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Many have hailed online streaming as the music industry’s savior. Streaming revenue surpassed traditional format sales in 2017, and services like Spotify are even making it possible for artists with no mainstream presence or even record label contracts to make a living.

But streaming is also bringing changes that may not be good for the industry, musicians, or listeners. Songs now need to get to the chorus faster to avoid being skipped, albums have more tracks because artists are being paid by the song, and the disparity between pop superstars and everyone else is increasing. Join Future Tense at DC’s Eighteenth Street Lounge for a happy hour conversation about how artists and record labels are adapting to the streaming era, and whether services like Spotify and Apple Music can truly save the music industry.

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Participants:

Chris Molanphy,
Chart analyst and pop critic
Host of the Slate podcast Hit Parade

Cherie Hu,
Tech columnist for Billboard
Media & entertainment contributor at Forbes

Kevin Erickson,
Director of the Future of Music Coalition

Moderator:

Elahe Izadi,
Pop culture writer for The Washington Post

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