Apple Losing Over $1 Billion a Year on Streaming Service

[u/MarvelsGrantMan136]

https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-losing-over-1-billion-year-streaming-service-information-reports-2025-03-20/

[u/TheWorldEndsWithCake]

 What’s the ask here? One service that has everything?

Seems to work with music. I get the revenue model is different, but from the customer POV when I want to listen to Kidz Bop 420, I want it to be available on Spotify because I pay for that. When I want to watch a film or series, I don’t want to have to hunt for where it’s available, download a new app, sign up for a new subscription, VPN into another region, etc.

It’s inconvenient. Spotify has basically all of the music I would find anywhere else, aside from extremely niche stuff. It’s not so much that the value is bad, but people don’t think “wow, what films will I be able to watch in the dazzling Peacock catalogue” but “ugh, Die Hard isn’t here either?? WTF do I pay for this for”. It feels like being annoyed into paying excess subscriptions (like cable…), in an age where piracy is a better option than ever. 

All of the greedy, license-holding piggies want a piece of the pie, which is why we saw a dozen streaming services be born and die since Netflix came on the stage. It’s not unreasonable consumers, but unreasonable producers. 

[u/ankercrank → u/TheWorldEndsWithCake]

I’m pretty sure unless regulation forces content to not be “exclusive”, we won’t see this change. The biggest issue is the streaming services are creating their own content. It’s a bit like movie theaters owning the production studios. Unless that’s forbidden by law, I don’t see how this changes.

Streaming services are all basically the same, which is why they started producing exclusive content for their own platforms.

Why won't this be regulated? The same reason you only find Kirkland products at Costco, they exist to help get people in the door.

[u/m2thek → u/TheWorldEndsWithCake]

"Seems to work with music" for everyone but the actual artists

[u/Valance23322 → u/m2thek]

There's more money than ever going to musicians, it's just being divided amongst way more musicians than it used to be.

[u/rawonionbreath → u/Valance23322]

That’s because streaming music massively devalued an artists catalogue from what it was 25 years ago.

[u/Valance23322 → u/rawonionbreath]

It's because the barrier to entry is much lower, so you have way more people making and distributing music. Back in the day if you couldn't get a record deal and/or radio play you were pretty much limited to tiny live music venues.

[u/rawonionbreath → u/Valance23322]

It’s also because most music that wasn’t on the radio was paid for.

[u/cherry_chocolate_ → u/m2thek]

Spotify for a year costs as much as 100 singles. People are paying as much as the high end of iTunes users were a decade ago, so if anything we pay more now. The fact is that obscure artists weren’t making a living off of CDs, they weren’t making a living off of digital downloads, and they aren’t making a living today. That sucks, but it’s better for small artists than ever. Anyone can be on the same platform as the biggest artists, so they have a chance to be discovered. Meanwhile, no small filmmaker can just decide to publish to Netflix.

[u/Meraka → u/m2thek]

Yeah because I’m sure people like The Weeknd are certainly hurting from Spotify not giving him even higher royalties.

It is insanely easier now to have your music be heard than it was 30 years ago. Back then if you didn’t land a record deal fast your music career ended. Nowadays, any random fuck can build fans through streaming services and YouTube. You people spend too much time listening to already insanely rich artists like snoop doggs dumbass whining about not being paid enough from Spotify.

The proof is in the fucking pudding. Point me to any even mid level artist and I’ll show you a millionaire.

[u/rawonionbreath → u/TheWorldEndsWithCake]

Since you mention Spotify, look how the music industry is doing for content creators.