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Strategic Intelligence: Audio Streaming

Publisher GlobalData
Published Jun 20, 2025
SKU # GBDT20187086

Description

Strategic Intelligence: Audio Streaming

Summary

Audio streaming refers to the process of transmitting audio content over the internet for immediate playback. According to GlobalData forecasts, the global audio streaming market was worth $40 billion in 2024. It will grow to $89 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14% between 2024 and 2030.

Key Highlights
  • Music is the largest segment in the global audio streaming market, projected to reach $49 billion by 2030, up from $20 billion in 2024. However, demand for podcasts and audiobooks is growing. These spoken-word formats are increasingly important to the growth and monetization strategies of platforms like Spotify and iHeartMedia. Meanwhile, live and community-driven internet radio stations maintain their appeal by offering spontaneity. Listeners tune in to hear what is playing at that moment, creating a sense of unpredictability and social listening that AI-driven platforms lack.
  • Artificial intelligence (AI)-generated audio is disrupting the economics of audio streaming, offering limitless and low-cost content that challenges traditional value chains. It promises to improve listener engagement through a continuous flow of content and personalization but poses a direct threat to artists’ livelihoods. If AI-generated audio becomes widespread, it could break down existing compensation models and blur the legal and economic boundaries of ownership, creation, and revenue sharing.
Scope
  • This report provides an overview of the audio streaming theme.
  • It identifies the key trends that will impact the theme's growth over the next 12 to 24 months, split into three categories: technology trends, macroeconomic trends, and regulatory trends.
  • The comprehensive industry analysis includes market size and growth forecasts for the global audio streaming industry, as well as a timeline highlighting significant milestones in the theme's development.
  • The detailed value chain comprises four layers: content creation, content aggregation, distribution, and device. A list of leaders and challengers is provided for each value chain segment.
Reasons to Buy
  • The audio streaming industry is expanding as consumer demand for personalized, on-the-go content grows. This surge has triggered fierce competition among traditional media houses, tech giants, and independent creators, all striving for audience attention and loyalty. All audio streaming platforms are doubling down on exclusive content, sophisticated recommendation algorithms, and enhanced user experiences to gain a competitive edge.
  • This report provides a detailed overview of this disruptive theme, including identifying leading and challenging players across the whole value chain.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary
Players
Technology Briefing
How does audio streaming work?
Audio codecs are critical tools in audio streaming
Types of audio streaming protocols
Challenges in audio streaming
Trends
Technology trends
Macroeconomic trends
Regulatory trends
Industry Analysis
Market size and growth forecasts
Music dominates the audio streaming market, while podcasts lead in momentum
Timeline
Value Chain
The traditional music industry value chain was linear and controlled by record labels
Streaming technologies challenged the status quo
Content creation
Record labels
Audio producers
Recording studios
Digital audio workstations
Content aggregation
Music publishers
Audio streaming platforms
Audiobook publishers
Podcast publishers and networks
Internet radio stations
Marketing
Distribution
Cloud services
Internet service providers
Content delivery networks
App stores
Digital distribution services
Performance rights organizations
Device
Smart TVs and smart speakers
Smartphones and tablets
Personal computers and gaming consoles
Wearable tech
Car infotainment
Companies
Sector Scorecard
Music, film, and TV sector scorecard
Who’s who
Thematic screen
Valuation screen
Risk screen
Glossary
Further Reading
GlobalData reports
Our Thematic Research Methodology
About GlobalData
Contact Us
List of Tables
Table 1 Technology trends
Table 2 Macroeconomic trends
Table 3 Regulatory trends
Table 4 Companies
Table 5 Glossary
Table 6 GlobalData reports
List of Figures
Figure 1: Select players in the audio streaming theme and where they sit in the value chain
Figure 2: How does audio streaming work?
Figure 3: Audio streaming will generate $89 billion by 2030
Figure 4: The music segment will retain its market dominance through 2030
Figure 5: The music segment is losing market share to audiobooks and podcasts
Figure 6: The audio streaming story
Figure 7: The traditional music value chain
Figure 8: The audio streaming value chain
Figure 9: The audio streaming value chain - Record labels
Figure 10: The audio streaming value chain - Audio producers
Figure 11: The audio streaming value chain - Recording studios
Figure 12: The audio streaming value chain - Digital audio workstations (DAWs)
Figure 13: The audio streaming value chain - Music publishers
Figure 14: The audio streaming value chain - Audio streaming platforms
Figure 15: The audio streaming value chain - Audiobook publishers
Figure 16: The audio streaming value chain - Podcast publishers and networks
Figure 17: The audio streaming value chain - Internet radio stations
Figure 18: The audio streaming value chain - Marketing
Figure 19: The audio streaming value chain - Cloud services
Figure 20: The audio streaming value chain - internet service providers
Figure 21: The audio streaming value chain - Content delivery networks
Figure 22: The audio streaming value chain - App stores
Figure 23: The audio streaming value chain - Digital distribution services
Figure 24: The audio streaming value chain - Performance rights organizations
Figure 25: The audio streaming value chain - Smart TV and smart speakers
Figure 26: The audio streaming value chain - Smartphones and tablets
Figure 27: The audio streaming value chain - Personal computers and gaming consoles
Figure 28: The audio streaming value chain - Wearable tech
Figure 29: The audio streaming value chain - Car infotainment
Figure 30: Who does what in the music, film, and TV space?
Figure 31: Thematic screen
Figure 32: Valuation screen
Figure 33: Risk screen
Figure 34: Our five-step approach for generating a sector scorecard

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