Ask yourself, when was the last time that you bought a DVD, or the last time that you bought an album? If you can’t remember, it’s probably because you either have an aversion to all things fun and entertaining, or more likely that you’ve been streaming pretty much everything.
There are so many options out there that allow you to stream music, ranging from free options such as Pandora or Spotify, to more expensive options such as Tidal for a minimum of $9.99 a month. For film and television, there aren’t many free options out there that we’re aware of, but Netflix’s minimum of $9.99 a month for over 10,00 titles worldwide is a great deal nonetheless. Why buy each of the Orange is the New Black season DVD’s for more than $10 each when you can just binge watch the whole series in less than a month for the price of one season DVD?
So, is streaming, dare we say it, the new black? Musicians have definitely chosen sides when it comes to the topic.
Some artists side with Tidal, such as Kanye West who tweeted that his album would only be available to Tidal users. Of course, The Life of Pablo is now available to stream on Spotify and also available for purchase via his website, so…
Some other artists side with Apple Music, such as Taylor Swift who famously fell on her face in a marketing attempt.
Even Queen Bey’s Lemonade was exclusive to Tidal users for a weekend before it was released on iTunes for purchase and streaming.
We’ve come to the conclusion that streaming is indeed the new black, and while DVD’s and albums may still be available, for now at least, that they will continue to exist only for extremely devoted fans.
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