It’s officially December, which is when folks tend to start looking back on how their year went. That perhaps most notably applies to the music world, as early December is when users of streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify get their year-end listening activity recaps that take over social media. Well, Apple Music’s version of that, Replay 2024, has arrived today (December 3).
The experience is available now via either the Apple Music app (for iPhone users on iOS 18.1 or later) or replay.music.apple.com.
Aside from the usual look at a user’s most-playing songs, artists, and albums of the year, Apple has introduced some new features this year. Previously, users could see if they were among the top 100 listeners of a certain artist or genre, but now that has been expanded to the top 500 and top 1,000. Users can also learn the most consecutive days they’ve listened to Apple Music.
Other highlights include the top artist streak, which lets users see if they’ve had an artist as their top artist for consecutive months. There’s also a monthly replay, and a date of first play, so users can see when they first listened to their top song, artist, and album.
Meanwhile, Apple Music also unveiled its year-end charts today. Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” was the top-streamed song on Apple Music globally, Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” was the most-identified song on Shazam, and Dua Lipa’s “Houdini” is the most-played song on radio worldwide.
People not from a select few parts of the world might not know this, but TikTok has a streaming music app: TikTok Music launched in July 2023 and is currently available in Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and Singapore. If you’re a user of the platform, enjoy it while it lasts: TikTok announced today (September 24) that TikTok Music will shut down on on November 28, just over a year after its launch.
TikTok Music shared an announcement online, reading in part, “Dear users, We are sorry to inform you that TikTok Music will be closing on November 28, 2024. After this date, access to TikTok Music, including login, subscriptions, and all other functionalities, will no longer be available.”
It goes on to encourage users to transfer their playlists to other platforms by October 28, and to request refunds by November 28. The TikTok Music website has more instructions.
Ole Obermann, TikTok’s global head of music business development, said in a statement (as Billboard reports), “Our Add to Music App feature has already enabled hundreds of millions of track saves to playlists on partner music streaming services. We will be closing TikTok Music at the end of November in order to focus on our goal of furthering TikTok’s role in driving even greater music listening and value on music streaming services, for the benefit of artists, songwriters and the industry.”
At the time of TikTok Music’s launch in 2023, Obermann hailed the platform as “a new kind of service that combines the power of music discovery on TikTok with a best-in-class streaming service.”
Picture this: It’s late Thursday night, minutes away from Friday. In a few moments, this week’s wave of new music releases will hit Spotify. Somebody inevitably goes for Drake’s throat on a new song again. Once fans get their first listen of the diss track, they’ll flock to X (formerly Twitter) to talk about Drizzy’s latest L. Topics related to new music are regularly X’s top trending topics on Friday morning, and it’s where much of the online conversation about what’s new in music happens.
The obvious reason is that Spotify isn’t a social media platform. But, Spotify execs have perhaps also gone through the thought process I just laid out.
Earlier this week, Spotify introduced the ability to leave comments on podcast episodes. In the announcement post, Spotify notes, “Our new Comments feature expands on the Q&A and polls functionality we introduced in 2021 as a way to bring interactivity into the podcasting industry for the first time. And interactivity is a feature that already has listeners and creators buzzing: More than 9 million unique Spotify listeners have interacted with a Q&A or poll just this year, and there’s been 80% year-over-year growth in the number of total Q&A responses and votes from listeners.”
So, Spotify has the users and at least a portion of them have expressed interest in more interactive ways to use the platform. Perhaps introducing commenting to podcasts is a way for Spotify to test and soft-launch a new era: Spotify as music-based social media platform, where users can listen to and discuss music in the same place.
If that is their plan, though, and they already have a framework for comment functionality, why not just roll it out big-time and let users comment on songs and albums now?
Well, being a giant internet company doesn’t mean a social media expansion will be an automatic success. We saw this happen with Google: They launched Google+ (which you probably forgot about, or perhaps never heard of) in 2011. The Facebook clone failed to gain significant traction and ceased operations a few years later. That’s not to say that Google rushed into it, but this does illustrate that nothing is guaranteed, no matter how dominant you are in other areas.
So, trying to pivot into social media is a big swing, and it’s smart of Spotify to take some practice cuts in the on-deck circle before stepping up to the plate. After all, if full-fledged social media is on Spotify’s agenda, there are still so many factors to consider. Would the platform be purely comments-based, or could users make their own posts? Will there be a way to see the best posts and users across the entire platform, or will each song’s/album’s comments section be its own beast? Will there be appropriate moderation in place to stop Neil Young from spamming comments about audio quality? That’s just a sampling of the major questions Spotify would have to work out ahead of a launch of this scale.
