Streaming Now Officially the Number One Way We Listen to Music in America (pitchfork.com)

An anonymous reader writes: It's official: according to a new year-end report released by Nielsen, over the course of 2016, streaming became the primary mode of music consumption in the U.S. Overall on-demand audio streams surpassed 251 billion in 2016 -- a 76 percent increase that accounts for 38 percent of the entire music consumption market. Plus, "the on-demand audio streaming share [of total music consumption] has now surpassed total digital sales (digital albums + digital track equivalents) for the first time in history." Nielsen's data is in line with others' findings.

Comments

How long until FM Broadcast drops off?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm one of the few diehards that likes to listen to FM radio because its simple, couple buttons to press in the car and someone else chooses the music. I'll put up with ads for that.

Guess I'll have to give in at some point and stream my favorite stations over cellular data/4G LTE with a device that can then get the sound into my car stereo somehow.(my current car has an AUX in 3.5mm jack which is handy, but now everyone is deleting the analogue audio jacks from phones lol) which seems kinda somewhat more complicated!

What is everyone else doing?

Re:I'd listen to more of my purchased music...

[Chmarr]

Sounds like you were sharing passwords across accounts. Risky.

Re:Why?

[mwvdlee]

If you have slightly wider musical tastes and want to listen to music legally, streaming can be a whole lot cheaper than buying hundreds of CD's.

Re:Why?

[EvilSS]

If artists want to get paid for their work, then they should demand to get paid up front. This expecting revenue every time a song is played is pure communism. Not making enough from your music? Go work for McDonald's.