Future Tunes at Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal - 2030 Edition Focuses on Music Industry Innovations
At Web Summit's MusicNotes sessions in Lisbon, Portugal, in November 2019, a panel of experts gathered to discuss the current state and future direction of the music industry. The panel, titled "Music 2030," was moderated by Eamonn Forde from The Guardian and Music Ally, and featured Dr. Gigi Johnson, Executive Director at UCLA Alpert's Center for Music Innovation, Roland Lamb from ROLI, and Pieter Van Rijn from FUGA.
The panelists shared several key predictions and insights about the future of the music industry, highlighting the profound impacts of streaming services, digital publishing, AI, and machine learning.
Streaming Services
The global music streaming market is set for significant growth, with the market projected to more than double in value by 2030. This growth is driven by heightened digital music consumption across multiple devices and rising subscriber numbers, especially in emerging markets like Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The growth is supported by subscription-based and freemium pricing models that encourage free users to upgrade through benefits like ad-free listening, exclusive content, and higher quality audio.
Digital Publishing
The digital publishing industry is transforming as artists and publishers embrace new opportunities from these streaming models and expanded digital content formats, including podcasts and live-streamed events. This diversification is powered by partnerships between artists, labels, and tech companies fostering exclusive releases and events, heightening the competitive landscape.
AI and Machine Learning
AI and machine learning are set to play a revolutionary role in enhancing personalization and user engagement. AI algorithms help produce highly tailored music recommendations, dynamic playlists, and seamless smart assistant integrations to deepen user experience. Advances in AI-driven real-time analytics also enable interactive and community-driven experiences in live streams, such as collaborative jam sessions and virtual audience interactions, reshaping entertainment into participatory forms.
Live Music Streaming Technologies
The panel also touched on the rapid evolution in live music streaming technologies, including reduced latency through better codecs and cloud infrastructure, and emerging immersive experiences enabled by augmented and virtual reality — all heavily supported by AI and machine learning features.
Pricing and Industry Economics
There is an expectation that streaming platforms may continue to raise subscription prices incrementally while introducing new monetization models, a response to slowing user growth and rising royalty payments. However, many artists still face challenges with income distribution from streaming revenue.
The Future of AI in Music
Looking ahead, the panel recognized the accelerating potential of AI toward more advanced capabilities. Experts foresee a timeline where Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) might emerge between 2026 and 2035, which could further transform music creation, personalized discovery, and distribution, though this remains dependent on future technical breakthroughs and ethical considerations.
In summary, the panel painted a future where the music industry is increasingly defined by the expansion of streaming platforms, innovative digital publishing ecosystems, and the integration of AI and machine learning technologies that enrich both creator and consumer experiences, driving growth, diversification, and new forms of engagement.
For further details about UCLA Alpert's Center for Music Innovation's work, please visit their web pages. The video of the "Music 2030" panel discussion can be found on Vimeo. The video provides more information on the future direction of the music industry as discussed in the panel.
- The experts predicted that AI and machine learning will revolutionize the music industry by 2030, enhancing personalization, user engagement, and creating advanced capabilities in music creation, personalized discovery, and distribution.
- With the global music streaming market projected to more than double in value by 2030, technology will play a significant role in enhancing digital music consumption across multiple devices, driven by subscription-based and freemium pricing models.