The opportunity appears to be there, though: Spotify is the world’s biggest music streaming platform and it continues to grow. Public opinion of X has waned ever since Elon Musk took over. (That’s not to say Spotify is without its controversies, though.) Many social media users would seemingly embrace a new forum for discussing music, especially one that lets them do it without switching out of the app they’re already listening in. It could certainly be a major value proposition for Spotify to help increase the gap between them and streaming competitors like Apple Music. It would also make them a unique presence in the social media landscape.
This is all assuming that Spotify even wants this — that they actually aim to expand comments beyond podcasts. We don’t know that for sure, but if that is the path they’re on, our Thursday nights and Friday mornings could look very different in the future.
In case you missed it: In late May, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek shared a statement in which he described the “cost of creating content” as being “close to zero.” His comments were more likely about the barrier to entry being lower than it has before than it was about devaluing or underestimating the resources is takes to create music. Still, what he said rubbed people the wrong way.
Today, with the cost of creating content being close to zero, people can share an incredible amount of content. This has sparked my curiosity about the concept of long shelf life versus short shelf life. While much of what we see and hear quickly becomes obsolete, there are…
That includes Deadmau5, who caught wind of the quote a few days ago and wrote on Instagram, “Incorrect. The cost of creating content was 25+ years of my life and much of those proceeds going to your company you complete f*cking idiot.” In response to a comment about hating Spotify, he responded (as NME notes), “I feel that, I’m about to pull my catalog from these f*cking vultures, enough’s enough.”
In the comments, Dutch DJ Leroy Styles went long outlining some of the costs involved with making music:
“This is crazy. It’s almost zero or a couple of zeros!!
Here’s a breakdown of some of the costs.
High-Performance Laptop for Music Production
For a high-performance laptop suitable for music production, consider models such as:
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1 Max, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD): Around $3,499
Dell XPS 17 (32GB RAM, 2TB SSD): Around $3,000
Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition (32GB RAM, 1TB SSD): Around $3,999
Total Estimated Cost
Adding up these costs, assuming no sales or discounts:
VST Plugins:
Omnisphere: $499
Komplete 14 Ultimate: $1,599
Waves Mercury: $7,599
UAD Ultimate: $4,999
EastWest ComposerCloud X: $239.88/year
FabFilter Total Bundle: $899
iZotope Everything Bundle: $1,999
Soundtoys 5 Bundle: $499
Arturia V Collection: $599
Slate Digital All Access Pass: $179.88/year
Total for Plugins: $18,910.76 + $419.76/year
And then your time making music. Recording Studio Time:
Professional studios can charge from $50 to $500+ per hour.
Producer Fees:
Producers might charge per track or hour, ranging from $300 to $10,000+ depending on their reputation and experience.
Session Musicians:
Rates can range from $50 to $500+ per hour or per song.
Mixing and Mastering:
Mixing engineers typically charge $200 to $1,000+ per track.
Mastering can cost between $50 to $500+ per track.
Equipment and Software:
Purchasing or renting instruments, microphones, and recording software can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Promotion and Distribution:
Digital distribution services (like DistroKid, TuneCore) can charge $20 to $50+ per year.
Marketing campaigns, including social media ads, can range from $100 to $10,000+.
Miscellaneous Costs:
Travel, lodging, and other incidental expenses can add up.
Overall, the total cost to produce a single song can range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars, while a full album can cost significantly more. My 1st album has cost me 18k euro.
And don’t forget your time!!”
Ek responded to the original wave of backlash in early June, writing, “I understand how it came across as very reductive and that wasn’t my intent. Just to clarify – my original point was not to devalue the time, effort, or resources involved in creating meaningful works, whether it’s music, literature, or other forms of creative expression. […] The significant drop in the cost of creation tools (microphones, laptops, cameras) has led to an unprecedented explosion in the volume of what people are able to produce.”
Obviously seeing the feedback to this one and wanted to respond. It’s clear I was far too vague in the post, including with my clumsy definition of content. I understand how it came across as very reductive and that wasn’t my intent. Just to clarify – my original point was not to… https://t.co/kMR0zE17Ay
The price of everything seems to be going up, and it seems that way because it’s true. Now, though, Spotify has introduced a new “Basic” plan that is now its most affordable premium offering.
What Do You Get With Spotify’s New ‘Basic’ Plan?
The announcement post from Spotify says, “Enjoy the music streaming benefits of your Premium plan without the monthly audiobook listening time. Starting at $10.99/month for eligible users.” As for what the Premium plan offers, the post relays, “Enjoy offline and ad-free music listening anytime, anywhere with unlimited skips. Your plan gives you 15 hours of audiobook listening time per month from our subscriber catalog of over 250,000 titles. $11.99/month.” So, as stated, Basic offers all that except for the audiobook element.
As TechCrunch notes, this new plan comes just weeks after Spotify upped the price of the Premium plan from $10.99 to 11.99. With the introduction of the Basic tier, Spotify for $10.99 a month is back on the table after a brief absence.
