $20M now? Either they are losing a lot of money or they feel compelled to spend heavily (acquisitions, for example).

Crunchbase says they've raise $81 million total. $70 million in the last year.

JimH · « **Reply #118 on:** March 20, 2023, 02:27:22 pm »

Spotify lost $270 million on $3.2 billion in their last quarter ending December 22.

https://www.google.com/finance/quote/SPOT:NYSE (Financials are toward the bottom on the right side)

The loss is a little less than 10% of revenue. If the loss continued at this rate, they would run out of cash around the end of 2025.

But they hope to make it up on volume.

JimH · « **Reply #119 on:** January 19, 2024, 01:47:21 am »

Billboard in-depth article about Tidal and Block's strategy:
https://www.billboard.com/business/streaming/tidal-streaming-service-block-financial-services-1235544785/

It also covers streaming in general.

"And yet, the music streaming business model has yet to produce many profits for anyone, even a company as big and as synonymous with the space as Spotify, which reported a 2022 annual operating loss of 659 million euros (around $720 million) and recently slashed 17% of its work force, or some 1,500 jobs, in the pursuit of profits."

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Author Topic: Why Streaming Struggles (Read 106660 times)