The global cloud music services market is expected to register a CAGR of 10.56% during the forecast period 2018-2023.
The scope of the report is limited to the types of services offered by major players, which involves download, subscription, and ad-based streaming. On the other hand, the platforms considered in the scope of the report include smartphones, laptops, tablets, cars, and cloud-enabled stereo-system.
Cloud music services are primarily used to increase access to music by overcoming limitations imposed by the device storing capacity or lack of ownership. Streaming, subscription, and other cloud services provide listeners with service agreements to rent music out for a certain fee or under certain conditions.
The increasing integration of analytics in the music industry is expected to be one of the key trends that are gaining traction in the cloud music services market. The backing from curators, editors, and data analytics systems enables record companies to provide customers with customized music experience. Data analytics systems in the music industry enable streaming service providers to identify the music preferences of the customers. This enables the service providers to make intelligent/smart music recommendations for their customers, which increases the number of hours a user spends listening to music.
Increasing Penetration of Smartphones & Tablets drives the Market for Cloud Music Services
In 2016, the number of smartphones sold to consumers was around 1.5 billion units, which was a significant increase from the 680 million units sold in 2012. Thus, over 28% of the global population owned a smart device in 2016, a figure that is expected to increase to 37% by 2020. With the growing number of smartphones and tablets, the music listener’s behaviour is changing.
Smartphones provide listeners with more portability, and users can listen to any music, anytime, and anywhere. This is expected to drive the demand for cloud music, owing to unlimited storage, accessibility, connectivity, and affordability. As smartphones have more scope for data connectivity compared to laptops (laptops can be connected only through wired network or Wi-Fi), they support better accessibility to the need for on-demand cloud music services.
Ad-based Streaming Service has Been Growing as a Service Type
Advertisement-based music streaming generated about USD 782 million worth revenue in 2015, and the figure is expected to increase to around USD 1 billion by the end of 2017. This growth is attributed to an accelerating shift in consumer behaviour, with listeners increasingly choosing streaming over downloading, as well as a number of new players entering into the world of music streaming. Ad-based streaming services are expected to receive backing from music firms as well, as the services have helped the music industry battle piracy.
Apps, like Spotify and Apple Music, almost swiped out Napster and LimeWire from the market through complete convenience. Customers just have to listen to a couple of ads and they can get most of the songs at a faster rate and in better quality. In 2015, Spotify’s advertising revenue grew by 380% in the first quarter, compared to the same period last year. The increase in the revenue was augmented by the growing numbers of users toward the end of last year, which brought its user base to around 60 million, 45 million of whom were on the freemium services that include ads.
Asia-Pacific has High Growth Potential
In APAC, more than 50% of digital music revenue is generated from music streaming. This growth has been reinforced by the advent of a generation of digital connectivity and more localized and personalized curation. Moreover, connectivity, a prerequisite for digital music consumption in general, and cloud music services in particular, has improved significantly.
This is a result of the mobile network operators’ big investment in infrastructure (about USD 600 billion), which is expected to facilitate the provision of about 90% 3G coverage and about 70% 4G-network coverage for the Asian consumers by 2020. About 50% of the revenue from Asian music streaming in 2015 was generated from the population group under 35 years of age. Nearly half the media consumption by the millennial population is digital. Thus, the presence of a huge youth population provides an opportunity for the region’s cloud music service provider.
Notable Developments in the Market
March 2018 – NetEase Cloud music entered into a cross-licensing agreement with AliMusic. These provide custom recommendations, which enable users to discover and share music.
October 2017 – Apple and GE partnered to deliver powerful industrial apps that were designed to bring predictive data and analytics from Predix, GE’s industrial Internet of Things (IoT) platform, to iPhone and iPad.
Key Topics Covered
1. Introduction
1.1 Key Study Deliverables
1.2 Market Definition
1.3 Study Assumptions
2. Research Methodology
3. Executive Summary
4. Market Insights
4.1 Market Overview
4.2 Industry Attractiveness – Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
5. Market Dynamics
5.1 Market drivers
5.1.1 Increasing Penetration of Smartphones and Tablets
5.1.2 Elimination of Storage
5.1.3 Higher Internet Access Speed
5.2 Market Restraints
5.2.1 High Internet Access Cost
5.2.2 High Band Width Consumption
6. Technological Overview
7. Global Cloud Music Services Market Segmentation
7.1 By Service Type
7.1.1 Download
7.1.2 Subscription
7.1.3 Ad-based Streaming
7.1.4 Other Service Types
7.2 By Platform
7.2.1 Smartphones
7.2.2 Laptops
7.2.3 Tablets
7.2.4 Car
7.2.5 Cloud Enabled Stereo system
7.2.6 Other Platforms
7.3 By Geography
7.3.1 North America
7.3.2 Europe
7.3.3 Asia-Pacific
7.3.4 Rest of the world
8. Key Vendor Profiles
8.1 Apple Inc.
8.2 Amazon.com, Inc.
8.3 Pandora
8.4 Spotify Ltd
8.5 Rdio Inc.
8.6 Google
8.7 Microsoft Corp.
8.8 Sound Cloud
8.9 Tune-In Radio
8.10 Rhapsody
8.11 My Space LLC
8.12 Saavn LLC
8.13 Samsung Music Hub
8.14 Grooveshark
8.15 Gaana.com
8.16 Aspiro
8.17 Last.fm
8.18 Beats Electronics LLC
The list is Not Exhaustive
9. Investment analysis
9.1 Recent Mergers and Acquisitions
9.2 Investment Scenario and Opportunities
10. Future of Cloud Music Services Market