As for when the Basic plan will be available, it actually is right now, as it’s currently an option on the Spotify Premium page.
The available Spotify tiers seem likely to undergo continued change beyond this. Last year, there were reports that a more expensive premium subscription is in the works.
Last month, it was reported that Spotify would be raising its prices soon. It turns out the reports were true, as today (July 24), Spotify announced that prices will indeed be going up.
“Since launching in 2008, Spotify has innovated and invested to build the best audio experience for you and your favorite artists and creators. We have continually revealed new opportunities for fans and creators to connect through the power of our platform, from discovery tools like our new AI DJ, to fan-favorite shared experiences like Blend and the introduction of podcasts and audiobook content.
With 200+ million Premium subscribers, we’re also proud to be the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, giving Premium users access to on-demand and ad-free music listening, offline music downloads, and quality music streaming. The market landscape has continued to evolve since we launched. So that we can keep innovating, we are changing our Premium prices across a number of markets around the world. These updates will help us continue to deliver value to fans and artists on our platform.”
It then outlines the new prices for its various plans in the US: $10.99 for Premium Individual, $14.99 for Premium Duo, $16.99 for Premium Family, and $5.99 for Premium Student. The post also links to an FAQ page with more information, which notes in regards to when the new pricing will go into effect, “Existing Spotify Premium plan subscribers will be notified via email and given a one-month grace period before the new price becomes effective, unless they cancel before the grace period ends.”
As The Hollywood Reporter notes, the new prices for all plans are now $1 greater than before, except for Premium Duo, which jumped by $2. The increased prices put Spotify on par with Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music, all of which are also currently $10.99 per month.
A couple months ago, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek spoke about the streaming service’s future, saying in part, “I think we are ready to raise prices, I think we have the ability to do that, but it really comes down to those negotiations [with major music industry stakeholders].”
Now, in a follow-up to that news, it appears Spotify could be readying a more expensive tier of streaming service. As Bloomberg reports, Spotify is readying a new, pricier subscription option dubbed “Supremium” internally, according to “people familiar with the strategy.” It’s set to be the most expensive plan Spotify offers and will reportedly include high-fidelity audio. The new tier is expected to launch this year in non-US markets before becoming available to American users.
In response to the new report, Spotify spokesperson Laura Pezzini told The Verge, “At Spotify, we are constantly iterating and ideating to improve our product offering and offer value to users. But we don’t comment on speculation around possible new features and do not have anything new to share at this time.”
Back in 2021, Spotify announced (but has yet to deliver) Spotify HiFi, so perhaps it’s finally just about ready for consumers. Earlier this year, Spotify co-president Gustav Söderström said to The Verge of Spotify HiFi, “We announced it, but then the industry changed for a bunch of reasons. We are going to do it, but we’re going to do it in a way where it makes sense for us and for our listeners. The industry changed and we had to adapt.”
In 2016, he signed an exclusive deal with Amazon to bring his music to streaming. Now, he has elaborated on what he saw in Amazon that he didn’t in other services.
As Digital Music News reports, at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville yesterday (March 13), Brooks said that it has to do with Amazon’s ability to sell physical releases of albums and how that benefits songwriters like himself:
“The fact is that Amazon is a retailer as well. So you can sign your streaming deal, but part of that streaming deal is to move those physical units so the songwriters get paid. And people, we can talk all day that ‘Garth went on to raise his kids, what a great…’ — Garth did that for himself. I stick up for the songwriters because I’m freakin’ one of them! Everything I do for the songwriters, I do for myself.
I’m the most selfish guy you’ve ever met, OK? But if we don’t take care of these songwriters, what do you guys have to play? It’s just tough, so that’s why I love partnering with [Amazon]. So the physical comes in, and nobody’s doing physical anymore. So these songwriters are still doing well.
And I hope that songwriters want to get a Garth Brooks cut. One, because I hope that they think that it would be cool. But two, right behind it closely, I hope it’s because they know that if you’re a Garth Brooks songwriter, you’re going to get paid.”
Given Brooks’ popularity, other platforms have tried to lure him. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek once even had a meeting with Brooks to try to get him on board. In 2017, Brooks said of Spotify and Apple Music:
“Spotify came in, Daniel Ek came down to sit with me, sweet man, I love Daniel, great guy. I think he gets a lot of crap. His parents were both street musicians — he’s a good guy who understands music, and I think he wants to help and believes 100 percent he’s helping.
Apple’s a little different story. They came in with their own set of rules, and if you’re already established, you have to change to get to them. I’m never going to change to fit their rules. Nice guys, we have respect for each other, we’re just never going to work together. So we were kind of dead in the water. Then out of the blue, thank God, Amazon shows up and wants to get into the streaming business. The views they shared seemed to correlate with the views we shared.”
