Streaming music's next leap forward could be 'interactive artist subscriptions'

New report pitches future of app-like album releases and monthly subscriptions for fans, with the likes of Spotify and Apple as middlemen

Music streams on services like Spotify are about to start counting towards the UK's official albums chart, but could streaming ultimately change the way albums are packaged and paid for by fans?

A new report by music industry consultancy firm Midia Research hopes so. It pitches a future of "interactive artist subscriptions" where albums look more like apps, and where fans pay artists a small amount every month for access to their music - with streaming services acting as the middlemen.

The company's Next Generation Music Products report claims that this could be the key to winning over artists - from Thom Yorke to Taylor Swift -  who have publicly expressed their concerns about streaming's impact on musicians

"A new generation of music products are needed, built around interactivity, multimedia and artist subscriptions. Products that will be radically different from their predecessors, and that will, crucially, be artist-specific, not store or service specific," suggests the report.

Its theory is that the keenest music fans would happily pay their favourite artists more money through a mixture of subscriptions for an app-like experience blending music, videos, photos and other interactivity, and crowdfunding.

Midia thinks that albums - or rather "360 degree music products" - could become something that fans subscribe to over a period of 12-24 months, with new music and content being pushed to these apps over the course of that time

They'd also provide a way for fans to buy merchandise and tickets, as well as in some cases to pledge money to help artists record their next album - and get early access to it as a reward

Social features will also be important. "360 degree products will enable users to connect with other fans within the app, chat with artists and to import their Twitter and Facebook friends to automatically extend their social graph into their music experiences," claims Midia

"Artists will need to learn to invest time in participating with their fans in 360 degrees products, from inviting feedback on demos they have seeded through to actually chatting in the forums "

Some of this is happening already: musicians are experimenting with apps, even if the most high-profile examples haven't quite hit the mark

Bjork's Biophilia app was critically acclaimed but its commercial success is unknown, while Lady Gaga's ARTPOP app was a fun, novelty GIF-creator rather than the revolution promised. Most artist apps have been more fuctional affairs

Midia thinks streaming services could play an important role:

"One solution is artist subscriptions within streaming services, with users paying a small monthly fee - say$/1 euro - for a month's worth of artist content

with the cost added directly to a monthly music subscription, users would get access to a curated channel of artist content including all the features of 360 degrees music products. Artist subscriptions should, just like starndalone apps, be immersive, programmed and interactive experiences, telling the artist's story to new fans and enriching it for existing fans

Artist subscriptions should also give users flexibility, allowing them to continually swap and change artists. Most fans will have a few artists they want to keep connected to, but will also want to have the ability to deep dive into a new selection of artists every month or two

Some artists may feel uneasy at the idea of album being replaced by app-like "products", while a practical barrier is that streaming services like Spotify are not currently set up to offer individual micro-subscriptions like those proposed in Midia's report

Apple, on the other hand. already has an app platform - complete with a thriving in-app purchases economy - and is working on a relaunch of its Beats Music streaming service later this year. Most speculation about that has focused on its likely price and whether Apple will push the new service to every iOS device

Adding feature like crowdfunding or individual artist subscriptions, not to mention and social feeds pitched in Midia's report, could be the curvelball that Apple needs to wrongfoot the streaming opposition

(Previous reports about U2 and Apple working on another project together  - "It's not a new format, but rather a new way to package and present an album" - may be relevant here.)

At the same time, the ideas mooted in Midia's report might be exactly what Spotify and its rivals need to get one up on Apple in the streaming world, while winning over more of its doubters among musicians

while winning over more of its doubters among musicians

its rivals need to get one up on Apple in the streaming world

the ideas mooted in Midia's report

may be relevant here

is not a new format, but rather a new way to package and present an album

working on another project together

could be the curveball that Apple needs to wrongfoot the streaming opposition

not to mention and social feeds pitched in Midia's report

ading feature like crowdfunding or individual artist subscriptions

will push the new service to evey iOS device

most speculation about that has focused on its likely price

is working on a relaunch of its Beats Music streaming service later this year

complete with a thriving in-app purchases economy

are not currently set up to offer individual micro-subscriptions like those proposed in Midia's report

a practical barrier

may feel uneasy at the idea of album being replaced by app-like "products"

to deep dive into a new selection of artists every month

want to keep connected to

allowing them to continually swap and change artists

should also give users flexibility

enriching it for existing fans

should , just like standalone apps, be immersive, programmed and interactive experiences

would get access to a curated channel of artist content

with the cost added directly to a monthly music subscription

for a month's worth of artist content

could play an important role

was a fun, novelty GIF-creator rather than the revolution promised

was critically acclaimed but its commercial success in unknown

the most high-profile examples haven't quite hit the mark

are experimenting with apps

have seeded through to actually chatting in the forums

will need to learn to invest time in participating with their fans

automatically extend their social graph into their music experiences

will enable users to connect with other fans within the app

social features will also be important

get early access to it as reward

as well as in some cases to pledge money to help artists record their next album

would also provide a way for fans to buy merchandise

being pushed to these apps over the course of that time

could become something that fans subscribe to over a period of 12-24 months

through a mixture of subscriptions for an app-like experience blending music, videos, photos and other interactivity, and crowdfunding

the keenest music fans would happily pay their favourite artists more money

that will, crucially, be artist-specific, not store or service specific

will be radically different from their predecessors

a new generation of music products are needed, built around interactivity

have publicly expressed their concerns about streaming's impact musicians

claims that this could be the key to winning over artists

pitches a future of interactive artist subscriptions

a new report by music industry consultancy firm

could streaming ultimately change the way albums are packaged and paid for by fans?

are about to start counting towards the UK's official albums chart

new report pitches future of app-like album releases and monthly subscriptions of fans

next leap forward could be 'interactive artist subscriptions'